HERMOSA BEACH : Beach-Goers Recruited for Water Quality Testing
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An organization with 25,000 surfer and recreational water user members began recruiting beach-goers Wednesday to help test coastal waters for harmful bacteria, viruses and toxins.
The program, dubbed the Blue Water Task Force, is the first of its kind in the nation, said Scott Jenkins, environmental director of the Surfrider Foundation and a research engineer at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
To collect contamination data, the foundation is distributing water-testing kits subsidized by grants from Coors Pure Water 2000, Body Glove and the Surf Industry Manufacturers Assn. But the kits are not free. The introductory test kit, which includes four testers and an instructional pamphlet, costs $25, which is tax-deductible, Jenkins said.
Data collected through the program will be used in a study of the water quality at the state’s most-used beaches from Point Conception to the Mexican border, Jenkins said.
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