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ORSANCO Anniversary Event at Smale Riverfront Park
Celebrating 75 years of Protecting Ohio River Water Quality & Partners Who Make it Possible
(Cincinnati, OH) On June 28th, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is celebrating its 75th anniversary with an outdoor community event of local partners to be held at the City of Cincinnati’s Smale Riverfront Park from 1pm-4pm. The celebration kicks off with a press event at 1:30pm; Ohio EPA Director, Cincinnati Vice Mayor, Northern Kentucky Water District CEO/President, Greater Cincinnati Water Works Interim Director, and The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati Director will join ORSANCO’s Executive Director to share their experience partnering across state lines with the common goal of improving and protecting the water quality of the Ohio River and interstate waters of the Ohio River Basin. ORSANCO will have their 2,200-gallon Life Below the Water Line mobile aquarium on display full of Ohio River fish, plus the opportunity to enjoy games and activities. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend to learn more about the valuable resources of the Ohio River and the people who work hard to protect it.
ORSANCO Executive Director, Richard Harrison, is proud of their partnerships, dedicated efforts, and accomplishments in improving water quality throughout the Ohio River. “We’re excited to celebrate our 75th anniversary with our valued partners in the community!” Their collaborative efforts ensure the Ohio River can be used for drinking, industrial supplies, and recreational purposes, as well as, support a healthy and diverse aquatic community. Harrison continues, "We have seen remarkable improvements in the water quality of our Ohio River. ORSANCO's Compact remains as relevant today as it was when our member state governors entered into it 75 years ago. This is a testament to their incredible vision in forming ORSANCO."
ORSANCO is uniquely positioned to bring together a vast network of partners from federal, state, and local levels, all collaboratively working together to protect the water quality of the Ohio River Basin. Harrison explains, “We couldn’t accomplish our successes without working on behalf of our partner agencies, coming together with a common goal of improving and protecting the water quality of the Ohio River and the interstate waters of the Ohio River Basin.” Harrison explains the Ohio River has undergone significant water quality improvements in the past 75 years; however there is more work to do. “I am confident ORSANCO is positioned to continue addressing Ohio River challenges associated with bacteria, harmful algal blooms, legacy pollutants such as PCB’s, dioxins, and mercury, as well as, emerging chemicals of concern such as PFAS chemicals in order to help ensure our future generations will be able to rely upon and enjoy this great river,” said Harrison.
The Northern Kentucky Water District is one of the ORSANCO partners participating in the anniversary event, “Water quality begins at the source, and we are appreciative of ORSANCO’s efforts in the Ohio River,” said Lindsey Rechtin, President/CEO of Northern Kentucky Water District. “We are a proud partner and are looking forward to our continued collaboration that benefits drinking water for our ratepayers.”
The ORSANCO anniversary celebration event will be held in the Castellini Esplanade at Smale Riverfront Park from 1 pm to 4 pm and is free and open to the public. Each booth will have an educational activity and informational materials to promote the work being done to improve water quality in the Ohio River and its tributaries throughout the basin. ORSANCO partner agencies involved in the anniversary celebration include:
· The ORSANCO Foundation for Ohio River Education
· Greater Cincinnati Water Works and their H20 Water Stand
· The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati
· Cincinnati Parks
· Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky
· Northern Kentucky Water District
· Ohio River Way
· Adventure Crew
· The Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA)
· Thomas More University Biological Station
· Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
· H2Ohio
· Ohio Sea Grant
· Mill Creek Alliance
· Keep Cincinnati Beautiful
· Licking River Basin Coordinator at Kentucky Division of Water
· WAVE Foundation
· Ohio Environmental Council
· Groundwork Ohio River Valley
· Kentucky Waterways Alliance
· And more
Organizational Information
The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is an interstate commission representing eight states and the federal government; working cooperatively to protect water quality in the Ohio River Basin. Member states include Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. ORSANCO performs monitoring, assessment, pollution abatement, and public information dissemination and outreach strategies to ensure the Ohio River can be used for drinking water after reasonable treatment, industrial supplies, and recreational purposes, as well as, support a healthy and diverse aquatic habitat. ORSANCO provides extensive water quality programs such as source water protection; comprehensive surface water quality monitoring and assessment; aquatic life and habitat monitoring and evaluation; bacteria monitoring; public information; and environmental education and outreach activities.
ORSANCO State of The Ohio River 2023
The ORSANCO Foundation for Ohio River Education is a 501(c)(3) non-profit created to achieve ORSANCO education and outreach goals. Although FORE is affiliated with ORSANCO, it does not receive state or federal funding. FORE is responsible for sustaining itself through grants, corporate and foundation sponsorships, and the support of individuals. FORE also collects and administers Ohio River Sweep funds that are raised by ORSANCO each year to conduct a basin-wide clean-up of the Ohio River. Some funds obtained through the Ohio River Sweep are also used to support FORE’s educational programs.
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