Los Gatos, CA – October 14, 2019 – Castle Rock State Park installs new system at the brand-new Robert C. Kirkwood Entrance to continuously monitor water quality and ensure access to safe, clean drinking water for park visitors. Sempervirens Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving redwood forests and critical habitats in the Santa Cruz Mountains, recently deployed smart water monitoring technology from water intelligence innovator KETOS, Inc. as part of a massive overhaul of park facilities.
“KETOS gives us a way to know exactly what is in the drinking water at Castle Rock at any given moment,” said Sara Barth, Executive Director of Sempervirens Fund. “We now get instant access to all of our water data and can make sure our water stays in line with all EPA safety thresholds.”
The Kirkwood Entrance relies on KETOS Shield Fabric to proactively test and monitor the groundwater that supplies the park for lead, cadmium, copper, arsenic, manganese, nitrates and chromium. California State Parks, which operates the new entrance facility, can quickly view all water data on their mobile devices or access the KETOS software platform to dive into advanced diagnostics and reports. Streamlining the water management process for the park, KETOS water quality reports are now accepted by the State of California Division of Drinking Water (DDW) as process data.
“Clean drinking water is a critical part of the success of a facility like the new Kirkwood Entrance at Castle Rock State Park,” added Barth. “With KETOS, park visitors can safely drink from the water fountain and fill their water bottles at the welcome plaza before continuing on to hike or climb at Castle Rock.”
KETOS also alerts Castle Rock to any environmental anomalies across pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, temperature and dissolved oxygen. An innovative water management solution, KETOS Shield Fabric serves as a continuous advanced warning system as a single modular system measuring 20+ contaminants to protect water quality at Castle Rock. Its lab-precision data provides actionable insights based on real-time or on-demand water quality monitoring and predictive intelligence.
About Castle Rock State Park
Located along Skyline Boulevard (Hwy. 35) at the crest of the magnificent Santa Cruz Mountains, Castle Rock is the closest state park to Silicon Valley and the southern San Francisco Peninsula and a portal to the spectacular parks and protected areas in the larger landscape. Established in 1968 thanks to the efforts of Sempervirens Fund and many donors, it is a mecca for rock climbing enthusiasts. Castle Rock also has more than 32 miles of hiking trails and is the starting point of the iconic Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail, which Sempervirens Fund created in 1976, and runs for 31 miles from all the way down to the dramatic coastline north of Santa Cruz.
About KETOS
KETOS provides the tools and insights needed to optimize water usage, ensure resource efficiency and provide water safety assurance – all via affordable and accessible tools. Its innovative, patented hardware and interactive, enterprise-grade software platform provides predictive and actionable metrics through data analytics – delivering the water intelligence needed for smart irrigation, industries and cities. Learn more at www.ketos.co.
About Sempervirens Fund
Conservation organization Sempervirens Fund buys, protects, restores and cares for redwood forests and open spaces in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Since its founding in 1900, it has permanently protected more than 53 square miles of local redwood forests and watersheds for people, wildlife, and future generations. Sempervirens helped create California’s first state park, Big Basin Redwoods, as well as Butano and Castle Rock State Parks, and established the 30-mile Skyline-to-the-Sea-Trail. Supported by many individuals, foundations, and corporations, it currently owns and cares for more than 11,000 acres — an area three times the size of Golden Gate Park. Learn more at www.sempervirens.org.