2025 CWQT Sampler Interest Form

2025 CWQT Sampler Interest Form

Hello prospective water quality samplers!

Are you interested in volunteering with Billion Oyster Project and the Community Water Quality Testing (CWQT) program during the 2025 season? Please read more about the program, and fill out the form below. A member of the Billion Oyster Project team will follow up with respondents at the email provided.

What is the Community Water Quality Testing (CWQT) Program?

The Community Water Quality Testing Program, currently facilitated by Billion Oyster Project alongside 20+ partner labs and community-based organizations, engages community scientists in the testing of the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary water for bacteria that can be harmful to human health.

The CWQT program provides access to water quality data that informs boaters, swimmers, park users, and other water users when and where it’s safe to explore and enjoy their local waterways. Testing focuses on sewage pollution from combined sewage overflows. CWQT data can be paired with rainfall and tide information to make informed decisions about water quality and its potential impact on human health throughout our waters.

💩 What does CWQT test for? 🦆

CWQT labs test for Enterococcus. “Entero” is found in the fecal matter of warm-blooded organisms. The presence of Enterococci in the water is an indicator of fecal pollution as well as the possible presence of other pathogens that can be harmful to humans. The MPN, Most Probable Number, of Enterococcus is recorded and compared to the NYC Department of Health standards for swimmable water.

🦠 How to get involved: 💦

Volunteer community scientists commit to attend a training and collecting water samples, from one or more sample sites, for 20 consecutive weeks. Volunteers work individually or in groups on a rotating schedule to sample, with an expected time commitment of 1-2 hours per week. Samples are collected weekly on Thursday mornings, and dropped off at one of 10 partner labs before 12PM the same day. This year the season will run for 20 weeks from Thursday, May 8 through Thursday, October 2, 2025, with a break for June 19 and July 4, 2025.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of sites we are looking to recruit potential samplers for, however we encourage potential samplers to independently identify alternative sample sites based on their own interest and experience:

Harlem River, Lincoln Avenue, Mott Haven
Luyster Creek, Astoria
East River, Hallets Cove, Astoria
East River, Gantry State Park
East River, Pier 2 Kayak Dock (Brooklyn Bridge Park)
East River, Pier 4 Beach (Brooklyn Bridge Park)
Hudson River, Battery Park City
Gravesend Bay, Calvert Vaux Cove
Coney Island Creek, Calvert Vaux Beach
Paerdegat Basin, Jamaica Bay (Sebago Canoe Club)
Canarsie Pier, Jamaica Bay
Floyd Bennett Field, Jamaica Bay
Shirley Chisholm State Park, Jamaica Bay
Shoelace Park Canoe Launch
Bronx - Burke Ave Bridge
Bronx Zoo - Mitsubishi Riverwalk
Bronx - River Park at 182nd St
Starlight Park - N. Dock
Concrete Plant Park Canoe Launch
Hunts Point Riverside Park
Soundview Park - HP009 outfall
Soundview Park - Mouth of the river

Please note filling out this form does not guarantee participation. After collecting interest forms, Billion Oyster Project staff will reach out to partner labs to understand lab capacity and potential sampler placement. We look forward to updating respondents no later than April 2025.

More information and CWQT data can be found here. Please reach out to waterquality@billionoysterproject.org with any questions, and stay in touch by subscribing to the CWQT newsletter here.

First and Last Name*

Preferred Email Address*

Please list any institution or community-based organization you are affiliated with that may be interested in coordinating volunteers for CWQT bacteria monitoring.

Please note your role in the organization.

Would you like to participate as a sampler in the 2025 CWQT program?*

Select

If you responded "Maybe" please explain here:

Have you participated in CWQT before?*

Select

If you answered "Yes," please describe your role-- what site(s) did you sample previously, in what year(s), and what lab did you bring it to for processing?

In which borough(s), neighborhood(s), and/or waterbody(s) would you like to sample for enterococcus bacteria this season?*

Please provide an address, intersection, and/or coordinates if you have a particular location(s) in mind.

Are you able to commit to collecting samples for 20 consecutive Thursday mornings from mid-May through September 2025?*

Select

If you answered "No" or "Maybe" please explain here:

Do you plan to use and review the CWQT data you will help collect? If yes, for what purpose will you use the data?

Will you use the data to inform recreation like swimming or kayaking, independent or academic research, advocacy, art, civic engagement, etc.?

Would you like to be added to our Community Water Quality Testing program newlstter?*

Receive our water quality newsletter for 20 weeks during the sampling season, and occasional program updates.

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Send me a copy of my responses

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