Hurricane Harvey and water treatment techniques in focus at Rice’s Baker Institute Sept. 14

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

Editor’s Note (Sept. 13): Jason Iken, senior assistant director, Wastewater Operations, city of Houston Public Works and Engineering, will not appear at the event. Shannon Dunne, assistant director of Wastewater Operations, will attend in his place.

Hurricane Harvey and water treatment techniques in focus at Rice’s Baker Institute Sept. 14

HOUSTON – (Sept. 12, 2017) – Elected officials and government leaders, policymakers and experts from higher education and industry will gather at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy Sept. 14 for a workshop to examine the effects of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey and raise awareness of water treatment techniques that can be used in response to extreme storm events.

Hosted by the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies, the city of Houston and Headworks International, the event is free and open to the public but registration is required.

Who: Speakers will include Jeff Lindner, meteorologist, Harris County Flood Control District; state Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston; Jason Iken, senior assistant director, Wastewater Operations, city of Houston Public Works and Engineering; Tom Pankratz, consultant and editor, Global Water Intelligence; Michele LaNoue, CEO and co-founder, Headworks International; and Linda Capuano, fellow in energy technology, Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies.

For the agenda and complete list of speakers, go to www.bakerinstitute.org/events/1891.

What: An event titled “Flooding, Water Reuse and Resource Recovery: Trends and Opportunities.”

When: Thursday, Sept. 14, 8-11:30 a.m.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Kelly International Conference Facility, 6100 Main St.

At the event, speakers will offer perspectives from their respective areas of expertise and provide participants with multidisciplinary views on the issues associated with this water-energy nexus, according to event organizers. They will examine the challenges and opportunities presented by the decentralized collection, treatment and distribution of water from nontraditional sources that take place in cities like Houston. The discussion will also increase public awareness of the need for municipal water treatment engineers and of the challenges they face in installing more resilient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly water treatment processes, organizers said.

The public must RSVP for the event at www.bakerinstitute.org/events/1891. A live webcast will be available at the event page.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to David Ruth, director of national media relations at Rice, at david@rice.edu or 713-348-6327.

For a map of Rice University’s campus with parking information, go to www.rice.edu/maps. Media are advised to park in the Central Campus Garage.

-30-

Follow the Baker Institute via Twitter @BakerInstitute.

Follow the Baker Institute’s Center for Energy Studies via Twitter @CES_Baker_Inst.

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews.

Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top five university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.