Why study water and water quality?

Life on earth cannot survive without water — and yet water can be a hazard to life when it is contaminated with organisms or pollutants that cause illness to humans, vegetation, and animals; when it contains excess nutrients that pollute our waterways; and when it floods streets and buildings. Climate change is bringing increased extreme dry and wet periods, making it more difficult to manage water in the environment and as drinking water. And neighborhoods with fewer resources face greater risks from flooding and poor water quality.

How do the issues you study show up in Baltimore?

In any place where rain can’t be absorbed where it falls, such as city streets and buildings, flooding is more likely because more water goes to streams. And this run-off often picks up pollutants as it flows toward streams. These “non-point” sources of pollution are harder to identify and treat than “point sources” that flow from identifiable fixed spots, such as a pipe. Due to the aging of its water system, Baltimore’s water is more susceptible to contamination. For example, in 2022, residents of the Sandtown-Winchester and Harlem Park neighborhoods were advised to boil their water before drinking it because E. coli bacteria was detected in samples.

Guiding questions for research

  1. How will changes in climate and land use affect the amount and quality of stormwater in Baltimore, flooding hazards, and the effectiveness of stormwater infrastructure?
  2. How will changes in climate and land use affect water quality in local streams and the Baltimore Harbor?
  3. How do different combinations of infrastructure (traditional structures and those that feature vegetation and slowing the flow of water) reduce stormwater, flooding, and pollution, and how can they be designed and implemented to improve environmental equity?
  4. As Baltimore seeks to enhance its infrastructure to reduce and treat stormwater runoff, what is the optimal balance between reducing stormwater and pollution near where it falls (such as from a sewer pipe, or running off of streets), or catching and treating the water further on its journey toward a stream?

Sample project

To learn about the impact that different types of infrastructure (hard structures and those that incorporate living elements) may have in reducing the amount of stormwater and its load of pollutants, scientists are measuring the amounts and pollutant concentrations of water flows in different locations, including Carroll Park in southwestern Baltimore. We are also studying how climate change, and especially increases in the amount and intensity of rainfall, reduce the effectiveness of infrastructure. With this information scientists will also be able to model the effect of increased tree canopy on the flows of stormwater and pollutants.

Team co-leads

Shirley Clark, Pennsylvania State University; Larry Band, University of Virginia; Claire Welty, UMBC