World Water Monitoring Challenge

Partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Colorado Department of Environmental Health to host a monitoring event for 50 fifth grade students at the South Platte River in Confluence Park. Stations provided supplemental learning on macroinvertebrates, pollution, and microbiology. Volunteers visited the classroom prior and after the event to show the video and explain the monitoring process, help the students load the data into the database, and discuss the findings and implications.[br][br]In a second event, the community relations team from the Operations & Maintenance Business Group in Denver challenged co-workers to get out and monitor.v

Partnered with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to give presentations and host monitoring events at several schools. Volunteers attended an informational lunch session for training on the monitoring process in advance of the events, which also provided another opportunity for CH2M HILL participants to interact with a local client. From September 12 through November 9, 14 separate events were held at schools and community organizations in eastern Massachusetts, primarily in the greater Boston area. In all, more than 1,000 students learned about water quality monitoring and the importance of clean water.

Visited the fourth grade class at Thornwood Elementary School to celebrate WWMD on September 29. Six employees participated and gave presentations and answered students’ questions before helping the class of 60 students test three different water samples. The students tested water from a lake southwest of Houston and raw water from the City of Houston’s East Water Treatment Plant and contrasted them to the drinking water at the school. The children were excited to do the water testing, especially since they got to wear rubber gloves.

Hosted 75 members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Magic Valley for a WWMD event in July. The kids ranging in age from 9 years old to teenagers tested water from the Snake River at Centennial Waterfront Park. Since the River was running higher and faster than normal, safety came first and CH2M HILL OMI employees collected the samples and took them to the main pavilion for the students to conduct the monitoring. CH2M HILL OMI operates the Twins Falls’ wastewater treatment plant.