Water is the world’s most precious resource. The sustainable management of water is critical to the socioeconomic health of our region, our country, and the global community. For three decades, the EERC has been researching, developing, and demonstrating innovative, integrated approaches for water quantity and quality management. Our focus on partnerships, stakeholder-driven input, and applied research allows us to develop intelligent solutions that help solve real-world problems.

Northern Great Plains Water Consortium^® (NGPWC)

One of the cornerstones of the EERC’s Water Management Center is the NGPWC, a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and key energy-producing entities in the northern Great Plains. The NGPWC’s mission is to address issues related to water availability, water consumption, and water quality within the energy industry and/or related sectors. The key goals of the NGPWC are to:

• Evaluate water demand and consumption from competing users in the northern Great Plains region, including energy production, agriculture, industry, and domestic/municipal users.
• Assess, develop, and demonstrate technologies and methods that minimize water use and reduce wastewater discharge from energy production and agricultural processing facilities.
• Identify and develop nontraditional water sources as innovative options for water supply and/or reuse.

As the population of the United States continues to increase, demand for ever-increasing amounts of energy to support social and economic growth will require water. Finding innovative solutions that expand water resource options for the energy industry in the region is one of the key goals of the NGPWC.

Waffle^®

In the EERC's Waffle^® project, research focused on the potential for fields, raised roads, and drainage structures to act as a network of channels and control structures. Stored water can be released back into the river as a flood crest passes.

An Overview of the Waffle Concept: A Tool for Water Management in the Red River Basin (PDF)

Useful Links

Northern Great Plains Water Consortium^®