Water is the most important building block of human life, and without water, human life cannot survive, let alone thrive. While water is essential for human life, many places around the world lack access to clean and safe drinking water. In Texas, for example, things like industrial waste and urban runoff continue to threaten bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers, and other clean drinking water sources. While water quality seems like an issue that is reserved only for scientists and people with genius-level intellects, it is quite important for everyday people because they consume water from those very sources that are being threatened. This paper will discuss and explore how the youth of today have made water quality and the awareness of it their personal responsibility.
One group of youth citizen scientists is making waves in the clean water community. This group is called the Texas Stream Team. This organization employs and trains large numbers of youth, community leaders, scientists, and concerned and active citizens in the modern ways of monitoring water quality using and following scientific protocols. Those scientific protocols used include but are not limited to pH testing, which is the process of measuring how acidic or basic a substance is; turbidity, which tests for how cloudy or murky water is, which can indicate the presence of microorganisms that can be disease-causing and can impact aquatic life and recreational water quality; and finally, testing for dissolved oxygen in a body of water, which assesses water quality and the ability of that water to support aquatic life. The Texas Stream Team has personally trained over 12,000 citizen scientists over the last 31 years since its initial establishment in 1991. This team has been instrumental in detecting pollution events, which include things like finding bacteria contamination, oil spills, and other issues that could have gone completely unnoticed for weeks to months if this organization had not made it its mission to look into and research these things.
Specific instances that the Texas Stream Team has discovered are that there have been numerous reports of dumping issues alongside rivers and trucks washing out their tanks in those same rivers that might contain toxic materials and bacteria that are unsafe to consume. The Texas Stream Team organization has also talked to people who happened to be washing their dogs or animals in that aforementioned river or body of water and educated them on what tends to happen in those rivers and bodies of water.
An additional instance of discoveries that the Texas Steam Team has made is when they found E. coli in certain upstream pipes, which in certain strains can cause infections and illnesses that include diarrhea and abdominal pain. Another discovery made by the Texas Stream Team was when they found a sewage leak in Dixon Branch and a water main break in the area of Ash Creek, Texas.
Another group that has been a large factor in the youth getting more active in their community is the organization Keep Austin Beautiful (KAB). According to their official website, in the fiscal year of 2023, the organization personally educated over 12,000 students and youth on how stormwater pollution affects Austin's creeks and rivers negatively and how trees and plants protect waterways. This program also had students participate in creek and river cleanups, water testing, and wildlife habitat observation, which almost directly affects water accessibility and quality. Finally, the organization also taught things like water conservation and sustainable use practices. Examples of these would be educating on how there is a difference between groundwater and surface water and how water is actually sourced, treated, and delivered in Austin.
Furthermore, Keep Austin Beautiful also has an influence on local and state water policy by existing in an advising and support role for the local and state government. The organization also supplies data and environmental insights to the city and helps shape public understanding, which in turn shapes how policy is interpreted and who votes for it.
Finally, there are also many ways that people like you and I can contribute to addressing the water crisis and making it more accessible to an increasing number of people every day. One thing that can be done is writing to your local and state public officials about the struggles people are having with water access and quality. You can also research your local tap water quality using an EWG Tap Water Database. This informs the user on what your local tap water quality is and if you might need to switch to better options. These steps alone can make you more informed about the topic of water quality and access and can make you an active member of your local community, which can lead to more positive outcomes compared to doing nothing at all.
In conclusion, improving water quality isn't just a job for scientists or government agencies, but it is a shared responsibility that the youth and everyday community members actively share. This was shown in the combined efforts of organizations like Texas Stream Team and Keep Austin Beautiful playing a vital role in things like protecting waterways through education, testing, cleanups, and advocacy. These combined actions not only improve water quality and general environmental health, but they also engage youth to become more informed and active in their communities. By empowering the youth through these actions, this shapes and allows students and youth to become the next generation of environmental leaders who are committed to positive community change.