Someone is overseeing the Saluda, Broad, and Congaree rivers.

That someone is Congaree Riverkeeper Bill Stangler.

“Water is a common good,” Stangler told Greater Cayce-West Columbia Chamber members Oct. 23 at Cayce United Methodist Church.

Stangler said the Congaree Riverkeeper, a grassroots, non-profit organization, conducts weekly water quality checks at 10 stations on the 3 rivers.

Stangler said the water quality checks are being extended until the end of October this year because of the warm weather.

Find water quality for rivers in your area by visiting www.howsmyscriver.org .

Green means all is well for recreation on the rivers. Orange is not good.

The water is tested at sites from St. Andrews on the Broad River and near Lake Murray on the Saluda to Bluff Road on the Congaree.

Stangler said Riverkeeper volunteers pick up and pull trash from the river. Recently, a group collected about 1,200 pounds of trash from the Congaree River banks.

So far this year, almost 5 tons of trash has been picked up.

He said the Congaree Riverkeeper:

• Speaks about the rivers to Boy Scout, schools and law enforcement groups.

• Monitors sewage seepage into the river.

• Supported a high-profile lawsuit against Carolina Water Service for sewage discharge into the river.

Started a strategy to remove an old unneeded dam near Congaree Creek in Cayce to restore water flow and water quality.

• Will remove more unused dams in the future.