Lecture by David Sedlak THIS Thursday

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Read on to learn more about this exciting Edward Wenk Jr. Endowed Lectureship, taking place THIS WEEK: 

David Sedlak, Malozemoff Professor and Co-Director of the Berkeley Water Center, deputy Director of the NSF engineering research center for Reinventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt), University of California, Berkeley, will present his lecture, “A Path to the Fourth Urban Water Revolution”:

  • When: Thursday, Nov. 12thThomas DeLuca Civil and Environmental Engineering Wenk Lecture
  • Time: 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
  • Where: Alder Hall Auditorium
  • Light refreshments will follow

Synopsis: Over the past 2,500 years, urban water systems have undergone three revolutions that have given us imported water, drinking water treatment and municipal wastewater treatment. Population growth, competing demands on water resources and concerns about decreases in the availability of imported water are now creating conditions conducive to a fourth revolution. The fourth revolution has the potential to solve some of our most difficult problems, but it will not happen until researchers, water professionals and regulators develop and adopt better technologies and management approaches.

By considering recent events in California, Texas and other regions facing the prospect of an inadequate future water supply, we can gain insight into the path through which water reuse, urban stormwater harvesting and other technologies are being used to insulate cities from the effects of drought. Research on approaches for enhancing the performance of natural treatment systems and efforts to better understand the fate of trace organic contaminants in engineered treatment systems is integral to the success of these technologies. In regions where other drivers of change, such as urban drainage and non-point source pollution are the main concerns, creation of a similar innovation ecosystem involving researchers, water professionals and regulators is need to hasten the transition to more resilient and effective urban water systems.

this lectureship was made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Edward Wenk Jr., Emeritus Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and science policy adviser to the U.S. Congress and three presidents. Dr. Wenk built his career through bridging the gap between public policy and engineering. Through his generous gift, he continues to share his professional legacy with students and the academic community.