How do we better understand how groundwater becomes contaminated and the future of our water supplies? Basic and applied research is where it begins.
In this episode we’re chatting with groundwater geochemist Walt Kelly about our organization, the Illinois State Water Survey, risk communication in groundwater supply planning, and approaches to studying some of today’s biggest water quality issues, such as microplastics and lead.
Topics Discussed
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- Tidbit: Why are hand dug and bored wells more of a risk?
- Meet Walt
- Walt’s Water Hero: Sam Panno and Keith Hackley
- History of the Illinois State Water Survey
- Tom Prickett
- University of Illinois Public Service Lab
- SYW008 – Asset Management for Rural America
- Importance of collecting samples at the source and the tap
- Understanding lead in homes with private wells
- Illinois State Water Survey on Twitter
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Go Further
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About the Guest
Walt Kelly is a groundwater geochemist who has been at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, since 1992. He has been the Head of the Groundwater Science Section since 2013. He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Geology and Geography at Illinois State University. He has a M.S. in geological sciences from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia. His research interests are primarily related to groundwater quality, and he is an author on more than 100 reports and peer-reviewed papers.