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University Students, Residents Help Keep Princeton's Water Clean

Candace Braun

Twenty bags of trash, three lawn chairs, and a tire were collected from Lake Carnegie on Sunday, when more than 20 Princeton University students and community members got together to clean up the area that not only adjoins the University's campus, but is also used for residential drinking water.

The clean up was organized by NJ Community Water Watch in association with the Princeton in the Nation’s Service (PINS) project, which has selected October as the month to celebrate community service at Princeton University and uphold the school’s unofficial motto: "In the nation’s service and in the service of all nations."

Among the participants was one resident who rode his bike over after seeing a sign about the clean up in Small World Coffee, as well as several students who heard about it on campus. One Princeton family also participated with their two small children, who teamed up to fill two bags of trash.

Some of the items that the volunteers found along the water's edge were remnants of take out food and upwards of 30 tennis balls, as well as styrofoam peanuts and bits of styrofoam cups.

"Who knows how long that stuff has been there since styrofoam takes literally millions of years to completely biodegrade," said Lexi Gelperin, the Princeton campus organizer for NJ Community Water Watch.

The organization is sponsored by NJPIRG (New Jersey Public Interest Research Group) and Americorps, with student chapters at 11 colleges and universities around the state. Water Watch educates the public about water quality problems in New Jersey and provides ways for individuals to be part of the solution. Along with Princeton, other schools connected to Water Watch are Rutgers University, Rider University, and Richard Stockton College.

"It is wonderful to see community members acting as stewards of our local environment," said Rep. Rush Holt (D-12), who, while unable to attend the clean up, is a strong advocate of keeping Princeton's waters clean. "Lake Carnegie and the D & R Canal are important natural and recreational resources, and they need to be protected for future generations."

According to the Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey has the worst water quality in the nation, with 80 percent of its waterways declared unsafe for fishing and swimming.

"The biggest problem in this area is overdevelopment," said Ms. Gelperin, who, along with running the area branch of Water Watch, is also a longtime Princeton resident.

"There are smart ways to develop," she said, adding that tree roots that grow near water serve as natural filters for the environment; however, many residents along Lake Carnegie choose to tear down those trees to have a better view of the lake.

"Everything that runs into the storm drains on the street goes into our lakes and canals," she said, noting that on Saturday a team from Water Watch conducted water testing on Lake Carnegie and found organisms living in the water that can only survive in very polluted areas.

"I think [preserving the environment] is very important," said Damaris Suero, a University freshman who came to the clean up after hearing about it in her chemistry class. "This summer I tried to go to the beach and the water was disgusting," she said, adding that it's no mystery to her or her friends that New Jersey's water is very polluted.

This was the second clean up that Water Watch has held in the Princeton area this month, as a group of 15 volunteers pulled more than 30 bags of trash out of the Millstone River in Kingston during the first weekend of October.

Among the other activities that the Princeton University Chapter of Water Watch is involved in are visits to area schools to help educate students about the environment.

"We're not just complaining about the problem, we're trying to find a solution," said Ms. Gelperin, noting that the organization recently scheduled visits to Riverside, Community Park, and Littlebrook Elementary Schools, as well as some schools just outside of Princeton.

This month's clean ups have been just as important for making people aware of the issues as it has been for helping the environment, she said: "We wanted to get the students to come out, see what a beautiful place this is, and get them thinking about their environment."

Water Watch is planning a "Streets of Princeton Clean Up," which will take place near Thanksgiving to "encourage people to be thankful for our beautiful community and work together to clean it up and prevent pollution from finding its way into the streets, storm drains, and waterways," said Ms. Gelperin.

While the date for the event has not been determined, community members are encouraged to participate, and can learn how to volunteer for this or other Water Watch events by e-mailing njh2o@princeton.edu, or visiting www.princeton.edu/~njh2o.