Water Research Foundation Outlines $15 Million Agenda

  • Jan 26, 2010

The Water Research Foundation announced a 2010 research budget of $6.25 million. These funds, representing fees from the Foundation’s subscribers and Congressional funding, will be leveraged with in-kind support and partnerships to a total research value of $15 million.

Approximately one-third of the funding will go toward three targeted areas: climate change; distribution system water quality; and endocrine-disrupting compounds/pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The Foundation will devote $600,000 in funding to its Unsolicited Research Program, a program that promotes basic and fundamental research on original concepts and novel techniques. It also approved $665,000 for projects within its Tailored Collaboration Program, under which utility subscribers can gain matching grants for research ideas.

The Board of Trustees announced the budget and selected 18 projects for competitive funding at its Jan. 15 meeting. Three additional projects will be conducted with international partners.

“We appreciate our subscribers’ support in these difficult economic times,” said Robert Renner, the Foundation’s executive director. “For our part, we are seeking to do more with less by leveraging their funds more than 140 percent to build a robust research budget and honing in on the most crucial topics for further study.”

Full requests for proposals will be issued by March 15, unless otherwise stated. To view the requests, visit www.waterresearchfoundation.org/research/plansAwardsFunding/RFP.aspx.

The Foundation also recently elected officers and made other key appointments. The board of trustees now includes the following:
  • Roy Wolfe, manager of corporate resources for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, will serve as chair.
  • Denise Kruger, senior vice president of regulated utilities for Golden State Water Company, will serve as vice chair.
  • Charles Murray, general manager of Fairfax Water, will serve as treasurer.
  • Patricia Mulroy, general manager of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, will serve as Executive Committee member-at-large.
  • Julia Hunt, director of water utilities for the City of Arlington, Texas, will serve on the Finance Committee and her second term as a trustee.
  • Gary Burlingame, administrative scientist for the Philadelphia Water Department, will chair the Research Advisory Council.
  • Dennis Doll, president and chief executive officer of Middlesex Water Company, will serve his first term as a trustee.
  • Gregory Heitzman, president and chief executive officer of Louisville Water Company, will serve his first full term as a trustee.
  • David Modeer, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, will serve his second term as a trustee.
  • Scott Potter, director of Nashville Metro Water Services, will serve his first term as a trustee.
  • Carl Yates, general manager of Halifax Regional Water Commission, will serve his second term as a trustee.

The officers and board members will assume their positions following the June board meeting.

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