Come on in, the water's fine

Water Watch received a new level of recognition for its achievements last month when it was given the prestigious National Take Pride in America Award. The award went to the student organization for its exceptional public service in preserving Masachusetts' public waterways.

"This award is a huge accomplishment for Water Watch," sophomore and Water Watch intern Sue Bernstock said. "As part of the media, our goal is to get the word out there. Being recognized like this both acknowledges all of our hard work and promotes our cause so more people can get involved."

Water Watch is a national student-run organization that participates in educational programs, cleanups, and other promotional activities to raise awareness about the severe environmental issues that plague individual states. Massachusetts currently has 18 local chapters on different college campuses.

"Water Watch is a great organization that brings together community members and student volunteers," Bernstock said. "It has been very successful over the past year in both pinpointing the sources of pollution and in cleaning the results of this contamination."

According to Kate Drexler, the Water Watch organizer at Tufts, Massachusetts has the second worst water quality in the country. The waters are contaminated with industrial waste, mercury, raw sewage, pesticide and fertilizer runoff, and trash.

"Clearly, something needs to be done about this pollution," Drexler said. "By getting involved with Water Watch, it empowers our volunteers to realize they can make a difference."

The success of Water Watch is due partly to the high level of student participation this year, said Bernstock. Massachusetts Water Watch has been ranked sixteenth in the country for size of its core group. Among the 18 chapters, over 3,400 students and volunteers have given their time and efforts to the cause.

This effort has now been rewarded. The Take Pride in America award is presented to 15 public service organizations in the nation for their outstanding efforts to serve our communities.

Founded by Ronald Reagan in 1984, the program has gained much prestige over the years. Gale Norton, US Secretary of the Interior, and John Bridgeland, Director of US Freedom Corps, presented the award in Washington D.C. on Sept. 26.

Tufts Water Watch members are hoping this recognition will promote more participation among students. According to Drexler, the group is expecting an even larger interest in Water Watch once the award is publicized.

"The award shows that we are an organized group who take action and actually affect water quality awareness and outreach," Drexler said. "We are really making a difference."

Senior Turner Savard, cleanup coordinator for Water Watch, focused on the effect the award has had on current volunteers.

"It is great to be rewarded like this," he said. "It shows that we are actually doing something significant."

But, according to Savard, the award isn't the real form of validation that Water Watch volunteers have found. "When you come to a cleanup, you can physically see the trash and pollution in the morning," he said. "By the end of the day, there is such a clear difference; it's really empowering to see the effect you can have."

Drexler agreed, stating that the award isn't what gives her a sense of validation for her work. "This award has not validated anything, but has simply added to the fuel," Drexler said. "It allows us to look at the bigger picture and see we're a group who is active and making change happen."

This year, Water Watch has begun an educational program at local grade schools to teach children about water pollution. It is also hosting an Awareness Week from Nov. 9 to16 at Tufts, where speakers, panels, and activities will be held to raise awareness of the local water quality. Tufts Water Watch will also be conducting stream monitoring to test pollution levels in local waterways.

The most significant goal of Tufts Water Watch is to organize one major cleanup each semester. This year it's the Make a Difference Day Cleanup, scheduled for Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mystic River Reservation.

Tufts Water Watch will be inviting over 100 participants, including students, community members, and local leaders. Food, refreshments, and music will be served and transportation to and from Tufts will be provided. A shuttle will leave from the Campus Center at 9:15 a.m. and will return on the hour.

"We're hoping for a big turnout at the Cleanup," said Bernstock. "It should be a really exciting day; a great way to meet other volunteers, have fun, and do something significant at the same time. We're looking forward to a fun and successful event."