Water Quality

Cornell Resources and Programs

The College of Human Ecology's Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design at Cornell University has developed a Water Quality Extension Program that focuses on the protection and quality of private drinking water supplies.

• Water Quality Information and Fact Sheets for consumers.

The Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University provides information and additional contacts on the management of wetlands, streams, and ponds for water quality, habitat, and recreational purposes.

Locally-led Education and Action for Protecting the Environment (LEAPE) is an educational program for local governments interested in protecting water resources in their communities. LEAPE, which is part of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Cornell University, offers basic education about pollution of surface and groundwater, the relationship of water resources protection to traditional local government responsibilities, actions local government can take to protect and improve water quality, and sources of technical and financial resources.

The New York State Water Resources Institute's (WRI) mission is to improve the management of water resources in New York State and the nation through research, education and technology transfer. The WRI is affiliated with the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University.

The Soil and Water Lab is a dynamic and innovative research group in Cornell University's Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering. Its broad mission is to improve the understanding of physical, chemical, and biological processes related to water flow with the ultimate goal of improving and protecting water resources and ecological systems throughout the world and in socially conscious ways.

Additional Resources

The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) helps people and institutions develop and implement measures to reduce societal vulnerability to drought. The NDMC, based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, stresses preparation and risk management rather than crisis management.

The New York Watershed Agricultural Council's (WAC) mission is to support the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City watershed region.

The Water Quality Information Center provides electronic access to information on water quality and agricultural issues through the USDA.