Webinar – Spring Blitz Italia: A National Citizen Science Event for Water Springs

📅 March 20, 2025 – 9:00 PM (CET)
➡️ Register for the webinar: [https://tinyurl.com/webinarAS20marzo]

The World Water Day, celebrated every year on March 22, is a key occasion to reflect on the importance of water as a vital resource for the planet and all living beings.

In preparation for this important event, the Acqua Sorgente project will officially present the first Spring Blitz, a collective monitoring initiative to be carried out across Italy.

Spring Blitz Objectives:

1️⃣ Create a snapshot of the state of water springs at the end of the rainy season, when water resources are at their peak recharge before the summer dry period begins.

2️⃣ For project representatives, sample a local spring using numbered bottles provided along with conductivity meters. These samples will be used for isotopic analysis, which provides valuable information about rainfall origins and the effects of evapotranspiration on infiltrated water that feeds the springs.

With the collaboration of Dr. Stefano Natali, hydrology expert from the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Pisa, we will present in an online webinar (9:00 PM CET) the purpose of the event, the analyses to be conducted on collected data and samples, and how our collective effort will contribute to a national-scale understanding of water resources.

How the Spring Blitz will take place:

📅 Throughout April, anyone interested in participating is invited to monitor as many springs as possible in their area using the AcquaSorgente app (iOS and Android). In the notes section of each monitoring entry, please include: “Spring Blitz 2025”.

📌 For equipped project representatives:
Those with a portable conductivity meter and a numbered bottle will need to select a significant spring in their area, conduct a monitoring session measuring electrical conductivity and water temperature, and fill the bottle with a sample.

📩 Important: The bottle number must be recorded in the monitoring form’s notes field. Bottles will then need to be shipped for laboratory analysis via postal service. More details will be provided via email to all designated representatives.

Join us in this citizen science initiative and help us protect and understand our water resources! 💧🌍