Pittsburgh's three rivers are monitored for water quality under federal Clean Water Act standards. pawel.gaul/E+ collection via Getty ImagesIn May, newly drafted Pittsburgh Steelers offensive guard Gennings Dunker amused Pittsburgh residents during a news segment, asking whether it was OK to swim in the rivers or eat the fish he planned to catch.
The live reaction – surprise, laughter and more than a little uncertainty about the right answer – revealed something the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory encounters regularly in its public outreach: Many Pittsburghers aren’t sure whether their rivers are safe.
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