Kentuckians for the Commonwealth is hosting an Organizing and Water Testing Training in Whitesburg, KY. This will be a hands-on training about ways to use the tools of community organizing and citizen water testing to protect our water and health. Conductivity meters will be available at the training for use. No prior experience is necessary. We encourage volunteers to invite friends to the training and for later testing to build community ownership.

When: Saturday July 28th, from 10:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Where: Ermine Senior Citizen’s Center, 156 Main St. Whitesburg, KY
If you plan to attend: Please contact Lisa Abbott at (859) 986-1277 or lisa@kftc.org; we want to be sure we have enough equipment for everyone.
Lunch: We will provide soup beans, cornbread, drinks, and snacks, but please feel free to bring another dish to share with everyone.

We will start off the morning by reviewing some principles of organizing and how this can be incorporated with water testing. In this first training we will be learning how to use basic conductivity meters and we will get an understanding of what conductivity is and why is it important. We will also be thinking through and developing skills to involve local communities in water testing, and understanding the implications and uses of the results.

Participants will also learn how to post their test results in an on-line public database, Appalachian Water Watch. This database provides an interactive map of test results, as well as other useful resources for citizens.

Appalachian Voices has been working with KFTC, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards (SAMS), and the Sierra Club since the spring of 2011 to collect stream and river water quality data throughout Eastern Kentucky and Southwestern Virginia. These data provide an overview of baseline water quality, as well as indications of where industries may be polluting public water.

If you are interested in learning more about this program, please email aww-admin@appalachianwaterwatch.org or erin@appvoices.org