This article was originally published on UBC Okanagan News.
While residents in California are still dealing with damage from last month’s floods—after years of devastating droughts—UBC Okanagan engineers are looking at better ways to manage the delivery of safe drinking water to homes.
Things to consider include a changing climate, costs and sustainability.
Dr. Haroon Mian, a Postdoctoral Research Associate with UBCO’s School of Engineering, said municipalities and water utilities all have drinking water management strategies to ensure the water they provide is safe and plentiful. However, a natural disaster, a breach in the supply or contamination at the treatment plant can put water supplies—and human health—at risk.
“Freshwater is essential to sustain ecosystem health and our survival,” said Dr. Mian. “But Earth’s once plentiful freshwater resources are now under increasing pressure due to population growth, urbanization and climate change.”
As water supplies become more threatened, not only is providing safe water a priority, but suppliers must also ensure that doing so will have low environmental and economic implications.
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