Reminder -

Monday, April 24, 2017

3:30 p.m. Dean’s Auditorium

Refreshments at 3:15 p. m.

Access to safe potable water in the US: infrastructure inequality and environmental injustice

Kelsey J. Pieper, PhD

USDA NIFA Fellow

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Virginia Tech

In April 2014, the officials in the City of Flint, Michigan stopped purchasing treated water from Detroit and instead treated water from the Flint River. Within months of the switch, residents began reporting water quality issues, the utility issued boil warnings, and water main breaks were occurring throughout the city. Concerned citizens discovered that corrosion control had not been implemented by the city and lead was leaching into their water. Thanks to these concerned citizens, Dr. Marc Edwards, and a group of Virginia Tech students were informed about the water issues and created the Flint Water Study to support Flint citizens by empowering them with sound science and independent information about their tap water. Through this collaborative research, the corrosion problems in Flint were uncovered and the city began purchasing the Detroit water again in October 2015.

Christal Musser

Interdisciplinary Student Services Manager

Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs

The Purdue University Graduate School | Purdue University

Ernest C. Young Hall, Room B-40 | 155 S. Grant Street | West Lafayette, IN 47907

Email: musser@purdue.edu | Web: www.purdue.edu/ese

Phone: 765-494-2102 | Fax: 765-496-6271

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