COSAM News Articles 2024 09 Auburn seeks to improve health and safety of well water users in rural gulf communities

Auburn seeks to improve health and safety of well water users in rural gulf communities

Published: 09/17/2024

Ann Ojeda, assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences, is the recipient of a National Science Foundation award through the Division of Research, Innovation, Synergies, and Education (RISE) for $413,614 for Water Security and Health of Private Well Users in the Gulf Coast.

In this project, she will be seeking to understand how climate change influences water availability and water quality for private well users.

The grant is not to conduct research, but to develop an interactive community that will aid in building a more resilient society.

“This research lies at the intersection of geosciences and health,” said Ojeda. “Our goal is to bring people together, connect them and share helpful tools and build capacity within the overall community.”

Many people do not realize how significant well water is in rural and coastal areas. In the United States, 40 million people rely on private well water for their households. Almost 10 million of these residents reside in states along the Gulf Coast.

A team of seasoned researchers are working on ways to communicate and share information about this critical topic. The network includes geoscientists, engineers, policy researchers as well as community partners and private well program coordinators to help translate research to action.

“We are bringing together health scientists and physical scientists to build a bridge across the Earth sciences and public health to address very complex issues,” said Ojeda. “Over the next five years, we want to grow the network and encourage and support more people to get involved.”

“Across rural Gulf Coast communities, families are impacted by climate change,” said Ojeda. “We have this unique opportunity for a coordinated effort to make a more resilient and healthy society.”

More information about the network can be found on the website https://geohealthconnect.com/. Researchers that are interested in joining the network can also sign up for the electronic newsletter at https://geohealthconnect.com/contact/.