Left: Lenoir Community College Water Resources Management Program Head Pete Onidi, center, explains test results to a group of South Lenoir High School students.

Right: South Lenoir High School students Nicholas Carter, left, and David Hill, right, use their test kits to determine the water quality of the Neuse River.

South Lenoir High School Environmental Science AP students and Lenoir Community College Water Resources Management students teamed up with Smithfield Packing recently to test the water quality of the Neuse River at the Kinston Neuseway Nature Center.

What they discovered was the that part of the river was in pretty good shape.

The project, coordinated by Smithfield Packing, was conducted as part of the Water Environment Federation’s annual World Water Monitoring Day.

The students were under the direction of Charlie Prentice, Smithfield’s environment management system coordinator, and Pete Onidi, head of LCC’s water resources management program. They conducted tests to determine the river’s dissolved oxygen content, pH, turbidity and temperature.

“The river looked good today,” Prentice said after reviewing the test results. “We have learned from our mistakes. Today the river’s not in as bad of shape as it was a few years ago when anything could be dumped into it.”

Prentice and Onidi told the students the importance of maintaining the water quality of the Neuse, and what effects pollution can have on the river.

“Pollution of the river not only affects fish and wildlife, but also takes money away from the commercial fisherman,” he said.

Onidi reminded the students that everyone needed to be stewards of the environment. "It is our responsibility," he said. "The water we have today is the only water we will have."

The testing project was an eye-opener for the South Lenoir students.

“Our river is not as dirty as I thought,” said Katie Harper. “The experience here today was a good one. It was not just class work. It’s something that will help us in our real life experiences.”

Justin Byrd and Hoyt Killette agreed. “Today I learned a lot about the environment,” Killette said. “This was a good hands-on experience. It was interesting finding out that the river is cleaner than I thought.”

South Lenoir teacher Ryan Gardner said it was a good experience for his class to participate in the water monitoring project.

“This gives the students some real life, hands on experience,” he said. “This is something they can’t get by being just in the classroom.”