The following is a release from Cascadia College:

Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainable Practices (BASSP) program at Cascadia College will use grant money to test and improve water quality in Bothell’s North Creek. The $18,500 grant was awarded to Cascadia by King County to cover equipment costs.

“This is a great project both for our community – and for our students, who will have the opportunity to learn the process and science involved in identifying sources of pollution and developing and implementing lasting solutions,” said Jodie Galvan, Cascadia’s assistant director of sustainable practices.

Nine Cascadia seniors will dedicate their time and energy to measuring fecal coliform, water turbidity and hardness, and oxidation levels as their capstone project. The students will collect water quality samples three times per week throughout the rainy season and process the samples in partnership with UW Bothell students who are also studying stormwater runoff on campus.

In order to reduce pollutants that enter the watershed, Cascadia students will then design and implement stormwater management practices based on the findings. The established protocols will be adopted for use by future students enrolled in the BASSP program. All findings will be reported to King County Wastewater.

“I’m hoping to get a hands-on learning experience with techniques and skills that I see myself needing for a future career,” states Nick Waite, one of the participating seniors.

Cascadia has already taken measures to ensure that runoff from campus and surrounding parking areas do not contaminate local water sources. Through this grant, Cascadia hopes to reduce water pollution and raise awareness among local communities about the affects humans have on water quality in nearby watersheds.

The Waterworks grant was coordinated through Cascadia’s grant development office.