Indiana Group Deploys Air Monitors Across Southwest Region
A $75,000 grant is helping Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of Life track particulate pollution and well water contaminants.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Asthma
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Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of Life, a regional environmental health advocacy group, received a $75,000 grant to help residents monitor local environmental risks. The group deployed 20 PurpleAir Flex air quality monitors across southwestern Indiana that display real-time particulate matter data on its newly launched website.
Why it matters
The monitors were deployed to bridge gaps between official government monitoring stations, giving residents direct access to local air data. Group leaders hope transparent public data will encourage schools, medical professionals, and lawmakers to push for stronger health and environmental protections at the Indiana Statehouse.
The group's 20 PurpleAir Flex monitors and water kits capable of screening roughly 200 contaminants provide localized data, with 40 private well tests completed across more than a dozen communities. The extraction does not report the readings themselves or any results from those tests.
The players
Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of Life
A regional environmental health advocacy group founded in 2018 that focuses on monitoring pollution and water contamination across southwestern Indiana.
Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute
An Indiana University research institute that runs the Indiana Resilience Funding Hub, which partnered with the group on this project.
Great Lakes Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program
A grantmaking program that awarded the $75,000 grant supporting the group's environmental monitoring and digital outreach work.
The details
Southwestern Indiana Citizens for Quality of Life, founded in 2018, used the grant to develop its new digital website and to acquire water testing equipment. The monitors measure real-time particulate matter from regional coal-fired plants, wildfires, and other sources. Between 2025 and 2026, the group hosted six regional focus groups led by Indiana University researchers Kate Eddens and Annie Shattuck, with findings presented publicly in April 2026 in Dale, Indiana.
Timeline
2025 to 2026: SWICQL hosts six regional focus groups across the region.
April 2026: Focus group findings are presented to the public in Dale, Indiana.
November 4, 2026: SWICQL's website and grant coverage are published.
Health Landscape
The project is a community-driven response to pollution monitoring gaps, funded through the Great Lakes Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program, which supports regional environmental health work. It reflects a broader shift toward resident-accessible air and water data that complements official state monitoring networks.
Residents in southwestern Indiana can now check real-time particulate matter readings on SWICQL's website to decide when outdoor air may be unsafe. Households with private wells can use the group's water testing services to screen for contaminants.
The takeaway
Checking local air quality data before outdoor activity can help people with asthma and other respiratory conditions plan their day. Residents with private wells can also consider testing their water for contaminants.
Further reading
Learn more about Asthma and how air quality affects respiratory health.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WBIW.
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