Advancing the Nation’s Water Treatment Technologies Through the National Academies’ Water Science and Technology Board

Water is essential for life on Earth. Meeting national water quality needs will require advancements in both conventional and emerging water treatment technologies. This project supports twice-yearly meetings and other activities of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB). These meetings link environmental engineering and water quality with national research priorities such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and translational science. WSTB has a unique ability to bring together volunteer experts across science and engineering, and from sectors including water utilities, other industries, academia, and agencies to bridge basic research and applications. The National Academies has a long history providing relevant information and building partnerships to help decision makers in water resources. WSTB meets a national need of providing thoughtful, independent convening opportunities for water science and engineering topics. This award provides support for WSTB activities that focus on water treatment technologies for water quality, as well as additional discussions of other emerging and relevant topics. WSTB holds twice-yearly meetings that will focus on national priorities such as the application of quantum information systems for water treatment, the role of artificial intelligence in smart water systems, emerging biotechnologies for clean and safe water, and using artificial intelligence to advance flood prediction and management. These meetings will address gaps in existing knowledge and promote new research avenues in environmental engineering and water resources and will translate cutting-edge research into policy-relevant information for audiences such as decision-makers in federal, state, and local governments. WSTB meetings and other activities help shape the future of interdisciplinary research, improve partnerships and coordination, and foster dissemination of emerging and innovative ideas across science and engineering sectors. Highlighting the connection of research and policy across the research enterprise, from private industry to academia and agencies, provides value to the nation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.