Prioritizing watershed pathogen research

Abstract

Water treatment professionals are generally aware of the issues regarding the fate and transport of pathogens within watersheds. However, not all water treatment professionals are in a scientific field nor do they all have the same level of knowledge of the range of international projects being conducted to address this issue. To counter a current lack of quantitative data on the biophysical and chemical parameters that drive pathogen survival and transport in watersheds, the authors created a conceptual model of a watershed that water suppliers can use as a starting point to create their own pathogen risk assessment and to prioritize their research to target identified knowledge gaps. These findings make it possible to identify the next steps for research and focus on the chemical, physical, and biological processes that underpin pathogen transport and attenuation while avoiding duplicative research efforts.