HIGH QUALITY FRESHWATER IS AN INCREASINGLY SCARCE RESOURCE DEMANDED BY MANY INDUSTRIES AGRICULTURE AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF WATER SUCH AS TREATED WASTEWATER MAY BE SLIGHTLY LOWER QUALITY BUT MAY BE VIABLE ALTERNATIVES TO FRESHWATER FOR SPECIFIC USES. AGRICULTURE DOES NOT OFTEN REQUIRE AS HIGH OF WATER QUALITY AS DRINKING WATER BUT THERE ARE STILL CONCERNS IN TERMS OF CONTAMINANT EXPOSURES TO HUMANS THROUGH THE UPTAKE OF THOSE CONTAMINANTS IN FOOD CROPS. IN PARTICULAR IF TREATED WASTEWATER IS USED FOR HYDROPONIC GROWTH OF FOOD CROPS SUCH AS THE YEAR-ROUND GROWN TOMATOES CUCUMBERS LETTUCE ETC. CONTAMINANTS THAT REMAIN OR MAY BE GENERATED FROM TREATED WASTEWATER ARE A CONCERN. THESE CONTAMINANTS INCLUDE MANY PHARMACEUTICAL AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS OR DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS. WHILE WE CURRENTLY REGULATE SOME DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS IN DRINKING WATER AND MANY PHARMACEUTICAL AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS ARE CURRENTLY UNDER SCRUTINY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND EXPOSURE TO HUMANS WE DO NOT YET KNOW WHETHER THESE COMPOUNDS ARE READILY TAKEN UP INTO FOOD CROPS AND IF THEY WOULD BE TO A GREATER EXTENT IN HYDROPONICALLY GROWN FOOD CROPS. IN ADDITION WHILE WASTEWATER REUSE FOR DRINKING WATER HAS BEEN A PUBLIC CONCERN IN MORE RECENT YEARS WE DON'T YET KNOW IF THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAS CONCERNS OVER CONSUMING FOOD GROWN IN TREATED WASTEWATER.IN THIS PROJECT WE WILL ASSESS BOTH GREENHOUSE GROWER AND CONSUMER CONCERNS REGARDING USING TREATED WASTEWATER FOR THE HYDROPONIC GROWTH OF FOOD CROPS. WE WILL ASSESS GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO HYDROPONIC GROWTH SYSTEMS AND DISINFECTION PRACTICES THAT MAY ALTER THE CONCENTRATION OF DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS FOUND IN GREENHOUSE RECIRCULATING WATER SUPPLIES AND THAT MAY DIFFER DEPENDING ON THE WATER SOURCE. TO DO THIS WE WILL INTERVIEW GREENHOUSE GROWERS ACROSS THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES AND THROUGH AN ONLINE SURVEY OF SUBSCRIBERS TO A GREENHOUSE GROWER TRADE MAGAZINE. WE WILL ALSO SURVEY CONSUMERS THROUGH AN ONLINE/MAIL SURVEY. IN OUR ASSESSMENT OF DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS IN GREENHOUSE HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS WE WILL ESTABLISH SYSTEMS THAT GROWERS USE AND MONITOR THE CHEMICAL CONCENTRATIONS IN THE WATER SUPPLY AS DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ARE TAKEN. IN ADDITION WE WILL ASSESS THE UPTAKE OF DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS INTO PLANT TISSUE AND ASSESS WHETHER THAT ROUTE OF EXPOSURE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS A CONCERN E.G. RELATIVE TO THE ACCEPTABLE DAILY DOSE THROUGH DRINKING WATER EXPOSURE. WE WILL SHARE OUR FINDINGS WITH GROWERS AND THE PUBLIC THROUGH TRADE MAGAZINE PUBLICATIONS AND EXTENSION WORKSHOPS TO THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY THROUGH CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS AND ARTICLE PUBLICATIONS AND TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH WORKSHOPS FOR GRADE 7-12 EDUCATORS TO SHARE THESE IDEAS WITH THEIR STUDENTS. WITH THE DEMANDS PLACED ON OUR FRESHWATER RESOURCES AND THE DROUGHT CONDITIONS OCCURING IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ISSUES WITH USING TREATED WASTEWATER IS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE WATER RESOURCES FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION PARTICULARLY IN GREENHOUSES AND CLOSER TO LOCAL FOOD MARKETS. THIS WILL ULTIMATELY LEAD TO A DECREASE IN THE USE OF FRESHWATER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF FOOD CROPS.