We Share Science

We Share Science: Molly Seltzer

Relationship Between Precipitation and Delivered Water to Downstream Water Pollution in DC: This seeks to identify, explain, and consolidate into one diagram the sources of pollution that contaminate the principal water bodies of the District of Columbia, i.e., the Potomac River, Anacostia River, and Rock Creek. It highlights the connection between precipitation and delivered water. The project illustrates how their interaction with pathway, land use, and infrastructure systems results in stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflow. In addition to explaining runoff and combined sewer overflow, it shows all other contributing sources of water pollution, including sources from jurisdictions outside of DC and non-urban sources. The project puts in context the systems that perpetuate water pollution and affect other related problems, including contaminant levels in water bodies, the cost of water treatment, the level of flooding, and environmental degradation of land and waterways. It sets the stage for a comparison with international cities and analysis of their stormwater management schemes and environmental policy. Straddling the fields of public health, public policy and environmental studies, the case study presents a useful model for developing sound policy measures with positive benefits and limited unintended consequences.