Science discussion series: We are an interdisciplinary group of water
science professionals and we’re here to discuss safe drinking water. Ask
us anything!
Abstract
Hi Reddit! Today’s discussion is coming to us from the National Academy
of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) and is a collaboration
between r/science, LabX, and the Water, Science and Technology Board! We
are panel of diverse water science professionals ready to answer your
questions about all things related to drinking water. Water is a
ubiquitous phenomenon! But its visual abundance—from its constant flow
out of taps and fountains to the immensity of our oceans—can mask the
fact that 1 in 7 people worldwide lack access to safe drinking water
(that’s over 1 billion people!). Furthermore, in places like New Orleans
or The Netherlands, water can seem like an impending threat without the
proper means to safely contain it, or productively incorporate it into
our daily lives. The broader water/society interface raises questions
about drinking water’s vulnerability to climate change and society’s
vulnerability to ageing infrastructure for adequate and safe sourcing,
treatment, and distribution. Poor drinking water quality can result from
pollution from sources such as industrial waste, agricultural runoff,
corrosion of lead from distribution pipes, or treatment facility
contamination by man-made materials such as polyfluoroalkyl substances
(PFAS). Emerging innovations in grey/green infrastructure, stewardship
programs to reduce man-made contaminants, desalination technology, and
international efforts to increase access to safe water on a global scale
might help preserve and increase Earth’s water supply and society’s
value of it. All of these issues, and more, are on our collective radar
and we look forward to discussing them with you. Ask us anything! Our
discussion panel guests today are: Will Logan (u/Will_Logan_ICIWaRM)
is currently the Director at the International Center for Integrated
Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM), which is part of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. Previously, Will was the Science Attaché for the US
Mission to UNESCO and he served for almost a decade on the Water,
Science, and Technology Board at the National Academies of Sciences.
Will holds a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences/Hydro-geology from Waterloo
University and was an Assistant Professor of Hydro-geology at George
Washington University. Ellen de Guzman (u/Ellen_de_Guzman) is
currently the Senior Water Officer in the Middle East and North Africa
Bureau at USAID. Ellen has managed projects spanning rural
reconstruction, humanitarian and disaster response, alternative
livelihoods, food security, agriculture, water and sanitation. Prior to
USAID, Ellen worked for the National Academies of Sciences, where she
provided policy research support to develop federal policies on managing
subsurface water contamination, the Clean Water Act, sustainable water
and environmental management in the California Bay-Delta, and invasive
species in ballast water. Jin Shin (u/Jin_Shin_WSSC) is currently the
Water Quality Division Manager at WSSC (Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission), where he has worked for nearly 15 years. The WSSC is one of
the largest water and wastewater utilities in the nation, with a service
area that spans nearly 1,000 square miles in Prince George’s and
Montgomery counties in Maryland. Jin holds a Ph.D. in Environmental
Engineering from John Hopkins University, where he was also a lecturer
and visiting professor for 6 years. Teddi Ann Galligan
(u/Teddi_Ann_Galligan) is a community science educator. She draws from
firsthand experience living in conditions where safe drinking water was
a daily issue, as well as substantial laboratory experience, which
includes wastewater analysis for a sustainable sanitation digestion
technology, water quality analysis, and clinical laboratory work in
low-resource settings. Currently Director of Covalence Science
Education, Ms. Galligan has designed and delivered hands-on programs in
a wide variety of environments, ranging from classrooms in the United
States to open-air community science workshops in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Teddi Ann was an educator and consultant at the Marian Koshland Science
Museum of the National Academy of Sciences for more than a decade,
helping visitors use science to address real world community resilience
issues associated with climate change. Our guests will be answering
questions starting at 8:30 PM EST.