On Thursday December 8, CREATE supported the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to pilot their first WaterBot in Frick Park. The Parks hope to use it to monitor CSO (combined sewage overflow) from nearby storm drains that have long been a concern in the 9-mile run watershed. The Parks will use WaterBot as part of their service learning programs, in which youth participate as eco-stewards and volunteer time to clean up the streams. The weatherproof Bot is secured to a t-post in the ground and the sensor, attached to a cable, floats in the stream, collecting data every 15 minutes. We look forward to growing the pilot program in the Spring!
After a short picnic of cookies and hot chocolate, Taiji Nelson wades into the creek to determine the best monitoring spot: somewhere the Bot could be concealed to prevent tampering, but also get the most accurate readings. Below, Taiji and Max Buevich from CREATE Lab drive the t-post into the stream bed.
