>> SINCE THE CLEAN WATER ACT OF 1972, THE CONNECTICUT RIVER HAS
TRANSFORMED ITSELF FROM BEING MOCKED AS "AMERICA'S BEST
LANDSCAPED SEWER" TO ACTUALLY PROVIDING DRINKING WATER FOR
MILLIONS ALONG ITS 410-MILE PATH.
HOWEVER, RAINY SEASONS CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON ITS WATER QUALITY
DUE TO STREET RUNOFF AND HIGH BACTERIA COUNTS.
CONNECTING POINT'S BRIAN SULLIVAN MET UP WITH AN
ORGANIZATION WHO CREATED AN ONLINE TOOL WHICH ALERTS BOATERS
AND OTHERS PLANNING TO USE THE RIVER WHERE THE SAFE AND UNSAFE
LOCATIONS ARE.
>> IN THE LITTLE SENSE WHEN IT RAINS, IT BOISE
IS POURS IS AS TRUE AS IT WAS YEARS AGO.
ONE INDICATOR OF THIS IS THE INCREASED HEIGHT OF THE
CONNECTICUT RIVER.
HOWEVER, WHEN IT RAINS ON THE RIVER, IT DOESN'T HAVE NEARLY
THE IMPACT ON THE WATER QUALITY AS WHEN IT POURSS INTO IT.
I DON'T REALLY MIND THE RAIN BECAUSE IT IS A FREE CAR WASH
BUT AS IT PICKS UP EVERYTHING IN ITS PATH, IT CAN PICK UP A LOT
OF TOXINS AND FLUSH THAT INTO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER.
SO A RAINFALL LIKE THIS ONE IS NOT DOING ANYONE ANY ECOLOGICAL
FAVORS.
THE FIRST REACTION GO IS -- REACTION IS YUK.
THIS IS ABOUT A DESIGN FLAW THAT BECOMES APPARENT INCONSISTENTLY
WET WEATHER.
>> A LOT OF OUR CITIES IN NEW ENGLAND HAVE COMBINED SEWAGE
OVERFLOWS.
MEANING THE SEWAGE AND STORMWATER ARE THE SAME PIPE SO
WHEN IT RAINS, THE EXCESS RAIN MAKES IT FULL AND THAT ENDS UP
IN OUR RIVERS AND THAT IS WHERE THE E. COLI BACTERIA COMES FROM.
>> AND SOMETIMES CAN BE AT UNSAFE LEVELS LIKE FOR THIS CLUB
THAT ACCESSES THE RIVER EIGHT MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS WE MONITOR TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS
SAFE TO GO OUT.
THOSE INCLUDE WATER TEMPERATURE, AIR TEMPERATURE, WATER LEVEL AND
WATER QUALITY.
WATER QUALITY IS SOMETHING WE'RE SENSITIVE TO BECAUSE THE RIVER
HAS A STIGMA, A NEGATIVE IMAGE.
MY RESPONSE IS WE'RE OUT THERE SIX DAYS A WEEK, EIGHT MONTHS
OUT OF THE YEAR, DO YOU THINK WE WOULD BE DOING THAT IF IT WERE
UNSAFE?
THAT SAID, WE HAVE A CERTAIN RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WATER,
DON'T ENCOURAGE SWIMMING OR DRINKING, A LITTLE MORE AWARE TO
WASH WOUNDS AND IF SOMETHING FALLS IN, MAYBE JUST LET IT GO.
>> MAINTAINING A CLEAN RIVER AND HABITAT, WATER QUALITY TESTING
IS DONE HERE AT THE LAB AT THE WATER CONSERVANCY IN GREENFIELD
AND THANKS TO VOLUNTEERS, THEY HAVE PLENTY OF SAMPLES TO WORK
WITH.
>> VOLUNTEERS GO OUT WEEKLY TO COLLECT SAMPLES, MOSTLY FROM
ACCESS POINT SWIMMING HOLES.
A LOT OF THEM ARE COLLECTED FROM DOCKS BUT THEY ARE SAMPLES
COLLECTED FROM MOVING WATER FROM THE RIVER WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE
RECREATING.
>> MOST SAMPLES ARE COLLECTED EARLY ON A MORNING LIKE ON A
THURSDAY LIKE HERE IN BARTON'S COVE UP THE RIVER.
THEY ARE TAKEN TO THE LAB, GO MEASURED AT 100ML EACH AND GIVEN
FOOD FOR THE BACTERIA.
AFTER BEING STORED OVERNIGHT IN THE INCUBATOR FOR 24 HOURS, THEY
ARE REMOVED AND A BACTERIA COUNT IS TAKEN, THE RESULTS
DOCUMENTED.
THE REASON THIS TAKES PLACE IN ROUGHLY A 36-HOUR PERIOD BETWEEN
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY IS SO THE DATA CAN MAKE IT WAY ON THE CRC
WEBSITE WHICH WILL ALERT THE PUBLIC.
>> BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON, WE WILL HAVE THE RESULTS POSTED.
THERE IS A MAP ON THE WEBSITE AND IT IS A FUN MAP TO USE,
COLOR-CODED AND INTERACTIVE.
EACH PIN ON THE MAP IS WHERE WE HAVE COLLECTED A SAMPLE AND THE
COLOR OF THE PIN TELLS YOU HOW HIGH OR LOW THE BACTERIA LEVELS
ARE.
IF IT IS BLUE, GO THAT MEANS CLEAN ENOUGH FOR SWIMMING AND
BOATING AND ANY SORT OF RECREATION.
IF IT IS YELLOW, BACTERIA LEVELS WERE SLIGHTLY ELEVATED.
MAY NOT WANT TO GO SWIMMING WHERE YOU ARE GET YOUR WHOLE
BODY WET BUT BOATING IS OKAY.
IF IT IS RED, THAT MEANS BACTERIA LEVELS ARE PRETTY
HIGHLY ELEVATED AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO GET WET.
>> THE QUALITY OF THE CONDUCT CUT RIVER IS IN PRETTY GOOD
SHAPE SINCE THE CLEAN WATER ACT OF 1972, IN THANKS PART TO
STREET RUNOFF AND GROUPS LIKE THE CRC AS WELL AS A
WELL-EDUCATED PUBLIC.
>> LET'S BE HONEST, CHARLES RIVER IN BOSTON, SKULL KILL
RIVER SCHOOL KILL RIVER IN PENNSYLVANIA, THEY ARE
FILTY, HUNDREDS TIME MORE THAN BODIES OF WATER THAT HAVE MORE
CONTACT.