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What's in your water? Volunteers test for pollution near White River

River Assessment Field Team samples water in White River's tributaries once a month

The River Assessment Field Team samples the White River's creeks and streams for bacteria, nutrients, and water chemistry once a month.

By: Taj Simmons

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INDIANAPOLIS — The White River is central Indiana's main water source, but it takes work to make sure the river is clean. A group of volunteers is doing their part by examining the streams that flow into the White River.

The River Assessment Field Team samples the White River's creeks and streams for bacteria, nutrients, and water chemistry once a month. The results are published online and are used by government agencies to gauge the White River's health and pollution levels.

"The river has a lot of issues, particularly some impairments due to bacteria and nutrients," said Kelly Brown of the White River Alliance, which organizes the River Assessment Field Team. "Where is that coming from? We wanted to spend time collecting data to understand."

The volunteers sample water from a wide variety of White River tributaries between Gosport and Anderson. RAFT started analyzing the streams in 2021 and several volunteers have made it a regular part of their monthly routine.

"It kept me involved, which is very important as you retire. You don't want to just sit around the house," said Gary Wilhite, who has attended nearly every RAFT session for the past three years. "Not everyone is retired, though. A lot of the younger people who come out here are just committed to environmental issues or want to get involved in something."

Brown said their work is a big responsibility because government agencies often do not have the time to sample smaller bodies of water.

"We drink the White River. This is 70 percent of our water in Indianapolis," Brown said. "What it's like in the streams impacts what we have to do to make it clean enough to drink. It's going to impact the Wabash River, the Ohio River, all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. It's really nice to do something that is about the larger community and the larger environment."

If you are interested in volunteering with RAFT, you can find upcoming water sampling events at this link.