Marc Edwards, the Via Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will discuss his exhaustive four-year investigation of the Washington, D.C. water contamination crisis. Edwards' experience illustrates the importance of holding paramount the public welfare and how the practice of "compassionate engineering" can make a difference.

While investigating elevated levels of lead in the Washington, D.C. water supply in 2003, Edwards and his graduate students discovered that the use of chloramine as a disinfectant in tap water had caused lead to leach from the pipes in thousands of homes.

This research linked several cases of lead poisoning to local tap water. The findings also revealed systemic weaknesses in the regional water testing program, prompting the Washington Area Water Authority to replace lead service lines throughout the district.

In 2004 Edwards was asked to testify before Congress about the lead problem. Time magazine dubbed him "The Plumbing Professor" and featured him as one of the nation's leading scientific innovators. As a result of his work, Edwards was named a MacArthur Fellow for 2007 by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Location:	2150 Torgersen Hall
Price:	Free and open to the public
Sponsor:	Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Contact:	Liz Crumbley lcrumb@vt.edu (540)231-9772
copy this event into your personal desktop calendar