EAGER: Initiating a Transformative Building Water System Research Collaborative in Rapid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purdue University, West Lafayette IN

Investigators

Abstract

2039498 (Whelton). There's been no other time in modern history where more than 5.6 million U.S. buildings have low to no water use, offering potentially widespread chemical and microbial health risks across the nation. It is unclear how these nationwide water stagnation events will impact water quality and ultimately public health. Furthermore, there is even less data and communication about effective water system rehabilitation practices following prolonged water stagnation. The goal of this project is to rapidly organize and lead a nation-wide Building Water Systems Research Collaborative with multiple institutions focused on generating and sharing new knowledge within the research community and with the public. The collaborative will share cutting-edge knowledge, protocols, best analytical practices, big data, and field practices through a series of formal interactions amongst an interdisciplinary team with a common focus. Because of heightened health concerns, building system complexity, and a variety of investigative approaches and reporting, there is potential for public confusion and loss of confidence as studies are published one at a time without context. Thus, it is in the public's best interest that collaborations be fueled and researchers share knowledge towards a broader understanding. This collaborative will help catalyze a deeper focus on fundamental discovery, facilitate rapid sharing of knowledge being developed, and also stave off potential confusion from the scientific community. Currently, there's no formal mechanism by which institutions share methods, preliminary results, research, and communication strategies in real time about building water systems. There also is no training for researchers responding to a disaster to gain expertise on relevant science communication – before communicating. This effort will help focus U.S. research efforts into a common collaborative, thereby maximizing their robustness, and impact of results from multiple studies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.