Water Quality and Environmental Innovation Act - Summer

Team Members: Joseph Kemeny, Liana Zogbi, Anna Veldman, Aurélie Rodzynek, Charlotte Giff, Kim Kong, Menita Ranghar, Shubhi Arora, Sophie Zhou, Wanqing Dong, Yugratna Srivastava

Water quality across the United States faces increasing threats from nutrient pollution, microplastics, harmful algal blooms, and coastal erosion, with significant implications for public health, ecosystems, and economic activity. The Water Quality and Environmental Innovation Act establishes a federal grant program to fund research, development, and deployment of emerging technologies to monitor and address water quality challenges. Analysis of water pollution sources identified nutrient runoff, sedimentation, and plastic pollution as major contributors to ecosystem degradation, with existing monitoring systems often insufficient to detect and address emerging threats.

Emerging technologies such as advanced sensors, remote monitoring systems, and innovative treatment methods offer significant potential to improve detection and remediation of water quality threats. However, research found that many technologies remain in early stages of development and require further testing, validation, and financial support before large-scale deployment. Establishing clear performance metrics, prioritizing high-risk regions, and strengthening collaboration between federal agencies, research institutions, and local stakeholders improves implementation effectiveness. Federal investment in technological innovation enhances water quality monitoring and management capacity, providing scalable solutions to protect ecosystems and public health.

Learn more about the MPA-ESP Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Management.