Sound Rivers’ Swim Guide Program

Sound Rivers is an environmental non-profit organization with the mission to protect and preserve the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River watersheds and promote environmental justice in North Carolina. Every summer beginning Memorial Day Weekend, the Swim Guide program begins and monitors the water quality at different recreational sites in the Upper Neuse River Basin.

We are looking for volunteers to assist in collecting weekly water samples from 11 locations along the Neuse River and Falls Lake. Sound Rivers will test the water samples for traces of E. Coli which is a good indicator of recent fecal contamination in the water. Then, the results will be reported through local news outlets, text alerts, and the Sound Rivers website.   With the COVID-19 outbreak, we are taking extra precautions to keep our volunteers safe, and we hope to have volunteers begin sampling in mid-June. 

If you are interested in collecting water samples or want to learn more about Swim Guide, please contact Nicole Eastman at nicole@soundrivers.org. You can also find more information about Swim Guide at soundrivers.org or sign-up for our weekly water quality text alerts by texting “SWIM” to 33222.