Drexel, Purdue Receive $4M In EPA Funding For Flow Research
By Peak Johnson
The U.S. EPA will be providing $4 million to both Drexel University and Purdue University to research water quality issues related to low flow conditions of drinking water in premise plumbing systems.
According to a press release by the EPA, as water conservation efforts become more common and water shortages have occurred in some parts of the country, the use of low-flow plumbing fixtures, such as faucets, toilets, and showerheads, has increased.
“Providing clean drinking water is an essential part of EPA’s mission to protect public health, and these efforts should focus from the source to the faucet,” Thomas Burke, agency science advisor and deputy assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development, said. “The research announced today will guide decision makers as they design, renovate, or manage plumbing systems to provide safe and clean drinking water.”
The research aims to create a better understanding of health risks that are connected with low flows.
Low flows “typically aggravate the effects of water pollution. Dilution is the primary mechanism by which the concentrations of contaminants (e.g., copper, lead) discharged from industrial facilities and other point and some non-point sources are reduced.”
However, when a low flow event takes place “there is less water available to dilute effluent loadings, resulting in higher in-stream concentration of pollutants.”
A variety of other issues such as “winds, bank storage, spring seepage, tributary streams and the warming effect of the sun” can have a greater effect on water temperature during low flow periods.
As lower flow periods increase in drinking water distribution systems, the need for better distribution systems does as well.
The awardees will be able to “create methods, tools, and models to help design plumbing systems that will ensure appropriate flows and water pressures while delivering clean drinking water at actual consumption levels.”
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