Two of the most important, though less visible, environmental issues will have their day on April 9th. Attendees at the first New York City Water Summit will spend the day exploring the issues of drinking water and waste water, from technical and policy perspectives.
Co-organized by Dr. William Becker and Dr. Kartik Chandran, both of the Columbia University Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering, the Summit aims to improve the real-world practice of drinking water and waste water treatment.
Professor Chandran explains, “The basic idea is to bring a premium, world-class event to New York City, in terms of two directions: Drinking Water and Wastewater. There will be speakers who are really leaders in their respective fields, from academia, from private industry, and also utilities, like the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.
“Essentially it is a forum and a platform to discuss what the pressing issues are for the city of New York with respect to drinking water and wastewater. And not only the city of New York, but how other major metropolitan cities in the United States and also around the world can learn from what’s going on here.
“New York City is one of the leaders in the provision and treatment of drinking water, and also in biological wastewater treatment, specifically as it relates to nitrogen removal. The city faces very stringent limits, but it also meets these stringent limits by a combination of engineering and policy making.”
Anticipated outcomes for the event include, according to Prof. Chandran, “coming up with strategies to more energy-effectively, more cost-effectively, treat drinking water and waste water, but then also address topics like water re-use, even for potable purposes.” And also, “to take some of the strategies that we’ve been able to implement in the United States, and see if they’re even an option in the developing world.”
Attending the Summit will be academic researchers, government agency representatives, utilities technicians and staff, major industrial firms involved in supplying water for drinking and industrial use, and treatment equipment manufacturers.
To encourage students from Columbia University and other institutions to take advantage of the high-level discussions and the chance to meet industry leaders, the full-day event is free to students.
Proceeds from the event will support the Columbia chapter of Engineers Without Borders, which develops projects providing clean water and sanitation in Ghana.
The New York Water Summit will be held at the Altschul Auditorium at Columbia University, April 9th, 2010, 8:30am – 4:30pm.
Fees and Registration
Individuals $100
Utility Employees $50
Students $0
Registration costs include lunch
and coffee breaks.
Advance Registration ends on
April 1st, 2010. Please make
checks payable to Columbia
University and mail to Kartik
Chandran at the address below
Kartik Chandran, PhD.
Asst. Professor, Director, CUBES
Earth and Environmental
Engineering, 918 Mudd Hall
Columbia University
500 West 120th Street,
New York, NY 10027
Email: kc2288@columbia.edu
Follow the Columbia Water Center on Twitter: http://twitter.com/columbiawater
I am sorry that the water summit will be held on the same day as a big water meeting at the UN that I will be attending (World Water Organization High-Level Conference on Water and Global Health). I am interested in the work of the Water Center, and hope to have a chance to discuss with you the new Water Discovery Center in the Catskills.
Regards, Marcia