30 Years of Service to America's Small Communities
National Environmental Services Center Celebrates MilestoneMorgantown, W.Va.—During 2009, the National Environmental Services Center (NESC) at West Virginia University (WVU) celebrates 30 years of environmental service to small communities.
NESC traces its roots to 1979, when professors Willem Van Eck and Raul Zaltzman established the National Small Flows Clearinghouse to assist small wastewater systems. Since that time, NESC has grown to become a national expert, not just in wastewater, but also in drinking water, environmental training, infrastructure resilience, and small utility management.
To achieve its goals, NESC works with other national organizations such as the Source Water Collaborative, the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, the American Water Works Association, and the Partners for Decentralized Wastewater Management. NESC is also the founder of the State Onsite Regulators Alliance, a group dedicated to advancing onsite, decentralized wastewater treatment as a viable water infrastructure option.
In 2008, the organization joined with the Rural Community Assistance Partnership to launch an innovative source water protection project called "SMART About Water" and began a collaborative project with the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health to provide training to the state's small drinking water systems. NESC's funding comes primarily from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Utilities Service.
"We are proud to celebrate our 30th birthday," says Gerald Iwan, Ph.D., NESC executive director. "At the same time, though, we are mindful that much work remains to be done in America's small and rural communities. Helping these communities is what founded this organization and what continues to drive it today. Regardless of what the future holds, you can expect the same great service you've always gotten from NESC. We intend to be here for a 40th anniversary and beyond."
NESC's 30-year history is the subject an article appearing in the organization's flagship publications On Tap, a magazine covering drinking water issues, and Small Flows, a magazine devoted to wastewater topics.
The article is also available on NESC's Web site at:
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/subpages/30years/NESC_30th.pdf
Located at West Virginia University, the National Environmental Services Center (NESC) helps small and rural communities with their water, wastewater, management, and infrastructure resilience challenges. To learn more about NESC, call (800) 624-8301 or visit www.nesc.wvu.edu.
For More Information contact:
Mark Kemp-Rye, Phone: (304) 293-4191 ext. 5523 or E-mail: mkemp@mail.wvu.edu