Water Quality Monitoring Network Formed-- River Alert And Information Network (RAIN)

The Department of Environmental Protection has awarded $75,000 to the River Alert and Information Network, or RAIN, to develop a water quality monitoring network and source water protection program on the Monongahela River.

 

“The Monongahela River is an important resource for drinking water, job-creating industries and recreation,” said DEP Secretary John Hanger. “This partnership between DEP and RAIN will enable us to track the water quality of the river and correct any problems that might arise.”

 

The grant will pay for a computer network that will allow RAIN to remotely monitor the quality and temperature of the water at 13 locations along the Monongahela River where high levels of total dissolved solids, or TDS, created problems for industrial users and water suppliers last fall. Additionally, DEP will purchase six probes that will be installed in the river to continuously collect the data.

 

Currently, TDS levels are monitored by three U.S. Geological Survey gauges already located along the Monongahela River. When the new network is in place it will provide a more detailed picture of the river’s water quality. The data will be available to the public on the Internet.

 

The goal of RAIN is to provide the water utilities within the Allegheny, Monongahela, and parts of the Ohio River basins with advanced spill or contamination warnings based on real-time monitoring practices and a system of alerts and alarms.

 

RAIN is a collaborative effort of 33 water utilities, California University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Pittsburgh, the Riverside Center for Innovation and DEP.

 

For more information, visit the RAIN website.