Rethinking America’s Urban Water Infrastructure: Resource Efficiency, Access, and Public Health

Nancy Love
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan

ABSTRACT: Water infrastructure renewal is receiving significant attention as many systems are reaching (or exceeding) their design life. Economic prosperity in developed cities is in part due to centralized water systems, which create high levels of water quality and public health. While centralized water infrastructure has served us well, Love argues that we should not be constrained to 20th century thinking as we plan for the future. IT-enabled "smart" hybrid water solutions have the potential to improve efficiency of resource use, enhance equitable access to water services, change consumer and provider behavior around water, and ensure that we sustain a high level of public health even as more people live in close proximity. Love presents case studies from around the globe. One case study explores development of "smart" distributed nutrient recovery systems being tested at the University of Michigan.

(recording not available )