Georgia Institute of Technology receives EPA safe drinking water research grant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the award of a $600,000 research grant to Georgia Tech to improve the detection of known and emerging drinking water contaminants; including the harmful substances produced by blue-green algae in algal blooms and noroviruses.

Georgia Tech is one of six recipients (four universities, one non-profit and one research institute) to share a total of $3.6 million in research grants announced today.

The goal of Tech's research is to develop a rapid and sensitive sensor that can be used in the field to detect, identify, and measure cyanotoxins, poisons produced by some blue-green algae.

Water is essential to life, and one of EPA's highest priorities is ensuring America has drinking water safe from pathogens and other waterborne contaminants. The agency presently regulates 90 harmful chemicals, microorganisms and even radiation in water. To ensure even healthier drinking water, EPA is encouraging research into other possible contaminants and with faster technologies.

In the United States, it is often difficult to link the incidence of waterborne diseases with their exact causes, due to the need for ever more sophisticated tools to monitor waterborne contaminants. These newly funded research projects will help improve the agency's ability to pinpoint potential problems using innovative new technologies and methods.