Salt Contamination of Drinking Water is a growing threat at home and globally
Access to clean and safe drinking water is critical to public health and economic prosperity. About 70% of U.S. drinking water supply comes from surface waters, including the tidal fresh regions of estuaries. This is under threat due to climate change, salinization and human pressures. Led by Professor Ming Li, UMCES-HPL, an interdisciplinary team will examine risks and knowledge gaps on this growing threat.
Drought, sea level rise, watershed and port & harbor engineering, and changes in land-use are increasingly threatening fresh water supplies in coastal regions due to increasing risk of salinization. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Professor Ming Li is leading an interdisciplinary team of researchers and stakeholders to assess the risks of salt contamination of water supplies in tidal rivers, synthesize the current understanding and identify knowledge gaps.
A better understanding of climatic and anthropogenic factors threatening healthy water supplies will be valuable to bolstering the resilience of water infrastructure and protecting public health.
A series of virtual web panels and an in-person workshop will be organized to assess the science on this emerging topic. The first panel discussion focusing on the salt contamination of water supplies in the Chesapeake Bay region will be held at 1-2.30 pm on 27 June 2023. This project will bring together national and international communities of diverse researchers working on the interdisciplinary aspects of salt contamination of water supplies in tidal rivers.
To learn more, meet the scientific leaders and register for web panels go here (opens in a new tab)
