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Three Rivers Waterkeeper (3RWK) was founded in 2009 and aims to improve and protect the water quality of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. These waterways are critical to the health, vitality, and economic prosperity of our region and communities. We are both a scientific and legal advocate for the community, working to ensure our three rivers are protected and safe to drink, fish, swim and enjoy.
Our mission is to protect the water quality of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, and their respective watersheds. Our vision is to have drinkable, fishable, swimmable water in the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers, and their respective watersheds. In order to effectively fulfill our mission and vision, our work and people must reflect the values that cultivate a culture of respect and accountability with anti-racist practices with authentic communication. We recognize the historic inequalities associated with the environmental conservation movement, outdoor recreation, and access to waterways. Thus, we are dedicated to dismantling these systems of oppression in both the workplace and in our communities. |
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WE ARE YOUR LOCAL WATERKEEPER
3RWK is a member organization of the Waterkeeper Alliance whose mission is to protect our right to clean water in communities around the world. The Alliance is a global movement of united organizations working for clean, healthy, and abundant water for all people and the planet. Together, we make up a vast network aimed at preserving and protecting our waters by connecting local Waterkeeper organizations and affiliates worldwide. Waterkeeper Alliance unites more than 300 Waterkeeper organizations and affiliates that are on the frontlines of the global water crisis, patrolling and protecting more than 2.5 million square miles of rivers, lakes and coastal waterways on six continents. |
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Our programs
on the water
We are the frontline defense for water protection in Pittsburgh and Southwestern Pennsylvania. We patrol and monitor for pollution in our waterways by using high quality monitoring and sampling technologies to collect water sample. We are part of an enormous effort by watershed organizations to collect and monitor water quality data in Western Pennsylvania. |
in the community
We educate, train and empower community members to become water stewards. These stewards create positive experiences with our waterways and to instill a connection to nature among their friends and neighbors. Our program uses educational tools to build lasting relationships with locals who use the rivers for recreation and teaches them to spot and report pollution. |
through advocacy
We harness scientific data and community education and empowerment to ensure clean water laws are enforced. Our model focuses on scientific and legal advocacy with the aim of holding polluters accountable to the law, particularly through the Clean Water Act. Combining scientific rigor with legal expertise, we serve as an enforcer of the nation’s clean water laws where state and federal agencies have failed. |
