Dr. Kara Nelson is a Professor of Environmental Engineering and Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion in the College of Engineering at U.C. Berkeley.
Water UCI Colloquium Series: Will direct potable reuse make drinking water safe?
Piped water systems have enabled billions of people around the globe to gain access to improved drinking water over the past 100 years. However, water scarcity, degrading infrastructure, and defacto (unplanned) water reuse present challenges to the safety of drinking water. In this talk, I will illustrate how research to enable the practice of direct potable reuse is revealing insights that have the potential to make all drinking water safer. Drawing on recent and ongoing research in El Paso and California to better understand the microbial safety of drinking water, Dr. Nelson shared innovative strategies for water quality monitoring and new perspectives on the water microbiome, including remaining knowledge gaps. She also provided an update on the regulatory status of the practice of direct potable reuse in California.
Dr. Kara Nelson is a Professor of Environmental Engineering and Associate Dean of Equity and Inclusion in the College of Engineering at U.C. Berkeley. She teaches courses on innovation in the water sector, drinking water and wastewater treatment processes, pathogen detection and inactivation, taking into consideration the wide range of contexts that exist in low to high-income countries. Her research program investigates innovative strategies to improve the sustainability of urban water infrastructure, including practices for water reuse, disinfection, nutrient recovery, and international WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene). She leads the engineering research thrust at ReNUWIt (Reinventing our Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure), and previously served on the expert panel advising the State of California on criteria to regulate indirect and direct potable water reuse. As Associate Dean, she ensures that equity and inclusion are embedded throughout the College’s programming and leads efforts to diversify the College and create a climate in which everyone can reach their full potential. Dr. Nelson is a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). She currently conducts research in the United States, India, Bangladesh, Kenya, and Panama.