&EPA
www.epa.gov/research
science   in   ACTION
INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
    SAFE AND SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
    Revolutionizing EPA
    Research

    The U.S. Environmental
    Protection Agency (EPA) is
    blazing a path forward to respond
    to today's environmental
    challenges by addressing the
    nation's highest science
    priorities. Today's environmental
    problems are increasingly more
    complex and require innovative
    approaches that provide
    effective, efficient and
    sustainable solutions.

    With input from external
    stakeholders, EPA is aligning and
    integrating its research into six
    priority program areas to meet
    these needs.

    They are:
       •  Air, Climate, and Energy
       •  Safe and Sustainable
          Water Resources

       •  Sustainable and Healthy
          Communities
       •  Chemical Safety for
          Sustainability
       •  Human Health Risk
          Assessment
       •  Homeland Security

    Background
    Protecting America's water
    resources is one of EPA's top
    priorities. There are significant
    threats to our nation's water
    resources including:
               •   Increasing demands for
                  sources of clean water
               •   Changing land-use
                  practices
               •   Growth
               •   Aging water
                  infrastructure
               •   Climate variability and
                  change

           Failure to manage these
           resources in an integrated,
           sustainable manner will limit
           economic prosperity and
           jeopardize both human and
           aquatic ecosystem health.

           EPA's Safe and Sustainable
           Water Resources research is
           targeted to provide the science
           and innovative technologies the
           Agency—and the nation—need
           to maintain drinking water
           sources and systems, as well as to
           protect the chemical, physical,
           and biological integrity of our
           water. Sustainable solutions will
           require a systems approach,
which considers a variety of
social, economic and other
factors that may impact water
quality.

Research Focus Areas
Safe and Sustainable Water
Resources research is focused on
two main areas:

1.  Ensure Water Quality and
Availability
The research will ensure safe and
sustainable water quality and its
availability for drinking water,
industrial processes and other
uses by integrating social,
economic and environmental
research. The research will focus
on watersheds, coastal waters,
estuaries and other water
resources.
                                                                 Continued on back
          U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
          Office of Research and Development

-------
 2. Promote Sustainable Water
 Infrastructure

 The research will ensure the
 sustainability of critical water
 resources through the
 management of the natural, green
 and built water infrastructure by:

•   Applying systems-integrated
    water resource management
    approaches

•   Producing, storing and
    delivering safe and high-
    quality drinking water

•   Providing transport and use-
    specific treatment of
    wastewater and stormwater.
More Information:

Web site:
http://www.epa.gov/research/prio
rities/waterresources .htm

Contact:
Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Ph.D.,
Interim National Program
Director, 919-541-2283,
orme-zavaleta.jennifer@epa.gov
 Timeline
 A framework document is being
 developed, with input from
 stakeholders (ranging from
 academia, industry, non-
 governmental organizations and
 state/local governments) that
 describes how EPA and its
 stakeholders envision providing
 integrated solutions to protecting
 water resources. The framework
 will be used to develop a
 Research Action Plan that
 outlines in more detail the
 research to be conducted over the
 next 3-5 years. The goal is to
 fully implement this integrated,
 transdisciplinary approach to
 research by October 2011.
        U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
        Office of Research and Development

-------