City of Denton Unveils New Air Quality Dashboard to Enhance Environmental Monitoring

The Denton Sustainability Framework Advisory Committee convened on August 22, 2025, to discuss the newly launched City of Denton air quality dashboard, aimed at enhancing public awareness of local air quality issues. Caitlin Davis, a conservation program coordinator from the Environmental Services and Sustainability Department, presented the dashboard, which is part of the city's ongoing efforts to monitor and improve air quality.

Davis provided background on Denton's air quality monitoring, noting that the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including Denton, is classified as a nonattainment zone for ground-level ozone, meaning it exceeds federal air quality standards. The dashboard is designed to provide real-time data from 12 newly installed air quality sensors throughout the city, which measure various pollutants including ozone, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds.

The dashboard, accessible on the City of Denton's sustainable website, features interactive maps showing the locations and readings from the sensors. Users can view weekly averages and historical data, although current data is manually uploaded weekly. Plans are in place to automate this process, allowing for hourly updates in the future.

Committee members expressed interest in the potential for deeper data analysis and the inclusion of educational resources on the dashboard. Suggestions included adding information about the sources of pollutants and the city's initiatives to combat air quality issues. Davis confirmed that while the dashboard currently focuses on ozone and particulate matter, additional data is being collected and can be made available for research purposes.

The meeting concluded with a commitment to enhance the dashboard's functionality, including the development of a mobile-friendly version, to ensure broader access to air quality information for Denton residents. The committee emphasized the importance of making this data easily understandable and actionable for the community.