Greensboro Celebrates National Water Monitoring Day 
October 16, 2002

The City of Greensboro will be joining the EPA and other participants nationwide in celebration of National Water Monitoring Day on Friday, October 18. This event marks the 30th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Greensboro Mayor Keith Holliday has also proclaimed this day as Water Monitoring Day in Greensboro. Greensboro and High Point city staff members will sample the water quality at a number of sites within both cities. Eighth-grade classes from Kiser Middle School will be joining staff to observe the monitoring and citizens are invited to attend at the following locations:

• North Buffalo Creek, near the intersection of Mimosa Drive and Westover Terrace in Greensboro from 9 am - 1 pm
• Festival Park off Hwy 68 at Oak Hollow Lake in High Point from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

"One of the important lessons learned from the past 30 years is the need for citizen participation in caring for the natural resources that benefit us locally," said David Phlegar, Water Quality Supervisor for the City of Greensboro. "Government efforts alone are no longer enough. What each of us does on a daily basis affects water quality. Pollution upstream can adversely affect people hundreds of miles downstream. We're all a part of the solution."

Staff will perform and submit data from four key tests: dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity/clarity and temperature for inclusion in the national study. Technical analyses such as macroinvertebrate counts (aquatic insects), nitrogen and phosphorus content and the speed of water flow will also be conducted. Data collected will help in drafting summary comparisons reflecting changes in water quality over the last thirty years. 

For more information, contact David Phlegar at 373-2707, Martie Groome at 375-2229 (City of Greensboro's Water Resources Department), Bill Frazier at 883-3410 (City of High Point) or visit the Year of Clean Water website at www.yearofcleanwater.org .