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Riverkeeper has launched a new "Water Quality Portal," an interactive map designed to help residents track the safety of the Hudson River. Announced on Monday (September 8), the portal provides information on where it is safe to swim, fish, and drink along the river. Funded by $250,000 in federal funding secured by Senator Charles Schumer, the portal aims to fill gaps left by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) reduced data collection efforts under the Trump administration.
According to Mid Hudson News, the portal offers insights into the sanitation and safety of the Hudson River, highlighting where treatment plants fall short and where sewage systems send untreated waste into the river. It also shows where infrastructure investments and restoration programs have improved water quality.
Riverkeeper President Tracy Brown emphasized the importance of the portal, stating, "New Yorkers shouldn’t have to live with blind spots when it comes to knowing if their water is clean or not." The portal features data from nearly 250 sites along the river, from New York Harbor to the Adirondacks, collected by Riverkeeper and its partners.
Times Union reported that Schumer sees the portal as a tool to keep pressure on polluters and regulators, ensuring the protection of clean drinking water. The portal is live at data.riverkeeper.org, providing the public with crucial information about the Hudson River's water quality.