UA steps up to fight water contamination

Alex Schwarzkopf, program manager of the foundation's cooperative centers, said the project may help solve national water problems.

"My program is designed to foster industry-university interaction, using the university as a center," Schwarzkopf said. "It is not a national coalition, but it is a center and hopefully it will grow to have a national impact."

The center, which aims to clean up groundwater sites sullied with organic and chemical contaminants, is one of several cooperative research projects sponsored by the foundation.

The water-quality center will primarily be funded by industry dollars, with additional money from the foundation and hopefully from the state, University of Arizona researchers said yesterday. The Arizona Board of Regents will ask the state Legislature to help fund the water-quality center.

Ian Pepper, director of the water-quality center, said he is confident his center will receive $975,000 from the state if the money is available.

Pepper described the cooperative research as a "win-win" situation. By contributing as little as $30,000, a company can help sponsor projects that would normally cost much more, he said.

"It (the project) maximizes the efficiency of use of research dollars," said Pepper, a UA soil, water and environmental science professor.

Local companies and state organizations will help fund UA research projects relevant to their operations. Pepper said industrial support is the "heart and soul" of the funding.

Raytheon, which operates a missile manufacturing plant for the U.S. Air Force just south of the Tucson airport, is one company that might be interested in the center. Raytheon staff attended yesterday's meeting to explore the project.

Charles Gerba, a UA soil, water and environmental science professor, said waterborne diseases are a growing problem as the human population increases.

He said he has plans to study new ways of detecting disease-causing organisms in cooperation with the water-quality center.

Some parasites are so small that researchers worry they can slip through water filters used in the treating process. Gerba hopes to find new ways of disinfecting water to deal with the elusive critters, he said.

Such diseases are especially critical in developing countries, where children frequently die of dehydration caused by chronic diarrhea, Gerba said.

"Most people in the world shit to death," he said.

Raina Maier, a soil, water and environmental science professor, said the water-quality problems in Eastern Europe make domestic water issues look like a "piece of cake."

The Electrical Power Research Institute may join the water-quality center to prevent oil leaks that can seep into surrounding soil, Maier said.

Her project is local, but could have national and international ramifications since companies all over the world deal with similar oil-leakage problems, Maier said.

"We really care about the environment and we hope the world will benefit from our work here," she said.

The National Science Foundation will ensure additional funding for the project as long as companies sign on to the water-quality center this fall, Pepper said.

"Based on the reactions of industry representatives today, they really like the idea of (the cooperative center)," he said.

Sarah Spivack can be reached via e-mail at Sarah.Spivack@wildcat.arizona.edu.