The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Water, Climate and Health Program joined University of Nebraska Extension at Husker Harvest Days last month to engage with farmers, rural families and other Nebraskans about water quality and the potential impacts it can have on human health and agriculture.
Taylor Dahl, communications and community outreach specialist with the Water, Climate and Health Program, attended the event with Becky Schuerman, statewide extension associate for domestic water and wastewater management with Nebraska Extension.
The two discussed the importance of knowing the water quality in one’s area and implementing treatment when necessary for the health of one’s family and animals.
“There are no state or federal regulations that mandate water quality testing of private wells. It is up to all who rely on private wells to get in the habit of testing their well water annually for nitrate, coliform, and any contaminants of local concern,” Schuerman said.
“Water quality is one of those issues that really brings public health and agriculture together,” she said. “The work we do through Extension gives us an opportunity to connect research and resources with people in communities and on farms, while helping them understand how water quality can affect both their operations and their families and operations.”
Schuerman’s work focuses on developing and delivering factual, research-based resources to private well and onsite septic system owners, helping them manage their water and wastewater systems to best protect public and environmental health. Additionally, Schuerman collaborates with water industry and public health partners to offer educational water programming professionals and people of all ages across Nebraska and nationally.
For the UNMC Water, Climate and Health Program, this collaboration represents an opportunity to build stronger connections between public health researchers and the rural and agricultural communities they serve.
“We have a tremendous opportunity across the University of Nebraska to bring together expertise in agriculture, water and public health,” said Jesse Bell, PhD, director of the program. “Working alongside Nebraska Extension helps us take what we’re learning through research and connect it with the people and communities who are experiencing these issues firsthand.”
Dr. Bell said continued collaboration will help the two groups identify opportunities for research, education and community engagement around water quality and health.
“The conversations we have with our partners in agriculture are incredibly valuable,” he said. “They help us better understand the questions that matter to Nebraskans and can help shape the research and outreach we do moving forward.”
The Water, Climate and Health Program is a collaborative initiative involving UNMC, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Its work focuses on research, education, and community engagement around drinking water quality, climate and health.