The JSU Water Quality Lab was founded in 1999 and was directed by Dr. Blake Otwell, an Assistant Professor of Chemistry. Dr. Otwell died in October, 2004. Dr. Nixon Mwebi, also an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, is the current director.
The purpose and goal of the lab is to provide citizens and environmental groups in northeast Alabama with high quality water testing. We use only EPA approved methods of sampling and analysis. One of our current projects is measuring water quality around concentrated animal feeding operations, also know as CAFO's or 'factory hog farms'. We have several other projects underway, also. We have been fortunate to obtain over $70,000 in grants for our work as well as $55,000 of state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation, such as a new mercury analyzer and an ion chromatograph. The Alabama Chapter of the Sierra Club awarded the honor of Activist of the Year to Dr. Otwell in 2003. We work closely with GIS professors, Dr. Miriam Hill and Dr. Bryan Burgess, as well as Dr. David Steffy of the Environmental Science program. We offer a number of courses where students can work and train in the lab, learning proper sampling methods and analytical procedures. But it's not all work, we also have a lot of fun. Imagine canoeing a stream on a beautiful spring morning and getting University credit for it!!!!
The Water Quality Laboratory involves working indoors and outdoors as samples are taken to be tested. The faculty are involved in many on-going projects.
We are also becoming active participants in the Alabama Water Watch program. Our goal is to recruit many students/faculty/citizens/environmental groups to become chemical monitors of streams and lakes in Calhoun County and surrounding areas.This data will then be placed on the AWW webpage. Training and certification programs to become monitors will be offered on an "as needed" basis.For more information on this very important state-wide program go to: http://www.alabamawaterwatch.org/.
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