The Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) is the Surfrider Foundation’s citizen science program which provides valuable water quality information to beach communities, raises awareness of local water pollution problems and works collaboratively with local stakeholders to implement solutions.
Surfrider’s network of volunteer-run BWTF labs measure bacteria levels at ocean and bay beaches and in freshwater sources, and compare them to the national water quality standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency to protect public health in recreational waters.
Surfrider Maui Chapter officially launched Maui’s Blue Water Task Force water monitoring program in March 2017. Maui Chapter volunteers collect samples from local beaches, and partners with Professor Donna Brown and her Marine Biology students at the University of Hawai'i Maui College to have the samples processed within her lab. The goal is to ensure the public is aware of bacteria levels and can then make informed decisions regarding water entry.