The Safe Global Water Institute: An integrated, collaborative approach for improving drinking water and sanitation globally

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a progress update for Millennium Development Goal 7, Target 10 dealing with sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. As of 2010, 780 million people lack access to improved water sources globally, and many more drink unsafe water. Additionally, source waters can easily become contaminated from animal and human waste with 2.5 billion people worldwide lacking access to improved sanitation (WHO, 2012). Waterborne pathogens in contaminated drinking water sources are especially concerning because of their ability to cause high levels of morbidity and mortality. The recently established Safe Global Water Institute (SGWI) focuses on safe water and sanitation through fundamental research, the development of novel technologies, and building institutional and human capacity. This presentation will highlight some of the current transdisciplinary efforts of the SGWI.This research focuses on waterborne viruses because of their virulence and resistance to disinfectants, and also the limited knowledge available. Adenovirus, a human pathogenic virus present globally in drinking water sources, is highly resistant to monochloramine, low-pressure ultraviolet light, and solar disinfection. With a more fundamental understanding of how disinfectants inactivate viruses on a molecular level, more robust treatment technologies for highly resistant viruses like adenovirus can be designed and implemented globally. Additionally, this research studies the inactivation kinetics of a potential bacteriophage surrogate for adenovirus that will enable treatment technologies to be more easily tested in the laboratory and challenged in the field. There is currently no field method to test for infectious viruses in drinking water sources, and therefore the SGWI is engaging in research to develop a novel sensor to detect infectious adenovirus in drinking water.Lastly, the SGWI strengthens collaborations between scientists, engineers, and sociologists in the US and developing regions. This presentation will emphasize SGWI partnerships in Eastern Africa including universities, NGOs, government agencies, and rural communities. These partnerships have involved surveying community members and analyzing source and household water quality with students from several international universities. At the University of Illinois, chemistry and social science graduate students from the University of Nairobi have been working with engineers on appropriate technologies for the region. The SGWI is working to improve drinking water and sanitation by engaging multidisciplinary international partners, developing novel technologies, and building capacity globally.