The Fourth Revolution in Urban Water Systems

School of Engineering & Applied Science

Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering

and The Olin Corporation

present

The John McClanahan Henske Distinguished Lecture in Chemical Engineering

Speaker, David Sedlak, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

University of California at Berkeley

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

4:00PM, Mason lab 211

9 Hilhouse Avenue

New Haven, CT 06511

"The Fourth Revolution in Urban Water Systems"

Throughout history, the expansion of cities has necessitated the development of new approaches for managing the urban water cycle. Fundamental changes in urban water cycle usually occur abruptly, as society recognizes that existing technologies are no longer able to achieve the goals of protecting publich health and assuring a reliable source of water. Population growth, climate change and under-investment in existing assets are currently creating conditions that are conductive to a fourth revolution in urban water systems. By considering examples of regions where water systems are undergoing change, insight can be gained into the nature of the coming revolution and the research needed to support the transition to more resilient and effective urban water infrastructure.

David Sedlak is the Malozemoff Chair Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California at Berkeley, where he is co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center and Deputy Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center for the Reinvention of Urban Water Infrastructure (http://www.renuwit.org).  Much of Dr. Sedlak’s current research addresses the fate and transport of organic contaminants in wastewater-impacted waters.  This research has included investigations of the fate of steroid hormones in surface waters, control of the formation of the potent carcinogen NDMA in advanced water reclamation facilities and the transformation of pharmaceuticals in effluent-dominated surface waters and engineered treatment wetlands.  Dr. Sedlak has served on numerous government advisory panels including the National Research Council’s Committee on Water Reuse and the EPA Science Advisory Board.  He also is an Associate Editor for the American Chemical Society journal, Environmental Science & Technology.