Panel: Water Quality is Not Expensive, it is Priceless

Presented on Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Groundwater is the source of drinking water for almost half of the U.S. population. Even where groundwater is plentiful, however, it’s not truly available for use unless the quality is acceptable for that use. In some cases, use of groundwater is limited because of contamination from anthropogenic sources; in others, it is limited because of high concentrations of constituents that occur as a result of natural sources or processes. And in some cases, groundwater quality is impaired as a result of human activities, such as high-volume pumping and irrigation that have altered the hydrologic cycle. There are many costs to society, both literally and figuratively, associated with degraded water quality. This panel will bring together perspectives on some of the causes and costs associated with groundwater quality from a discussion of: • how geology influences our drinking water and human health costs, • how hydrologic factors influence the vulnerability of drinking water to contamination, and • case studies where water quality has limited use because of human health concerns. An audience discussion of the linkages between groundwater quality and its availability and costs will follow the panel presentation.

Moderators:
Kelly L. Warner
Illinois Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Urbana, IL
Kelly Warner has been a hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey for over 20 years. She is the acting Chief of Groundwater and Water-Quality Investigations for the U.S. Geological Survey office in Urbana, Illinois. Additionally, Kelly is the lead scientist for the regional water-quality assessment of the glacial aquifer system as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program of the U.S. Geological Survey.
William Alley, Ph.D.
National Ground Water Association, Westerville, OH
Dr. William M. Alley is Director of Science and Technology for the National Ground Water Association. Previously, he served as Chief, Office of Groundwater for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for almost two decades. Dr. Alley has published over 100 scientific publications, and most recently co-authored with his wife, Rosemarie, High and Dry: Meeting the Challenges of the World’s Growing Dependence on Groundwater. Among other awards, Dr. Alley received the USGS Shoemaker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Communication and the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. He holds a B.S. in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.S. in Hydrogeology from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University.

Presentation by Melissa Lenczewski, Ph.D.
MP3 Presentation Slides
Melissa Lenczewski, Ph.D. , Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL

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