Water is a prerequisite for life, but currently over 1.2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water. Water crises affect 2.8 billion people around the world at least one month out of each year. Scarcity is usually caused by climate change, increased pollution, and increased human demand for fresh water. Water scarcity is a growing concern and one that guarantees increased geopolitical conflict, like on July first, when gunfire broke out at a water scarcity riot in Iran.
The Oregon State University College of Engineering is organizing the inaugural Clean and Sustainable Water Technology Initiative workshop to be held August 6-7, 2018.
Day 1
The workshop will kick off with the keynote address, “Urban Water Supply Reinvention for Dry Cities,” given by Richard G. Luthy, Silas H. Palmer Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Engineering Research Center for Reinventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure at Stanford University. Dr. Luthy’s keynote will be given Monday, August 6 at 7 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center Construction and Engineering Hall. There will be an open public reception before at 6 p.m.
Keynote Abstract
The old ways of coping with the West’s water needs—overdraft of groundwater, stream depletion, and greater imports—will no longer meet the demands of the 21st Century. The solution to the challenge of urban water security will comprise a combination of conservation, desalination, storm water capture, water reuse, and water banking. These “taps” of new urban water, including potable reuse, will help dry cities in California and elsewhere achieve more sustainable and resilient water futures. This presentation will highlight advances in pilot demonstrations and systems management that point the way towards more resilient water supplies for dry cities.
*From School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (CBEE) website*
Day Two
7:45-8:30 Registration and continental breakfast
8:30-10:30 Morning Session: Global and Regional Issues Related to Clean Water
• Aaron Wolf, Professor, Department of Geosciences | Conflict and Cooperation over Shared Waters
• William Jaeger, Professor, Department of Applied Economics | Society’s Water Challenges Call for a Multidisciplinary Systems Approach
• Paul Mayer Ecologist, EPA Lab: Identifying Clean and Sustainable Water Solutions Through Modeling, Mesocosms, and Muddy
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45-11:45 Breakout Session
11:45-12:30 Discussion
12:30-1:30 Lunch
1:30-3 Poster Session
3:15-4:45 Afternoon Session: Water Quality: Treatment Technologies and Human Health
• Molly Kile, Associate Professor, School of Public Health | Sustainable Control of Water-Related Disease: The Intersection Between Water Quality, Water Quantity, and Human Behavior
• Meghna Babbar-Sebens, Associate Professor, Civil & Construction Engineering | Smart Water Systems for Management of Water Safety
• Tyler Radniecki, Assistant Professor, Environmental Engineering | Early Lessons from the Construction and Operation of the OGSIR Facility
About The Clean and Sustainable Water Technology Initiative
Oregon State University launched the Clean and Sustainable Water Technology Initiative in 2018 with a $3.28 million gift from Jon and Stephanie DeVaan. At the core of this venture is a collaborative community of faculty and students, working together to solve one of the one of the Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st century. This effort builds on the university’s strengths, to help make Oregon State a national leader in clean and sustainable water technology solutions.
Leading the initiative is Lewis Semprini, distinguished professor of environmental engineering. Several College of Engineering scholars are recognized nationally and globally for innovative research on water systems. They specialize in improving access to clean water, treating wastewater, strengthening upstream processes, and improving the infrastructure needed to manage water sustainability.
*From School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering (CBEE) website*
Event Details
When: August 6th (keynote address) & August 7th (workshop)
Where: LaSells Stewart Center
Registration & more information: Registration is required but FREE!
Contact: For questions or accommodations, please contact University Events, 541-737-4717 or events@oregonstate.edu.
CATEGORIES: Academics Campus Sustainability Climate Action Plan Community Sustainability conference Events and Outreach Health and Safety Natural Features and Landscaping Research sustainable development SustainableBusiness Water