The IGM project team, Center for Water Quality Research, and Alabama Water Institute at The University of Alabama jointly organized and hosted the NSF EPSCoR workshop on groundwater security planning and management from October 24th to 26th, 2022 at the Bryant Conference Center located on the campus of The University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Water security is the availability of acceptable quantity and quality of water for sustaining human health, economic welfare, and the well-being of environmental and ecological systems. The objective of this workshop is to establish collaborative teams of investigators to build sustainable water security management research capabilities across and among multiple EPSCoR jurisdictions. Over 50 participants from various states including the following seven EPSCoR states, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Kansas, and North Dakota, attended the workshop.
This 3-day workshop provided a scientific forum for researchers, academics, consultants, and industry professionals to discuss and develop novel ideas for solving groundwater and other water security problems that are relevant to EPSCoR and other states. The workshop covered a variety of groundwater security management topics to address our need to access an adequate amount of groundwater to meet basic human needs, support the ecosystem services by maintaining baseflow in streams and rivers, and support economic activities (e.g., agriculture, industry, and tourism) of the region. The workshop also explored the use of novel technology and policy solutions for managing both water quality and quantity problems (e.g., treatment technologies for managing metals, chlorinated solvents, PFAS, and engineering challenges in implementing managed aquifer recharge systems). The workshop was organized into the following 5 sessions:
1. Understanding and Quantifying Natural Aquifer Recharge Processes
2. Understanding and Designing Artificial Aquifer Recharge Processes
3. Policy Solutions to Groundwater Quantity Management (MS vs. TN case study)
4. Groundwater Quality Management and Related Policy Issues
5. PFAS Treatment and Management