New dashboard offers real-time look at Potomac, Anacostia water quality

State of play: The Reservoir Center for Water Solutions, a Navy Yard-based water-sector hub, partnered with Anacostia Riverkeeper, Anacostia Watershed Society and Potomac Riverkeeper Network to deploy nine innovative Xylem sensors at monitoring stations across both rivers.

How it works: Sensors collect data every 15 minutes on conditions including dissolved oxygen, temperature and algae levels. The dashboard translates those readings into a simple color-coded system, allowing users to check conditions at sites from National Harbor to Buzzard Point.

The big picture: The dashboard predates the sewage spill by several years, but arrives amid growing public interest in river health. Environmental groups involved in the project had long sought more accessible, real-time monitoring instead of relying solely on lab-based testing.

• The group is also exploring future additions, including real-time E. coli monitoring.

What's next: Organizers hope the effort becomes a model for other watersheds while supporting long-term goals of making Washington's rivers more fishable and swimmable.