Environmental Health Sciences 597B - ST-PotableWaterSmall&DisadvCom

In this course, we will create several interdisciplinary teams of students who will work together over the semester to address problems experienced by a specific nearby public water system (i.e. the "study site" or "field site"). The study site(s) will be selected by the course instructors in consultation with the New England state water administrators. Each of the instructors will present background on public water supplies from the perspective of their academic disciplines (see lists below). The lead instructor will then present case studies from recent experience using the Res-Eau Community Circle program as well as other similar efforts (e.g., Community Engineering Corps). The instructors will then work with each of the student teams to begin addressing the problems at the assigned study sites. This will include: (1) documenting the system and its challenges based on existing records at the state offices and community files; (2) identification of the key stakeholders, (3) on-site or video meetings with those key stakeholders; (4) development of a preliminary report on the system needs, problems, and solutions already proposed by the stakeholders; (5) development of a plan and report including proposals for new, alternative solutions to the identified problems.