
All Water Is Connected: Citizen Scientists Monitor Virginia Water Quality (PDF in new tab)
When we visit the beach, water quality is the last thing most of us want to worry about. Virginia Beach receives more than 15 million tourists each year, and both the state Department of Health and a local branch of the Surfrider Foundation are checking water quality to make sure visiting beachgoers and locals alike are safe. Surfrider is a nonprofit that works to protect oceans and beaches, and its Blue Water Task Forces (BWTF) conduct local water testing to augment government data collection.