Williamstown Installs Air Quality Sensors

Air quality sensors tell us how clean or polluted the air is. The PurpleAir sensors measure airborne particulate matter – tiny particles from sources such as smoke, dust, and other pollutants that can affect your breathing and health. The sensors use laser particle counters to estimate concentrations of particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) and send their readings to a public online map that anyone can view. In addition to the five sensors in town, you’ll see a sixth sensor on the map, installed by Williams College in Hopkins Forest.

Community air sensors are a helpful tool for tracking air quality throughout the day, especially during events like wildfire smoke and dry, dusty weather. The sensors reveal localized pollution patterns that traditional networks, like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), can miss. While they are not used for official regulatory purposes, they give residents and town staff useful information about local air conditions.

Williamstown also expects to benefit from the Berkshire County Clean Air Project, a regional initiative led by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) with EPA funding, which will install four additional sensors in town. Check back here for updates on accessing that data as it becomes available.