Brown Bag Seminar Series

Water, such a vital component to our lives and the environment around us, is also the main ingredient in beer. As we dive into what it takes to make beer and the role water has in this fermented beverage we’ll also investigate some creative ways we are able to conserve water inside the brewery and out. From involvement with local farmers, a maltster, and a charitable environmental organization to working with recycled wastewater, all it takes is an idea, a conversation, and little creativity to make an impact.

Globally, cities are facing increased water stress under growing populations, degrading infrastructure, and changing climate patterns.  This imbalance between available water resources and projected urban water demands presents tremendous challenges for water resource management, necessitating novel planning and design strategies and tools.  Rainwater harvesting (RWH) has been pointed to as one partial answer; however, the capacity of such a solution to address urban water deficits had been largely untested.  This talk will investigate two components of decentralized water infrastructure’s

In 2016, the City of Tucson initiated a discussion about using reclaimed water to restore perennial flow to a portion of the Santa Cruz River near downtown Tucson. This action could support riparian habitat in the urban core, improve long-term water management in the region, and stimulate economic activity. The concept was well received by a multitude of stakeholders and Tucson Water began the tasks of bringing this vision to reality. In May 2019, perennial flow will return to the Santa Cruz River near Tucson’ Birthplace, and a new era of water management will begin.

Certain parts of South Africa are experiencing drought and the country’s traditional water supplies are under stress. There is a need to unlock more water resources and drive efficiency in the use of existing supplies to ensure water security.