OHS Students, Teachers Test the Waters at Ossining Beach

A teacher and a student entered the Hudson River at Louis Engel Waterfront Park wearing olive green waders one recent morning, hoping that someday it will be commonplace for people to splash around in the water while in bathing suits.

Artie Carlucci, an Ossining High School environmental science and biology teacher, used an orange ruler to measure a spot in the water that was 30 centimeters deep. Eileen Tacuri, who starts her sophomore year in the fall, filled a small plastic container with water and placed it in a cooler.

Back at the lab 15 minutes later, Eileen poured the sample into a graduated cylinder and added distilled water. She emptied a capsule containing a growth nutrient into the solution and poured it into a foil and plastic tray with Mr. Carlucci’s help. She used a machine to seal the tray and distribute the sample into its dozens of wells.

Mr. Carlucci and Eileen, along with environmental science and biology teacher Bridget Baumann and four other students are working with Riverkeeper to test for the presence of Enterococcus bacteria, which are an indicator of fecal contamination. Fecal matter can carry with it pathogens that make people sick.

Riverkeeper, an environmental group, has been taking samples from a patrol boat near Ossining beach each month during recreational season for nine years. The federal Environmental Protection Agency recommends testing water samples from swimming beaches at least once a week to adequately evaluate water quality. The OHS team has collected samples since June and will continue through October. They may do the testing again next year.

“Students are here, they’re local, they’re able to get out much more frequently and really improve what we know because they’re able to sample weekly and improve our understanding of the water quality,” said Jennifer Epstein, water quality associate with Riverkeeper.

Ms. Baumann said OHS Principal Josh Mandel approached Mr. Carlucci and her about collaborating with Riverkeeper in some way. The teachers and parent Suzie Ross, a Hudson Riverkeeper ambassador, developed the water-testing project in cooperation with the organization last summer.

After collecting their weekly sample, students return 24 hours later to observe them under a fluorescence viewer. The samples that are positive for Enterococcus glow blue.

“It’s great. The kids are getting a real experience with science,” Ms. Baumann said. “They’re actually collecting real data and doing the same work that professionals would be doing in the field. They’re enjoying it.”

As of late July, there had been only one reading that showed the water was unsafe for swimming. That sample had been collected after a rainfall.

“After awhile, we will start to see trends,” Mr. Carlucci said.

Sen. David Carlucci, D-New City, secured funding for the district to buy some of the testing equipment needed. The Ossining MATTERS Education Foundation contributed about $5,400 for testing supplies.

Eileen said she often travels to Croton Point to swim, but she would rather be able to stay in her hometown. “It would be great to reopen the beach here in Ossining,” she said.

Eileen said she found out about the summer opportunity from her science teacher last year and decided to volunteer.

Teacher Artie Carlucci, who is not related to the senator, said Eileen had shown up at the beach on testing day and the lab the following day every week since the project started.

He noted that at 9 a.m., when the two met at the beach on a recent Tuesday, “A lot of kids are still in bed.”

For more information about Riverkeeper’s water-testing programs from New York City to Albany, visit www.riverkeeper.org/water-quality.