The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, located in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, was founded in 1991. It is devoted to promoting the protection, maintenance, and restoration of water supplies through collaborative research and outreach activities. It is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of representatives of water and wastewater agencies/districts in Southern California.
NWRI serves as a major source of water-science research funding in the United States, focusing efforts on issues in drinking water, wastewater, water resources, and
water reuse
Water reclamation (also called wastewater reuse, water reuse or water recycling) is the process of converting municipal wastewater (sewage) or industrial wastewater into water that can be reused for a variety of purposes. Types of reuse include: ...
. NWRI also provide knowledge and training in these areas through publications, workshops, and conferences.
Funding
NWRI's core funding comes from the Joan Irvine Smith & Athalie R. Clarke Foundation, supplemented by funds from joint-venture partners: local, state, and federal governments, as well as from private industry, public utilities, and universities. NWRI also receives funding from its member agencies; representatives from each of NWRI's member agencies serve on NWRI's Board of Directors.
Member agencies
*Inland Empire Utilities Agency
*Irvine Ranch Water District
*Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
*Orange County Sanitation District
*
Orange County Water District
The Orange County Water District is a special district that manages the groundwater basin beneath central and northern Orange County, California. The groundwater basin provides a water supply to 19 municipal water agencies and special districts t ...
*West Basin Municipal Water District
Activities
The Institute conducts research that reflects the broader and emerging roles water resources plays in complex urban environments, in the areas of
*Treatment and monitoring
*Water quality assessment
*Knowledge management
*Exploratory research
The Institute awards Fellowships to support master's or doctoral graduate research related to water
The Institute also awards the Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize, established in 1993, to honor outstanding individuals who have implemented better water science research and technology. The Prize—a gold medallion and $50,000 award—is presented every summer; the Clarke Prize recipient delivers the annual Clarke Lecture.
Personnel
The directors of NWRI have been
Ronald B. Linsky, from 1991–2005, and
Jeffrey J. Mosher, from 2005–2017.
Kevin Hardy succeeded Jeff Mosher in April 2017.
Another notable Person associated with NWRI has been its important private sponsor,
Joan Irvine Smith
Athalie Anita Irvine, known as Joan Irvine Smith (1 July 1933 – 19 December 2019), was an American philanthropist, arts patron, horse trainer and heiress to the Irvine family fortune from their California ranch.
Biography
Born as Athalie Ani ...
, the great-granddaughter of
James Irvine, an immigrant who assembled about of what is now
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
, California, to form the
Irvine Ranch
The Irvine Company LLC is an American private company focused on real estate development. It is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, with a large portion of its operations centered in and around Irvine, California, a planned city of more ...
.
See also
*
Clarke Prize
The Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize, or “Clarke Prize”, is awarded annually by the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) of Fountain Valley, California. It consists of a medallion and $50,000 award for demonstrated excellence in the ...
External links
Organization web site*
Clarke Prize
The Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize, or “Clarke Prize”, is awarded annually by the National Water Research Institute (NWRI) of Fountain Valley, California. It consists of a medallion and $50,000 award for demonstrated excellence in the ...
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Water and the environment