Latrobe Valley residents from all walks of life are invited to become citizen scientists.
The Environment Protection Authority has water quality testing kits available to those wishing to survey their surrounding waterways.
Bodies of water at Edward Hunter Reserve and Crinigan Road Reserve as well as Billy’s Creek and Lake Narracan will be tested for quality by community members.
“We’re hoping to get a really big spread across the Latrobe Valley,” EPA citizen science coordinator Carolyne Boothman said.
Ms Boothman said while the water testing would provide valuable information, community environmental engagement was the main aim of the project.
“As I say to people they’re the eyes and ears on the ground with monitoring and if there are any problems they can bring it to the EPA’s attention,” she said.
“It is also to educate people about understanding… and how to care for their environment.”
The program will go live on the EPA website in April and will be available for community members to check water quality in various areas of the Valley.
Training sessions for the kits will be running on Saturday, 18 April and kits will be distributed to community members from then onwards.
If you would like to test the quality of water in your area, phone Carolyne Boothman on 0417 176 365.
