Water process safety engineer Bevin A. Beaudet ’69 oversees the development
of multimillion-dollar water infrastructure projects for rapid-growth
areas. Currently he is director of the Palm
Beach County Water Utilities Department, the third largest water and wastewater utility in Florida.
He has served as president of the 60,000-member American
Water Works Association, a national nonprofit scientific and educational organization.
Given his expertise on water issues, we asked him to weigh in on
current concerns about water.
Bottled water versus tap water. Is there a difference?
A: Bottled water is popular more as a matter of convenience and perceived
aesthetics. Tap water in the U.S. is of the highest quality and safety.
The only difference is that tap water contains low levels of disinfectant
needed to keep the water safe. Keep a pitcher of tap water in the
refrigerator and most people can’t tell the difference.
Name some innovations to public water supply practices that make tap
water taste better and more safe to drink.
A: During the past 30 years there have been numerous technical advances
in the treatment of water, improving both the safety and aesthetic
quality of tap water. These include advanced disinfection techniques
and the use of sophisticated processes such as reverse osmosis that
strain impurities out of water and make available high- quality drinking
water.
You work on the coast of Florida, which, if climate change continues
unabated and predictions of water levels rising come true, could be
underwater. What plans or preventive measures are being taken?
A: We are only now beginning to look at the impacts of global warming
on our infrastructure. In southeast Florida, we can mitigate small
sea-level rises by increasing the supply of freshwater in coastal ground
waters. This will mean more freshwater storage along coastal areas,
improved groundwater recharge, and very careful management of all water
resources. If the most dire predictions come true, there is very little
we can do to prevent ultimate disaster.
Should Americans be concerned about the availability of water in the
future?
A: There is a limited amount of fresh water available to serve human
needs, even in areas such as Florida that are rainfall rich. Managing
water as a diminishing resource will be one of the major challenges
for engineers in this century.
If water becomes a limited resource in the U.S., how will priorities
be set? For example, will agricultural needs preempt industrial needs
or will the needs of a hospital trump the needs of homeowners?
A: The management of water to meet all of our needs—agricultural, industrial,
and municipal—is already a major political issue in the United States.
The challenge for engineers is to ensure that political decisions are
based on sound science. This has been true in the West throughout the
past century, and as our country grows, many areas in the East are
now feeling the pressure of increasing water demand.
