SBEP awards $4,000 water quality monitoring grant to Suncoast Waterkeeper

The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program’s Policy Board has awarded $4,000 to Suncoast Waterkeeper for the project “Swim Guide Water Quality Monitoring.”

SBEP announced that the program was approved for the grant because it supports the mission of the SBEP to restore and protect Sarasota Bay.

“Support from the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program will help the public know where waters are safe for swimming, fishing and wildlife,” Board Chair Joe McClash said in a news release. “When there are high bacteria levels, we will alert public officials and work to find a solution.”

Suncoast Waterkeeper is an active environmental organization focused on water quality within Sarasota and Manatee counties. Water sampling is conducted on a weekly basis for enterococci bacteria, the protocol for saltwater recreational safety.