Water Quality: Scientific Data

EPA http://www.epa.gov/epahome/topics.html
Abstract: The above address is the homepage for the EPA. It is easiest to begin here when searching for water-related sites, since the EPA’s site is quite a maze, and it’s often true that “you can’t get there from here…” From the main homepage, click on “water.” That takes you to the Office of Water page from which you can access other areas including the Index of Watershed Indicators, Surf Your Watershed etc. These sites allow you to focus on the health of Georgia’s watersheds in terms of specific conditions and vulnerability. Information is presented in easy-to-read graphs. They also show how watershed health scores are calculated – very helpful. Other topical areas accessible from the main homepage include, drinking water, ground water, stormwater, surface water, wastewater, water pollution, water pollution control, effects, legal aspects of, and water quality monitoring. EPA’s pages provide the best overall picture of the various aspects of water quality, however you must spend considerable time searching the site for it to divulge its secrets!

United States Geological Service (USGS) http://www.usgs.gov/
Abstract: As for the EPA, it is best to begin with the USGS homepage. This site, while not quite as extensive as the EPA’s, still contains a bounty of water quality material that ranges from general to highly scientific information. The site allows users to focus on specific watersheds, rivers or counties in their home state. Streamflow conditions, annual average discharge of major Georgia streams, water use on a county-by-county basis, major land usage, phosphorus loads, data and trends are some of the specific areas covered. The site also has numerous publications (e.g., “Water Quality in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain…1992-1996”), color maps and 3-D graphics available on-line as downloads. You can also order anything they have as hard copy, much of which is free-of-charge. A “Water Science for Schools” section provides a template for educating students young and old about the precious nature of our water resources.

Clean Water Network http://www.cwn.org/
The Clean Water Network (CWN) is an alliance of over 1,000 organizations all of which endorse CWN’s position paper, the National Agenda for Clean Water (available at the site). The CWN position paper has three basic elements: 1) prevent pollutuion; 2) protect ecosystems; and 3) strengthen enforcement. The site itself is an excellent resource for water-related information and features technical and education information suitable for lay persons and scientists alike. Issue areas such as polluted runoff, total maximum daily loads, wetlands etc. are dealt with in a thorough manner. The site also offers a wealth of papers, fact sheets (e.g., current clean water legislation) and reports. Most are available on-line; others are available through the mail (some publications are free; others are available at modest prices). The site layout is well organized and easy to use.

Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD – a division of Georgia Department of Natural Resources) http://www.dnr.state.ga.us/dnr/environ/
The above address is for the GA EPD home page which is the best place to start your search for water resources on this labrynthine site. The site is very helpful and is organized along the following topical breakdown: Georgia’s Environment; Rules and Laws; Implementation Plans; Outreach; the Regulated Community; EPD forms; Technical Guidance; Enforcement; and News. Each topic is sub-divided into specific areas of interest and most of the general topics have at least one water-related application. For example, under the topic “Regulated Community,” you will find all pertinent state regulations that apply to wastewater, well-drilling, water withdrawal and drinking water. Another of the site’s features is River Care 2000. Compiled by over 70 specialists from various fields, this initial assessment is the first comprehensive study of the quality of Georgia’s rivers. Readers can find the text of various watershed protection plans, download GIS databases and maps, search for spills, access the state toxic release inventory and much more. However, as with other large government-run sites, you must be prepared to spend some time on this site in order to grasp all its possibilities. To the patient go the rewards!

American Water Works Association (AWWA) http://www.awwa.org/
An international non-profit scientific and educational society, AWWA is dedicated to improving drinking water quality and supply. It claims to be “the largest organization of water supply professionals in the world.” Its membership of over 50,000 includes scientists and environmentalists, manufacturers, academicians, regulators and water-treatment operators and managers. The site is organized topically around various aspects of drinking water and includes numerous white papers (e.g., lead in drinking water; source water protection; chlorine for disinfecting drinking water etc), and policy statements (e.g., management of groundwater; water treatment; protecting resevoirs; flouridation etc). It also investigates various legislative aspects of drinking water quality and controls and presents a calendar of various water quality symposia. Links to many of the sites included in this lists of abstracts are provided.

NEMO Homepage (Non-point Education for Municipal Officials)
http://www.nemo.uconn.edu/
The following statement appears on each page of this website reminding readers of NEMO’s purpose as: “an educational program for local land use officials that addresses the relationship of land use to natural resource protection.” During 1991-92, NEMO began as a collaborative pilot project to address non-point pollution in three small CT. tcoastal towns. Collaborators included the University of Connecticut, Cooperative Extension Service, Connecticut Sea Grant and the State’s Natural Resource Management Department. Since that time it has evolved into a highly successful training program. Their new website is much improved and provides a wealth of information about NEMO’s educational materials, workshops and training. It also describes local projects and how to identify and educate local officials about how land use affects water quality. This is an excellent site if you have an interest in environmental activism or policy-making. Be sure to check out their “Supernumerary Policy Panel…”