#WorldWaterDay research profile: David Foster studying forests in Atlantic Canada and water quality

In celebration of World Water Day, we interviewed Young Professionals in the Network to find out more about their research and impact.

David Foster, School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University  

What are you currently researching? 
My research examines the relationship between how we manage forests in Atlantic Canada and the quality of water that forests produce for our use. I am primarily interested in the amount of carbon dissolved in the water since it is costly to remove, and concentrations of carbon have been increasing in Atlantic Canada in recent decades. 

Why is your research important to water security or safety in Canada? 
My research, like the forWater network as a whole, is important because while treatment processes can do wonders to make nearly any water drinkable, this is usually at the expense of water consumers and is chemically intensive. We need to understand how to manage the natural environment more sustainably in order to provide the best quality water ​ to the water treatment plant in order to ease treatment expenses and ensure long-term sustainability of the water supply. 

What is your favourite thing about water? 
I enjoy that the more you learn about the importance of water to different biological, chemical, and physical processes at work around us, the more you realize how important water is to nearly everything around us – there’s practically no end to the ways in which water affects the natural environment! 

For more information about David's research, contact him at David.Foster@dal.ca