The 2019 Sustainable Water group met on Jan. 28 to reaffirm its mission: To promote, educate and support the sustainable use of water.

Like most 2019 Work Groups, Water is a mix of staff from big organizations with plans in the works—Blake Andres, VP, Strategic Initiatives at the Great Lakes Science Center and Pam Davis, Sustainability Manager at The Port of Cleveland—and advocates and entrepreneurs like Erin Huber, a graduate student in CSU’s Environmental Policy program who is co-chairing the group with Davis.

Some cross over between groups is starting to happen: Turner Logistics Engineer Dale Schmid (Water and Transportation groups), Linda Sekura (Water and co-chair of Advanced Energy Generation), and Gene Stromberg (Water and co-chair of Vacant Land).

Huber is developing a week-long water education program for Cleveland eighth graders that would provide hands-on learning and mentoring. Called Student Environmental Leaders and Innovators (SELI), Cleveland Municipal Schools District chief Eugene Sanders expressed interest, said Huber, who is working on a funding proposal.

Andres suggested a meeting with Cleveland’s STEM school, whose eighth graders are housed at the Science Center and engage in project-based learning.

Andres also provided an update on The Science Center’s Freshwater Institute, a proposal that has evolved by partnering with NorTech and Ohio State University Sea Grant program. The current thinking is to identify an appropriate research and development agenda and to spin off business opportunities around water and health care.

Davis provided a brief update on the Port’s Cleveland Lakefront development plans. She confirmed that the vision from its design consultant, Stan Eckstut, is still intact despite the early departure of Port CEO Adam Wasserman. The Port’s board has hired a search firm to find a new CEO, but the ‘three district’ approach is still being discussed.

The group’s focus, though, is to raise awareness that Lake Erie, our municipal water source, is a tremendous asset for health, scientific and economic reasons. Jan Rybka suggested the group organize a ‘Drink Local’ campaign and tie it to World Water Day, a UN awareness campaign on March 22.

(A quick aside: The new documentary film “Tapped”—from the director of “Who Killed the Electric Car”—is quick to point out that our water supply and what goes into it by way of plastic bottles may be invisible, but the harm it’s causing to human and planetary health is rising in severity).

“What is our vision for sustainable water—where do we want to be in 2019?” asked Nikki Luna, green team coordinator at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. “I think we need metrics, like no beach closures due to contamination."

One productive conversation the group had was in figuring out its mission. One idea that emerged is how they might help promote actions individuals can take to improve water quality. If downspout disconnection isn’t an option in your city, for example, the group might start an advocacy campaign that makes the case that it doesn’t harm basements and can help naturally filter toxins and recharge the water table.

Advocacy and business opportunity seem to be emerging roles that 2019 groups are gravitating toward. For instance, the advocacy campaign to get ODOT to include a multi-purpose path on the Innerbelt Bridge has energized the 2019 Transportation group. The planning work emerging at the city of Cleveland around ReImagine A More Sustainable Cleveland 2.0 project has provided an avenue for the 2019 Vacant Land group to plug into a well-organized existing effort.

The 2019 Work Groups could do well emulating more of Huber’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Wants and Needs

• Endorsements, mentors and funding support for a water education program (Contact Erin Huber)
• Participation and ideas for ‘Drink Local’ campaign and World Water Day, March 22, 2010 (Contact Pam Davis)
• The group also expressed need for more interaction with 2019 leaders—City Sustainability Office and the 2019 Council—to get feedback on their ideas and an explanation of how to filter them up for official endorsement.