Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO)

09/02/2026

Save the Date: October 24, 2026. Mark your calendars — the Ohio River Sweep End-of-Season Cleanup is coming, and we're rallying the river for one final, coordinated push to close out the season strong.

On Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to noon, communities all along the Ohio River and its tributaries will come together at cleanup sites across the basin — one big day of action to protect the river that 30 million people depend on.

Registration is open now, and there are three ways to be part of it:

📍 Become a Site Coordinator. Host a cleanup site in your community — it can be 5 people or 50+, every site helps. ORSANCO handles registration, supplies, planning resources, and promotion. You bring your volunteers, your local knowledge, and your love for the river.

🧤 Volunteer on October 24. Find a cleanup site near you and sign up for the morning. New sites are being added as coordinators come on board, so if you don't see one nearby yet, check back soon — or start one yourself!

💧 Sponsor the event. Your support funds the staff coordination, supplies, equipment, and promotion that make it possible for hundreds of volunteers to show up and do this work well.

👉 Sign up & learn more here: https://www.orsanco.org/end-of-season-cleanup-event/

Ohio river water quality monitoring

08/10/2026

Final days to apply! ORSANCO's Director of Finance & Administration search closes Wednesday, August 12. This senior leadership position reports to the Executive Director and oversees financial management, budgeting, annual audits, regulatory compliance, HR administration, and grant oversight for ORSANCO and our affiliated Foundation for Ohio River Education (FORE). It's a strong opportunity for a finance and administrative leader who wants their work to support the protection of the Ohio River and its tributaries.

✅ Comprehensive benefits package
🗓️ Applications close Wednesday, August 12

Full job description and application: https://www.orsanco.org/about-us/employment/

08/07/2026

Only a few days left to apply! ORSANCO is looking for our next Director of Finance & Administration — and the window to apply is closing soon. This senior leadership role oversees financial management, budgeting, audits, HR, and grant compliance for ORSANCO and our education foundation, FORE.

💰 $95,000–$105,000
✅ Comprehensive benefits
🗓️ Applications close August 12, 2026

If you or someone you know has strong nonprofit/government finance experience, now's the time. Apply here: https://www.orsanco.org/about-us/employment/

08/07/2026

Hey Sailors! Keep a sharp eye,
Out on the horizon of the coast,
For an unexpected sea monster- big and sly,
May arise from the water- they surely love to boast.

Today is National Sea Serpent Day,
A day for fantastic myths and lore,
Report all unusual sightings in the bay,
Or unexplained humps you see from the shore.

We all know about the legend of Nessie,
In Loch Ness, Scotland is where she resides,
But have you heard of the Great Lakes’ Bessie-or Chesapeake’s Chessie?
Maybe the Ohio River has ORessie, down on the streambed where she silently glides!

The titan would be loving life in the water this week,
Because Ohio River conditions are rather superb,
Turbidity is clear, flows are pretty weak,
In her cavern deep below, even velocity will not disturb!

A couple of locations, the bacteria has exceeded,
So recreaters should not swim at those sites.
ORessie, the brute, will not be impeded,
So swimmers beware, she may just give you the frights!

If you see the colossal creature surface, give us a call,
From your dock or maybe the deck of your yacht.
Our staff will continue to electrohunt- I mean- fish; big or small,
For ORSANCO could totally use a new river mascot!
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📋 This week's report: orsanco.org/data/weekly-ohio-river-water-quality-report
🌊 Recreation safety info: orsanco.org/recreation

07/26/2026

I love waking up to a slight chill in the air,
A beautiful, crisp autumn morning.
Hold on, wait, it’s still July- I swear,
This weather gives us no warning!

Embrace this week of unprecedented cool,
Becuase it won't be here for long.
The Ohio Valley loves to play us for fools,
And sweaty afternoons are where we belong!

We also had some crazy dumps of rain this week,
Flash flooding hit some places hard,
River stages climbed a couple of feet before reaching their peak,
Hopefully not leaving the area in its path too marred.

I’m not complaining about rain in July though,
It helps keep our flowers alive,
It also might mean there's more grass for you to mow,
And let's face it- it's when E. coli loves to thrive!

But this week, Bacteria levels were low,
Even with the pop-ups and a downpour,
It can change day to day and vary the flow,
But failed to make the turbidities roar!

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📋 This week's report: orsanco.org/data/weekly-ohio-river-water-quality-report
🌊 Recreation safety info: orsanco.org/recreation

07/24/2026

Thank you, Shell Polymers Monaca team, for your continued generous support of ORSANCO's Ohio River Sweep program! And thank you for hosting another great event this year!

07/22/2026

We're hiring! ORSANCO is looking for our next Director of Finance & Administration.

This senior leadership role oversees financial management, budgeting, audits, HR, and grant compliance for ORSANCO and our educational foundation, FORE (Foundation for Ohio River Education). It's a great opportunity for an experienced finance and administrative professional who wants to put their skills to work protecting the Ohio River and its tributaries.

💰 Salary: $95,000–$105,000
✅ Comprehensive benefits
🗓️ Apply by August 12, 2026, or until the position is filled

Learn more and apply here: https://www.orsanco.org/about-us/employment/

Know someone who'd be a great fit? Tag them below or share this post!

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Plan and Procedures Non-Harassment Policy Accommodation Procedures Non-Discrimination Grievance Policy

07/18/2026

This new summer haze,
Has me in a daze,
Hopefully this smoke clears,
So we can stop shedding our tears,
For those poor forests ablaze!

Fear not, for the Ohio River is unaffected,
Crews have been out, samples collected,
Eyes on the water,
Still haven’t seen an otter,
But the river is always receiving my praise!

The river is as smooth as glass,
Perfect for boating if a barge you need to pass.
Bacteria counts are low,
The flow is rather slow,
But too bad the sky is just various grays.

Stages have remained steady,
Temps keep rising so get ready,
To continue to sweat,
Humidity is the threat,
For the rest of our upcoming days!

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📋 This week's report: orsanco.org/data/weekly-ohio-river-water-quality-report
🌊 Recreation safety info: orsanco.org/recreation

07/04/2026

Happy 4th of July weekend! We’re all itching to get it started,
But with the heat index of 107F, being outdoors is not for the faint-hearted.
Unless you’re by water, then hopefully you can stay cool,
You know where you can find me—floating in the pool!

Maybe you’ll go tubing in the river, or “potato” at a lake,
Or grilling on the patio: do you prefer burgers or a steak?
But don’t forget a hotdog, it’s the most American thing to eat,
Hopefully not like Joey Chestnut, 76 is his number to beat! (gross!)

If you choose to visit the Ohio River, just know we’re here to protect you,
Whether you’re participating in a boat parade- sporting that red, white and blue!
The bacteria levels this week at most sites aren’t looking so bad,
Go have fun in the river, even stuck on a boat with your cousin Chad!

Temps have gone up, so maybe it’s time to start swimming?
Especially with the excessive heat warning, those numbers are brimming!
The turbidity is low, so it might actually look relatively clear,
But what’s there to worry about; it’s not like there’s any sharks here!

Happy 250th birthday, America! What a milestone to be had,
Thanks to the work of our forefathers, to Thomas Jefferson we are glad!
The Declaration of Independence, Ben and Tom worked hard to write up,
And 250 years later, let’s celebrate this momentous year by winning the World Cup!

Have a fun and safe 4th of July Weekend!

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📋 This week's report: orsanco.org/data/weekly-ohio-river-water-quality-report
🌊 Recreation safety info: orsanco.org/recreation

06/30/2026

“A river is more than an amenity, it is a treasure. It offers a necessity of life that must be rationed among those who have power over it.”- Oliver Wendell Holmes. (Quote included in ORSANCO’s 1st annual report in 1949.)

Every river has a story. And today, June 30, on ORSANCO’s anniversary, we thought we’d share a chapter from ours.

In the 1930s, the Ohio was severely polluted and industry had little interest in changing that. The push to save the river didn't come from regulators — it came from the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, where a streetcar company PR man named Hudson Biery asked at a civic meeting why, while the city was cleaning itself up, it couldn't also clean up the river. The citizens of Cincinnati, he said, didn't need to "be reminded every time asparagus is served for dinner in Pittsburgh." The Cincinnati Enquirer rallied behind the cause. Covington's Chamber joined from the Kentucky side. A regional movement took shape.

Progress was slow — WWII intervened, the river got worse, and proposals were debated for years before eight states finally signed the ORSANCO compact on June 30, 1948. The impact was swift: within 18 years, sewage treatment rates along the river went from under 1% to 99%.

That wasn't the finish line. ORSANCO's biologists are still out on the river each summer testing fish for contaminants. Our scientists monitor water quality around the clock and track spills so drinking water utilities can respond. Every week during recreation season, we publish E. coli data so people can safely get on the water.
The Ohio has come a long way. There's still more to do. Happy 78th anniversary — and happy National Rivers Month. 💙



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Image 1: The governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia gathered in the Hall of Mirrors at Cincinnati Netherland Plaza.

Image 2: From left to right: Illinois Governor Dwight Green, Indiana Governor Ralph Gates, and Ohio Governor Thomas Herbert

Image 3: Douglas K. Fuller, Executive Vice President of the Cincinnati Chamber, Hudson Biery, and Frank Bane, Executive Director of the Council of State Governments

Image 4: Virginia Governor William H. Tuck (Left) was the last to sign and made the compact official

Image 5: Article cover photo in the 1949 ORSANCO Annual Report