Waste Water Value, Basis of 2007 Stockholm Water Prize for Professor Perry L. McCarty of Stanford University
Receiving the 2007 Stockholm Water Prize, Professor Perry L. McCarty of Stanford University marks a remarkable career. Since beginning his post at Stanford, Professor McCarty’s work has defined the entire field of environmental biotechnology, which is the basis for small-scale and large-scale pollution control and safe drinking water systems.
Professor Perry L. McCarty likes to think big but look small. He openly confesses an unabashed fascination with the inner workings of septic tanks, and his unbound excitement for getting behind the microscope to search for the next big thing in the sustainable and healthy reuse of water resources.
Biological processes to control and remove environmental contaminants
The author of over 300 publications and textbooks on biological processes that can be utilized to control and remove environmental contaminants, such as nitrogen and hazardous chemicals, McCarty’s research has provided key insights in the movement, fate, and control of groundwater pollutants that have allowed for new opportunities in water reuse and applied advanced wastewater treatment.
His decorated career devoted to engineering solutions to better use and protect people and water resources has been dedicated to showing that we simply can not afford to waste water like we do. Therefore, to change this we must shift the way we view a much needed resource.
So called ‘wastewater’ is not waste at all, it is rather its value to society that is far too often wasted. Reduced pollution of groundwater resources and better utilization of the understanding of scientific and natural processes, to which Professor McCarty’s work has greatly contributed, provides countries the capacity to clean and recycle for reuse invaluable water resources.
Cooperative Living -- Learn from Nature
While in Stockholm to receive the prize Professor McCarty gave sage advice for nations and scientists seeking sustainable solutions in the upcoming generations. Never straying from his passion for the miniature universes and infinite innovations still yet to be discovered in micro organisms, McCarty implored all listening to take lessons from the tiniest of sources for inspiration.
“Now I am not sure that I have made you as excited as I am about
what happens in a septic tank,” he quipped. “But it is the community of
organisms all working together that we need to study and learn more
about. We ourselves obviously have much to learn about living together
cooperatively, perhaps they can help us to learn how to do this much
better than we have. With the coming climate changes we will have to
adapt as well, and I hope we do it successfully. I expect we can if we
all work together as the micro-organisms in a septic tank have learned
to do.”
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