The Water Center at Penn

🎙️ Featured Podcast Episode: Safe Water, Healthy Communities – Why Regulations Matter We’re pleased to share a new episode of Authorities on Air, the official podcast of the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, featuring Liesel Gross, CEO of Lehigh County Authority. This episode offers a clear, accessible look at why water regulations matter and how they protect public health every day. Recorded during the PMAA Annual Conference in Bethlehem, the conversation explores what it truly takes to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to more than 270,000 people—from rigorous testing and certified laboratory work to operator training and systemwide compliance. It also highlights the regulatory foundations that shape modern water safety, including the Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Water Act. 🔍 Episode highlights include: 🔹Why thousands of water samples are collected each year 🔹The different roles of the EPA and DEP in shaping drinking water standards 🔹How science and public health research drive regulatory limits 🔹What PFAS are and how authorities work to keep them out of drinking water 🔹Lead & copper rules and what they mean for older communities 🔹Why transparent communication and customer cooperation are essential for compliance This episode provides a valuable behind-the-scenes look at how regulatory frameworks translate into real protection for the communities we serve. 🎧 Listen to the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eGM9k2Hg

JWW Conference Agenda Sneak Preview RETHINKING ECONOMIES OF SCALE: REGIONALIZATION, SHARED SERVICES, AND THE SPECTRUM OF OPPORTUNITIES PART 1 and PART 2 More than 1,000 drinking water and wastewater systems in New Jersey are under mounting pressure from aging infrastructure, rising costs, climate change, evolving regulations, and issues with public trust. These challenges are compounded by underinvestment, limited workforce capacity, and affordability concerns for customers. Increasingly, state and federal policies are incentivizing cooperation, regionalization, and other partnerships to address these issues. This session will explore policies and practices supporting partnerships and various partnership structures.  Speakers:  ➡️ Ellen Kohler, Director of Applied Research and Policy, The Water Center at Penn ➡️ Olga Morales Pate, CEO, Rural Community Assistance Partnership Incorporated (RCAP) ➡️ Andy Kricun,  P.E., Managing Director, Moonshot Missions, Jersey Water Works Steering Committee Co-Chair  ➡️ David Zimmer, Executive Director, NJ Infrastructure Bank #nj #njwater25 ➡️ Diane Schrauth, Policy Director, New Jersey Future Register today and join us for this informative session: https://lnkd.in/eWSC9Q5Z

🎉Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Student Water Innovation Award! During our #CareersintheWaterIndustry event, finalists presented their innovative water projects to a panel of judges. 🏅In the undergraduate category, Penn Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering students Max Chen Huang, Zixuan Lin, Angelica Dadda, and Theertha Vannemreddy took home the prize for their project, “Polymer-Copper Hybrid Retrofit for Cooling Towers: A Scalable Water Reuse Project for Power Plants in Arid Regions.” 🏅In the graduate category, Penn Arts & Sciences student Caroline Barnhart took home the prize for her project, “Constructed Floating Wetlands for PFAS Remediation on the Delaware River Near Chemours Chambers Works Facility.” 🏆Special thank you to our sponsors Aquatech, Bentley Systems, Solenis, Veolia, and Aqua for supporting this award. Thank you to our judges Howard Neukrug, PE, Joanne Spigonardo, Michael Lesniak, Christoph Adami, and Angela Curry for their participation. 👏 We also want to recognize this year’s outstanding finalists: undergraduates Jack Leitzell and Cooper Loveless, and graduate students Phurit (Poom) Sheeranangsu and Zhijie Wang, for their impressive contributions and innovative ideas.

🚨 JUST PUBLISHED🚨 Project 5131 ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gdWsdRyi In this project, the research team aimed to pursue a holistic approach and understand different considerations that can be incorporated to find a utility’s unique “sweet spot” of social, economic, environmental, and regulatory considerations for wet weather management 🌧️ Together, these collectively informed the development of a GIS-based MCDA web tool that is the direct product of the listed inputs and guidance from practitioners and thought leaders 👉 https://lnkd.in/gFBMYauC 🧑🔬 Principal Investigators: Howard Neukrug, PE Brianne Donohue Callahan The Water Center at Penn 🧑🔬 Project Team: Shandor Szalay, Benjamin Myers, Nevina Rocco, Dave Drennan, Thomas McKeon, Jazmin Ricks 🤝 Participating Utilities: Bernalillo County (NM), Clean Water Services (OR), Gwinnett County Government (GA), Pinellas County Utilities Department (FL), Philadelphia Water Department (PA), Pittsburgh Water (PA), Seattle Public Utilities (WA), City of Toledo Department of Public Utilities (OH) 🧑🔬Research Principal: Harry Zhang, PhD, PE; WRF

Today, on World Toilet Day, we’re joining the global call to recognize something fundamental that often goes unseen: we’ll always need the toilet 🚽🌍 No matter how our world changes, safe and resilient sanitation will always be essential to protecting public health, supporting dignity, and keeping our environment clean. Yet billions of people still lack access to a safe toilet, and climate change, aging infrastructure, and rising demand are putting even more pressure on systems everywhere. That’s why we need future-ready sanitation that is: ✔️ Accessible to all ✔️ Resilient to climate shocks ✔️ Low in greenhouse gas emissions ✔️ Supported by strong systems and sustained investment This week, we celebrated World Toilet Day by bringing together students, researchers, and community partners for our semesterly research meeting 💧📚 Huge thank you to all of our speakers (Medini K. Annavajhala, PhD, Caroline Barnhart, Sanyukta Singh, Derek Ho, PhD, Narayani Sunil Pillai, and Amelia-Michelle F.) who shared their work and helped spark thoughtful discussion across the water and sanitation space. We’re also grateful to our partners at the Global Water Alliance for collaborating with us — and to our additional partners for their support (and for the toilet-themed stress balls that brought some extra joy to the meeting!) 🚽💙 San Antonio Water System WSSC Water Solenis As we reflect on today’s message, we’re doubling down on our commitment to advancing research, partnerships, and solutions that help ensure safe, resilient sanitation for everyone, everywhere. #WorldToiletDay #SanitationForAll #WaterAndSanitation #FutureReadySanitation #WeWillAlwaysNeedTheToilet

We're thrilled to see Penn Engineering and Penn Engineering Graduate Education launch the new Master of Science in Engineering in Energy and Sustainability (MESE) 🌱⚡— a major step toward preparing future leaders working across climate, energy, and water. Huge shoutout to Dr. Lorena Grundy for her leadership in bringing this program to life. 👏 We're excited to collaborate with the MESE team and support this important work moving forward 💧🤝

Researchers across Penn are studying how rainwater runoff is managed at solar energy facilities in Central Pennsylvania. These facilities provide about 70% of the electricity used by the University through Penn’s Power Purchase Agreement. The team is working on developing sustainable designs and monitoring methods to ensure that the growth of solar energy not only provides clean electricity but also protects the environment. Read More: https://bit.ly/47MMhpr Tag: The Water Center at Penn

🚨 Special Briefing: AI in Government—More Efficiency but Fewer Workers? 🗓️ Next Week! Thursday, November 20, 2025 | 11:00 a.m. EST 💻 Free Virtual Event — Register Below Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how cities and states serve their residents—from optimizing policing and trash collection to drafting government documents. But what happens when these efficiencies come at the cost of millions of public sector jobs? Join Howard Neukrug, PE, Executive Director of The Water Center at Penn and Professor of Practice at Penn’s Department of Earth and Environmental Science, as he joins an expert panel to explore how governments are integrating AI into their operations—and what this means for the future of public service. This Penn IUR and The Volcker Alliance Special Briefing will feature: 🔹 Bill Glasgall, Penn IUR Fellow & Volcker Alliance Public Finance Advisor 🔹 Susan Wachter, Co-Director, Penn IUR & The Wharton School Professor 🔹 Jon Hartley, Hoover Institution, Stanford University & Civitas Institute 🔹 Megan Kilgore, City Auditor, City of Columbus, Ohio 🔹 Leigh Palmer, Vice President, Google Public Sector LLC 🔹 Thomas Sanchez, Texas A&M University 🔹 Howard Neukrug, The Water Center at Penn Don’t miss this timely conversation on the intersection of AI, efficiency, and the future of the government workforce. 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eSDbYdEZ #AI #PublicSector #Innovation #PennIUR #VolckerAlliance #WaterCenterAtPenn #HowardNeukrug #PublicFinance #GovernmentInnovation #ArtificialIntelligence

🌊 Exciting Career Opportunities with the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)! 🌿 PEC’s Philadelphia Office is seeking talented professionals to join their team in two key roles: 💧 Water Program Manager – Serve as the primary community and property owner liaison for PEC’s water initiatives, including the Enhancing Neighborhoods through Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) project. This position is ideal for professionals with 5+ years of experience—particularly those with a STEM background—who are ready to take on a new challenge advancing equitable and sustainable water solutions across Pennsylvania. 🚲 Circuit Trails Coalition Manager – Coordinate a vibrant coalition of nonprofit organizations working to complete and activate the Circuit Trails network. This role calls for strong organizational, communication, and administrative skills, and offers the opportunity to work within a collaborative and accomplished team dedicated to expanding access to outdoor spaces. Both positions provide the chance to make a tangible impact at the intersection of environment, infrastructure, and community. 🔗 Learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eiEatCQC #PEC #GreenInfrastructure #WaterManagement #Trails #Sustainability #PhiladelphiaJobs #EnvironmentalCareers #CommunityEngagement

💧 In Case You Missed It: The Water Center at Penn, the Penn Alumni Water Forum, and the Wharton Club of Philadelphia recently hosted an insightful Speaker Spotlight conversation on water reuse and its role in shaping the future of water systems. Featuring Jon Freedman (Global Head of Policy and Stakeholder Affairs, Veralto; The Wharton School MBA) and John Hanula (Senior Vice President, Stantec), the discussion explored how innovative reuse strategies are transforming water management, advancing sustainability, and building resilience for communities worldwide. 🎥 Watch the full recording here: https://lnkd.in/eEDgAs9n #PennAlumni #WaterReuse #Sustainability #WaterManagement #PennWaterForum #Wharton