Washtenaw County Water Security Consensus Conference

Across Michigan and throughout Washtenaw County, issues related to water safety, access, and usage have become prominent topics of public discussion. Despite access to 4 out of 5 Great Lakes, the past few years have repeatedly demonstrated challenges in providing safe water to all current and future Michigan residents. These challenges have drawn the attention of policy makers and experts, but a critical component of the discussion on improving water security must be the values and perspectives of impacted community members.

For Spring 2019, a group of students at the University of Michigan organized an opportunity for Washtenaw County residents to come together to learn about water security issues and provide their perspectives to policy makers. This type of event, called a consensus conference, enables the public to contribute to the discussion around scientific and technical issues that impact their lives. To better understand how to ensure water security for our county and state, we must look to those who will be most impacted—the community members themselves.

Our Community Panelists' Report can be found at the link below!

Supported by: Science Debate, Union of Concerned Scientists, University of Michigan Library, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy