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Swim Guide app helps locals find clean fun on Independence Day weekend

 

POLK COUNTY- MountainTrue, an Asheville-based environmental group, is encouraging the public to use their Swim Guide app to ensure a healthy and happy swimming experience this Independence Day weekend.

The company’s affiliate, MountainTrue West, located in Murphy, NC, monitors and protects the quality of Western NC’s waterways through volunteers, community engagement and consultation with government agencies.

Each week between Memorial and Labor Day weekends, MountainTrue collects and analyzes water samples from 96 popular recreation spots across western North Carolina and Georgia. After processing, the results are posted on the Swim Guide website and the smartphone app in time for the weekend. Contaminated water can cause gastrointestinal illness, skin infections, respiratory issues and other health problems.

“We do testing mid-week, analyze the results, and get them to the public in time for the weekend,” explains Erica Shanks, MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper. “Conditions can change rapidly following heavy rains when stormwater runoff brings pollution into our waterways. Take extra precautions after hard rains and do not ingest or expose any open cuts or abrasions to water.”

MountainTrue has a presence on all social media platforms and can be visited at mountaintrue.org. More information on swimming areas and the Swim Guide app can be found at theswimguide.org.