 ISTC, a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has committed the
resources of its sponsored research program for 2014 to projects
that will quantifiably contribute to its goal to save 1 billion
gallons of water in Illinois. The center also is encouraging the
people of Illinois to join the challenge by making a
personal
pledge at the Billion Gallon Water Challenge website:
www.istc.illinois.edu/water.cfm.The challenge was
announced April 11 at the Illinois Water Day Conference on the
campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This
was part of the U.N.'s World Water Day recognition. ISTC
presented posters about the Billion Gallon Water Challenge and
the center's other water use and reuse projects.
The safety and accessibility of water supplies has been cited
as a major concern by the World Health Organization, the U.S.
Agency for International Development and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. The National Academy of Engineering named the
quality and quantity of water as one of the "Grand Challenges
for Engineering."
Now the Illinois Legislature has passed versions of
legislation that will help provide $2 billion to improve
drinking and wastewater infrastructure across the state and is
working to expand that program to include urban flooding and
cleaning up pollution in Illinois rivers, lakes and streams.
[to top of second column] |
"Even in a water-rich state like ours, competition for this resource
has increased, and will continue to increase," said ISTC Director
Kevin O'Brien. "Drought conditions around the nation have impacted
Illinois severely over the past few years. We need to pursue every
avenue to preserve water now and for the next generations."
The ISTC research solicitation invited faculty, engineers,
consultants and others to propose innovations to minimize the use
and waste of Illinois freshwater resources needed for drinking,
hygiene, irrigation, industry, habitats, recreation and many other
needs.
[Text from file received from
Illinois Sustainable
Technology Center]
 |
