The Surfrider Foundation Blue Water Task Force is a volunteer driven water quality monitoring program designed to take advantage of the daily presence of surfers in the water & other regular visitors to local beaches. The San Mateo County Department of Health currently tests the coastal waters from Sharp Park in Pacifica to Gazo's Creek, south of Pescadero. Samples are analyzed for total coliforms. E.Coli bacteria & Enterococcus bacteria.

San Mateo Surfrider Chapter is assisting the County with water sample collection & data management. Our goal is to have two volunteers available to sample each site and to post the weekly results on the Earth 911 web site, at local surf shops, & in the newspaper.

The sampling areas are divided into north & south county sites. For the sites that have two volunteers available the volunteers alternate weeks or months that they collect samples. Having two volunteers per site also allows people to go on vacation without interrupting the continuity of the sampling program. To sign up to volunteer, please E-mail Carol-Ann Towe to volunteer!
 

• Want to know how it's done and what these results mean?
• How about some County contacts?
• Here are the sampling sites.
• What is the current state public health regulation for Public Beaches and Ocean Water-Contact Sports Areas?
• Gotten ill after swimming or participating in water sports activities? Take the Surfrider Foundation's Illness Survey and report your experience.
• Weekly water quality report at Earth 911.
• County Website (Beach Closures Only) http://www.smhealth.org/environ/water/beachclos.html
• Currently the County only posts those sites that are above acceptable bacteria levels. 

Interested in volunteering your time to help protect and improve water quality at local coastal watersheds and beaches? Need another excuse to hit the beach? Join the San Mateo chapter of the Surfrider Foundation as a member of the San Mateo Surfrider Lab Team!

Who are you anyway?

Surfrider Foundation USA is a non-profit environmental organization working to preserve our oceans, waves & beaches.

 
What is the project?

In collaboration with the Sewer Authority Midcoast (SAM), the San Mateo chapter of Surfrider has launched its very own water-testing laboratory to monitor water quality at area beaches and coastal watersheds. Through the generous funding support of local businesses and other sponsors, we are now able conduct tests on several locations around the Pillar Point/Half Moon Bay area. With so much ground to cover, we need your help!

 
Who can volunteer?

Everybody (yes, that includes you too!)

Don’t worry, even if you do not have any experience working in a lab, we will provide complete on-site training on everything you will need to know- it’s easy!


What exactly will I be doing and what kind of commitment will I need to make?

Volunteers will help in every aspect of the project, from collecting samples, to setting up tests, to reading results.

Water quality testing occurs on a weekly basis, and comprises Saturday morning and Sunday morning sessions. You may opt to sign up for one or both of these sessions, on a week-to-week basis, depending on what works for you. Saturday morning responsibilities normally take 2+ hours to complete, and can be split between two people; Sunday morning’s procedure takes 30-45 minutes. 

The lab is operated year-round, including the winter months. While we do encourage volunteers to stay with us as long as possible, we appreciate any length of time you are able to commit and will work with you to create a comfortable schedule based on your availability.

Sounds great, Now what? 

First, contact us at Info@SurfriderSMC.org

Don’t forget to include relevant contact information and the best way and time to reach you.

Next, to become part of the Lab team, you will need to attend a training session. All training sessions will occur on Saturday mornings at the Surfrider Lab (220 WestPoint Ave, Princeton-by-the-sea).  Sessions take approximately two+ hours to complete, and will include:

-    Sample site location visits (be prepared to visit various locations, closed-toe shoes recommended) 

-    Sampling techniques

-    Water testing lab procedure

We encourage everyone with a love for the ocean and an interest in protecting local beaches to help out. In addition to enhancing scientific knowledge about water quality in our area, this project seeks to provide accurate and efficient water quality information to surfers, swimmers, and beach lovers alike. We hope you’ll join us!