H2NOW Chicago’s River Water Quality Monitoring Historic Data 

Terms and Conditions

Definitions.

  1. “Current” means Current Innovation, NFP, an Illinois nonprofit corporation. 

  2. “H2NOW” means the water quality sensor probe project led by Current in the Chicago Area Waterway System (“CAWS”) which interprets microbial water quality and provides assessments on microbial water quality through a visual array of gauges on the H2NOW Website. These gauges provide assessments of water quality through the "good," "low caution," "high caution" categorization of fecal coliform (microbial) estimates to establish water quality reads on a time-interval basis. 

  3. “H2NOW Data” means the data collected by the H2NOW project and made available through the H2NOW website.

  4. “H2NOW Website” means the website available at h2nowchicago.org.

  5. “Partner” means any organization, institution, agency, or entity that collaborates with Current in the H2NOW project, including but not limited to entities involved in funding, data collection, research, analysis, or dissemination of H2NOW Data.

  6. “You” and “User” mean any individual or entity that accesses, browses, or interacts with this website, including the retrieval or viewing of any content, data, or services made available on the H2NOW Website.

Disclaimers.

  1. H2NOW is not meant to evaluate the biological safety of the river. Neither Current nor its Partners are responsible or legally liable for any illnesses contracted or injuries incurred by persons who engage with the CAWS, based on H2NOW Data nor for any other harm to persons or property that results from Your use of the H2NOW Website, including without limitation, use of the H2NOW Data or any content on the H2NOW Website

  2. Never drink directly from the Chicago River or CAWS no matter the data provided by H2NOW.

  3. H2NOW estimates microbial water quality only. There may be other compounds or pollutants present in the water that make it unsafe for recreation.

  4. Most fecal coliforms are not pathogenic and only used as indicators of the presence of dangerous pathogens in the water. Pathogens may still be present even if the fecal coliform number is below the recreational standard of 200 CFU/100 mL.

  5. H2NOW does not directly measure fecal coliforms and cannot be used as a definitive measure of water safety. Direct fecal coliform testing should be conducted to confirm whether the water quality standard has been exceeded.

  6. H2NOW’s water quality sensors only provide information about water quality at the precise location of the sensor. Water quality may be different elsewhere in the CAWS. Water quality beyond an H2NOW sensor’s precise location falls outside the scope of the H2NOW project. 

  7. Sensors are programmed to provide information about water quality every 15 minutes at the time of measurement. Water quality may vary between the scheduled measurements or during gaps that may occur due to data collection or transmission failures.

License.

  1. The H2NOW Data is made available for use in non-commercial, educational, research or public policy purposes.

  2. Other than as specifically further described in this Section 3, You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, display, prepare derivative works based on, republish, transmit, repost or otherwise use H2NOW Data, without prior written authorization from Current.

  3. The name H2NOW and Current must not be used in any advertising or publicity to endorse or promote any commercial products or commercial entities unless specific written permission is obtained in advance from Current.

  4. You agree to credit H2NOW and Current in any publication, presentation, or report related to education and research that results from the use of the H2NOW Data. Citations should use the following format:

    "Historic Water Quality Monitoring Data." H2NOW Chicago, Current Innovation, NFP, https://h2nowchicago.org. Accessed DD-MM-YYYY.”

  5. Current reserves the right to revoke this license for any improper use or failure to abide by these Terms and Conditions.

Terms of Use.

  1. The H2NOW Website and data are provided “as is,” without any warranty, whether express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose. Current makes no representation or warranties regarding the reliability of the H2NOW Data nor the uses to which such data should be applied. Current disclaims any and all responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies in the H2NOW Data. Current bears no responsibility for any use made of the H2NOW Data.

  2. You agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Current, its officers, directors, employees and agents, from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs or debt, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees) arising from: (i) Your use of and access to the H2NOW Website and data; (ii) Your violation of any term of these Terms and Conditions; or (iii) Your violation of any third party right, including without limitation any copyright, property, or privacy right. This defense and indemnification obligation will survive these Terms and Conditions and Your use of the site. 

  3. Current reserves the right to modify or update the H2NOW Data and these Terms and Conditions at any time without prior notice. 

  4. These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any legal action or proceeding arising under these Terms and Conditions shall be brought exclusively in the courts located in Chicago, Illinois.

  5. H2NOW data does not constitute an endorsement or approval by Current or its Partners of any conclusions or statements made by You or any third party based on the H2NOW Data. You are prohibited from using H2NOW Data to make false, misleading, or defamatory statements regarding water quality or the actions of any government entity or organization. You acknowledge that data misuse, misinterpretation, or misrepresentation can lead to inaccurate conclusions and public misinformation.

  6. By accessing and downloading data from the H2NOW Website, You agree to provide your name and email address as part of the download process. This information is collected to better understand who is interested in our data and to enhance our services. By accessing the data, You agree that Your information will be added to Current’s newsletter mailing list, where You will receive updates, news, and other communications related to the H2NOW program and other initiatives of Current. You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time by following the instructions provided in the newsletter.

  7. We respect Your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. Your personal information will be stored securely and will not be shared with third parties, except as may be required by law.

  8. For questions or concerns regarding these Terms and Conditions or the use of H2NOW Data, please contact Current at h2now@currentwater.org.