Volunteers wanted for water quality testing in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — The City of Lexington is asking residents to check their own water quality in their backyard as part of the city’s Watershed-Focused Monitoring Program.

This round of testing will focus on the Wolf Run watershed, in the heart of Fayette County.

Volunteer training will take place on Friday, May 5 at 9 a.m. at the Town Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant Training Room, located at 301 Lisle Industrial Avenue.

Email Lindsie Nicholas at lnicholas@lexingtonky.gov to RSVP.

Ken Cooke, a longtime volunteer and Kentucky River Watershed Watch partnership liaison, says fieldwork helps identify sources of pollution.

“The comprehensive nature of this monitoring has given us real and actionable information to identify hot spots that need immediate attention, as well as a solid basis for evaluating long term efforts to improve our watersheds and water quality,” said Cooke. For example, volunteer data has been helpful in determining whether high levels of E. coli in our streams are linked to leaking sewer lines or wildlife that naturally live in the environment. This information drives efforts to clean and protect local creeks.

Other parameters evaluated include flow, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, chlorine, detergents, phosphorus, ammonia, nitrate, and suspended solids.