Water Quality Grant Funds Coming to North Berkshire

The Berkshire Environmental Action Team (BEAT), the Hoosic River Watershed Association (HooRWA) and the Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) will benefit from a nearly 30 thousand dollar, 2-year grant from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust.

This funding will enable the three non-profits to survey storm culvert outfalls and to look for and test point-source pollution, specifically high concentrations of E.coli, running into the Hoosic River.

In a press release announcing the grant, Steve McMahon, Executive Director of HooRWA, said: “In 2017, HooRWA partnered with BEAT and the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to complete a storm culvert survey in the Town of Adams. Over the next two years, we will utilize volunteers to complete a similar survey in the City of North Adams and conduct sampling for E. coli bacteria in Adams, following up on our annual water quality surveys." The project has the support of the City of North Adams and the Town of Adams and continues BEAT's efforts to make our area's rivers clean and healthy for people and wildlife.

We can all play a part in projects like these, as the funding for grants comes from the purchase of one of the Trust’s specialty environmental license plates. You can find out more here.