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GLOBAL WATER RESEARCH COALITION: AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION ON WATER RESEARCH
Citation:
HAUCHMAN, F. S., S. GLASSMEYER, S. L. PFALLER, D. TILLMAN, AND H. M. SHUKAIRY. GLOBAL WATER RESEARCH COALITION: AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION ON WATER RESEARCH. Presented at 2005 EPA Science Forum, Washington, DC, May 16 - 18, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
To provide broad-based support for the Microbiological and Chemical Exposure Assessment Research Division and to facilitate outreach and communications with peers, stakeholders, clients, and the public.
Description:
The research needs for drinking water far exceed the ability of any one research organization to fully address by itself. For this reason, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S.EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) historically has sought opportunities to leverage funding and expertise with other national and state governmental research organizations, academia, and the water industry. The establishment of a formal partnership between the U.S. EPA and the Global Water Research Coalition (GWRC) enables the ORD to collaborate and jointly fund research with the most important water research organizations in the world. The GWRC is a formal nonprofit organization that is dedicated to promoting international cooperation and collaboration on water-related research. It is comprised of 12 of the most prominent water and wastewater research organizations from the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Established in 2002, the GWRC provides a forum for member organizations to coordinate research strategies, address issues of mutual interest, and avoid duplication of effort. It also promotes the sharing and dissemination of water research information on a global scale.
Priority issues include such topics as newly identified waterborne pathogens and chemicals, distribution systems, innovative treatment technologies, and renewable water resources. Research collaborations between GWRC members are underway or are being planned in a number of areas. Several specific collaborative efforts have already been conducted, including the development of GWRC research strategies and/or research needs reports on endocrine disruptors, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, water quality in the distribution system, and algal toxins. Collectively, these activities represent important steps toward achieving the GWRC's mission of cooperation for worldwide water knowledge, innovation, and progress.