The Appalachian Community Enforcement Project is a project of the Alliance for Appalachia, its member organizations, and other local and regional groups. Through partnerships in coal-impacted communities, we monitor surface water quality and pursue Clean Water Act enforcement in order to protect the people and places of Central Appalachia.

Citizen Empowerment: Community-Based Water Testing

Citizen water monitoring through the ACE Project empowers the citizens of the Central Appalachia to claim their rights to clean water and healthy communities. This citizen science initiative equips everyday people with the knowledge, instruments, and professional support to monitor local waterways.

In some cases, state agencies in the Appalachian coal-bearing regions have failed to hold the coal industry accountable for inaccurate and sometimes unlawful record keeping of surface water impacts. This lack of enforcement highlights the need for independent water monitoring.

Browse the data collected by our volunteers.

Current Data Contributors

Appalachian Voices
Coal River Mountain Watch
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards
United Mountain Defense

Find out how to get involved.

The ACE project augments state government enforcement by developing a broad view of water contamination across the entire region. Citizen monitoring results are posted on this website, making them available for review by local people, as well as state and federal agencies. The data will be used to advocate for the enforcement of existing laws, and to enact local, state and national policies to better protect our waterways.