Teach the Tap

Creating Informed Citizens and the Next Generation Workforce: Partnerships between Water Utilities and Universities

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Students explain how the Bull Run watershed got its name.

Catherine Howells: The Portland Water Bureau and Portland State University (PSU), through the efforts of Catherine Howells, have forged a dynamic partnership to create a unique course for all university students to learn about their own drinking water: Portland's Water. Access to safe drinking water is essential for survival in all societies, but over the past century, we have become disconnected from this vital issue. This issue is particularly important in urban areas in which populations are concentrated, yet citizens don't think about drinking water, water for fighting fires, wastewater, and the integrity of the infrastructure that delivers these essential services. We expect water 24/7, without any knowledge of how or why it is delivered to us in a particular way. That knowledge is difficult to attain and universities rarely teach about drinking water systems.

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