Global and Regional Experts Convene to Discuss Groundbreaking Clean Water Solutions

Friday, June 17th, Stony Brook, N.Y. – The New York State Center for Clean Water Technology hosted its 2022 Clean Water Symposium, an event designed to highlight global clean water problems and solutions as well as present an overview of the Center’s most recent research breakthroughs. The event presentations covered four major topics including addressing nitrogen from onsite wastewater, addressing nitrogen pollution beyond the source, PFAS contamination and exposure, and wastewater-based epidemiology. Each of the four sessions included external speakers like Dr. Charles Yarish from the University of Connecticut, Dr. Carla Ng from the University of Pittsburg, and representatives from regulatory agencies including the US EPA, NYS DEC and DOH, and Suffolk County. In addition, Center researchers highlighted their latest research advances develop more cost-effective water quality protection and restoration technologies.

Symposium Presentations and Videos

Keynote Speaker

Dr. David Sedlak, Plato Malozemoff Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California at Berkeley & Author of Water 4.0 - PDF - Video

Mitigating Nitrogen Pollution from Onsite Wastewater

Kristina Heinemann & Michael Flood, US EPA, Region 2, Water Division - PDF - Video
Dr. Stuart Waugh, NYS Center for Clean Water Technology - PDF - Video
Dr. Xinwei Mao, NYS Center for Clean Water Technology - PDF - Video
Peter A. Scully, Deputy Suffolk County Executive - PDF - Video
Interactive Panel - Video

Addressing N Pollution Beyond the Source; Reactive Barriers & Bioextraction

Dr. Charles Yarish, University of Connecticut - PDF - Video
Dr. Chris Gobler & Michael Doall, NYS Center for Clean Water Technology - PDF - Video
Susan Van Patten, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation - PDF - Video
Interactive Panel - Video

PFAS Exposures & Treatment of Drinking Water

Dr. Carla Ng, University of Pittsburg - PDF - Video
Dr. Carrie McDonough, Stony Brook University - PDF - Video
Dr. Arjun Venkatesan, NYS Center for Clean Water Technology - PDF - Video
Dr. Scott Alderman, NYS Department of Health - PDF - Video
Interactive Panel - Video

Using Wastewater-based Epidemiology to Protect Public Health

Dr. Daniel Gerrity, Southern Nevada Water Authority - PDF - Video
Dr. Mian Wang & Dr. Cheng-Shiuan Lee, NYS Center for Clean Water Technology - PDF - Video
Daniel Lang, NYS Department of Health - Video
Interactive Panel - Recording

The event was attended by nearly 100 people representing a wide range of stakeholders from industry to academia and environmental advocacy, as well as regulators and policy makers from every level of government.

This year’s symposium featured a keynote address by Dr. David Sedlak, Plato Malozemoff Professor from UC Berkeley. Dr Sedlak is the Director of the Berkeley Water Center and renowned for developing engineering innovative clean water and water shortage solutions. He is also author of the best-selling book, Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World's Most Vital Resource.

“This Symposium provided an excellent opportunity to share with the public the great strides we have made in addressing the on-going drinking, ground, and surface water crises on Long Island”, said Dr. Chris Gobler, Center Director and Endowed Chair of Coastal Ecology and Conservation at Stony Brook University. “We were equally excited to get global perspectives from our peers across the country.”

Assemblyman Steve Englebright and Assemblyman Fred Thiele attended and made opening remarks, each underscoring the importance of water quality protection to the region, and the crucial role of the Center in working to develop cost-effective solutions.

Background

Funded in 2015 by the New York State Environmental Protection Fund as administered by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the Center for Clean Water Technology is tasked with harnessing science to engineer clean water solutions for the protection of public health and the environment while promoting economic development in New York and beyond.

Click the links in the agenda above to view speaker presentations and livestream recordings.