Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (Orsanco) is an interstate water quality management agency focused on protecting and monitoring water resources in the Ohio River Basin. Registered as a U.S. State Government and Interstate Entity since 2004, Orsanco works collaboratively across multiple states to maintain, protect, and improve water quality in rivers, lakes, streams, and groundwater systems. The organization primarily receives federal grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), specifically EPA Region 5 and the Office of Water, to conduct comprehensive environmental monitoring, assessment, and research programs related to water quality and ecosystem health.

Through its federal grant awards, Orsanco has undertaken extensive water quality monitoring and research initiatives, including developing predictive models for harmful algal blooms (HABs), collecting monthly water quality samples at strategic locations, monitoring nutrient loads, and conducting biological assessments of waterways. Recent grants have supported projects such as the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan, where Orsanco collects water quality samples at 11 locations to improve nutrient load estimates, and a $400,000 four-year grant to advance environmental monitoring efforts. The organization has collaborated with state-level partners including the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Ohio Office of Budget and Management, and West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection through sub-grant awards. These sub-grants have involved continuous water quality monitoring, fecal coliform analysis, fish tissue sampling for contaminants, and operating monitoring stations along the Ohio River to track parameters like temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll levels.