Title: Technology, Preferences, & Cooperation:听Investigating Sustainable Community-Based Water听Treatment in Rural India
Where and When
SEEC, Environmental Engineering Computer Lab (S265);听
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Friday June 9, 2017: 听Noon to 1 PM
Katherine Alfredo, PhD
Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Scholar, NEERI听(Nagpur, India)
Adjunct Research Scientist, Columbia University听(NY, NY)
Abstract:
India relies heavily on groundwater supplies for听drinking water and is, therefore, one of the countries most impacted by听geogenic听contaminants such as fluoride. In rural areas of Maharashtra, where听alternate sources are not available and piped water is not plausible,听water听treatment facilities are installed by companies under a government contract. Community-based听treatment systems are gaining in听popularity in rural areas not scheduled to听receive piped water in the near future; yet, the influences that cause a听utility to either succeed or听fail are not well understood. One technology that听is used to treat water in many fluoride-impacted areas is electrocoagulation. In听the fall of听2014, eleven villages with electrocoagulation defluoridation (EDF)听treatment plants installed by the same company were scheduled for听transfer from听company management to Gram Panchayat (village council) management, creating a听consistency in plant type, company听management, and contract date expiration for听the study. In this context, I designed several studies to address the following听four objectives:听1) evaluate the perceptions and attitudes at the household-听and community-level towards the treatment plant and fluoride contamination; 2)听quantify community support through measures of willingness to pay for and willingness听to give in-kind contributions to the treatment听systems at the point of听transition; 3) investigate cooperative behaviour related to potential policy听and; 4) investigate optimization of the听EDF technology to provide operators听with management and maintenance guidance. The research project uses a听source-to-user approach in听evaluating the sustainability of community-based听drinking water treatment facilities.
Bio:
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Dr. Katherine Alfredo听received her BE in Civil Engineering at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of听Art and Science in NY, NY and听subsequently completed her MSE and PhD in Civil听Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin on the chemical interactions听between fluoride, aluminum, and natural听organic matter during drinking water听treatment. After completing her PhD, Dr. Alfredo was a Researcher at the听American Water Works Association policy division in听Washington D.C.听investigating water quality compliance and policy. Before starting her听postdoctoral position at Columbia University鈥檚 [Columbia Water Center, Dr.听Alfredo was a Critical Language Scholar (2013) and studied Hindi in Jaipur,听India because it allowed her to oversee survey administration and speak听directly to water听treatment operators in India. Dr. Alfredo鈥檚 research听interests include understanding the structure of water rates in the United听States, investigating water quality policy and听the impact on utility compliance听linking agricultural water usage with long term water quality issues in India听and researching defluoridation evaluation and monitoring in听India. Dr. Alfredo听investigates the policy and technical obstacles to providing potable drinking听water free from excess contaminants. As a Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral听Scholar,听Dr. Alfredo investigated how and why rurally-implemented drinking water听treatment plants both succeed and fail when their management is transferred to听the听community. Currently, she is continuing her research pursuits as an Adjunct听Research Scientist at Columbia University.
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