By Jeff Shelden, Water Team Chair

Sierra Club is partnering with nonprofit Current on H2NOW Chicago, a pilot project to monitor microbial pollution in the Chicago River. H2NOW Chicago launched this summer as the first project of its kind in the United States. It will measure pollutants in real time, a big advance over traditional methods that require sending samples to a lab and waiting at least a day for the results. 

Sierra Club volunteers are now in the field for Phase 1 of the pilot, and are playing a vital role in the calibration of the water-sensing technology. They’ll be collecting water samples at the South Branch sensor location through the second and final phase, ensuring that the tech continues to perform well. If all goes smoothly, the water quality data should be available to the public in the next several months. 

H2NOW measures fecal coliforms, bacteria that originate from warm-blooded animal feces. There are many ways they can enter waterways, everything from large sewage overflows to everyday surface runoff. Fecal coliform bacteria act as a sort of early-warning system. Though most are not harmful to humans, they can signal the presence of other bacteria and viruses that can pose a health risk. The Environmental Protection Agency uses fecal coliforms as a key indicator in measuring recreational water quality.  

By offering better and more frequent information on the health of the Chicago River, this project can make interactions with the waterway safer for all Chicagoans. We're excited to share updates with you on the project as it proceeds. 

Learn more about H2NOW Chicago on Current’s blog.

Photos courtesy of Current.