Community Members Gather for 2025 State of the Neponset Water Quality Update
On March 10, NepRWA science staff shared the results of the 2025 Water Quality Sampling Program at a public meeting at the Morrill Memorial Library in Norwood.
The presentation highlighted work from the Community Water Monitoring Network (CWMN), a volunteer-powered program that has tracked water quality across the Neponset Watershed since 1995.
CWMN reached a milestone in 2025, marking 30 years of volunteer water quality monitoring across the Neponset Watershed!
Each year, volunteers collect water samples at more than 40 sites from May through October, helping identify pollution sources and track changes in river health over time. Their dedication makes it possible for the community to understand water conditions and take action to protect the River.
In addition to CWMN, NepRWA partners with the X-Cel Conservation Corps, a young adult education program that trains participants for sustainable careers in wastewater operations.
X-cel collects samples at 10 additional sites in the Watershed—helping identify pollution sources and track changes in water quality over time.
The evening featured presentations from NepRWA Environmental Science Fellow Meher Khanna and guest speaker Ryan O’Donnell, an environmental scientist and former Monitoring Program Manager at the Connecticut River Conservancy.
Meher shared key findings from the 2025 water quality monitoring program, while Ryan offered practical strategies for communicating water quality to the public, showing how complex environmental data can be transformed into clear, actionable information.
NepRWA is especially grateful to the dedicated CWMN volunteers whose monthly fieldwork makes the monitoring program possible, to Ryan O’Donnell for sharing his expertise, and to the Morrill Memorial Library for hosting the event.
