Clean Ocean Access has published their 2008 – 2017 Water Quality Monitoring Summary Report, a result of the Clean Ocean Access year-round citizen science weekly water quality monitoring initiative aimed to directly empower the community to provide monitoring data for use in decision making as part of a sound water quality management plan that includes regular water quality testing, timely identification of point and nonpoint source of pollutants, and effective remediation. The program aims to achieve the Clean Ocean Access long-term goal of permanent year-round clean water on Aquidneck Island as part of the Clean Water Act.
With the help of citizen science volunteers, Clean Ocean Access collected 4,309 water samples on a weekly basis during the period of 2008 to 2017, along with funding for laboratory fees provided by the City of Newport budget and Town of Middletown civic appropriations. Samples were collected at popular swimming locations, and likely source areas of Enterococci bacteria along the Aquidneck Island shoreline and watershed, although not all locations are necessarily recognized as designated swimming areas. Collecting weekly water samples over a nine-year period provides an opportunity for quantitative long-term trend analysis. During this period, the communities of the City of Newport and Town of Middletown have made significant investments to address the pollution problems facing the Aquidneck Island shoreline.
The full report can be found here: http://www.cleanoceanaccess.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Clean-Ocean-Access-2008-2017-Water-Quality-Monitoring-Summary-Report.pdf