December 20, 2022

A Mizzou Engineering faculty member lent her expertise to a discussion on public drinking water quality in Missouri this past week.

Maria Fidalgo, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, joined other panelists for a roundtable discussion hosted by MOST Policy Initiative. MOST is a nonpartisan nonprofit based in Jefferson City that provides research services for state legislators. The event was part of the organization’s monthly discussion series, which brings together researchers, practitioners and lawmakers to discuss pertinent topics.

For Fidalgo, the virtual discussion provided a good opportunity to remind Missourians that the university is committed on topics relevant to their daily lives.

“From my perspective — from the science and university side — just letting the community know we have these initiatives is important,” she said. “Our research relates to real problems in Missouri such as drinking water issues. We are engaged and working to improve water quality.

Specifically, she pointed to the Missouri Water Center, an interdisciplinary initiative launched last year to pull together resources and expertise around water resources. The center allows faculty to take a holistic approach to water issues as they relate to health, the environment and the economy.

The panel discussion also allowed citizens to ask some basic questions about the safety of public drinking water and how they can access water quality reports.

Other panelists were Charles Miller from MO Confluence Waterkeeper, a water-focused conservation organization, and Deborah Rice-Carter from A Red Circle, a community advocacy organization in St. Louis.

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