Marc Edwards was awarded the inaugural Borchardt-Glysson Water Treatment Innovation Prize at a ceremony held on Feb. 21.

Edwards is recognized for his invaluable contributions to the fields of water treatment and public health and to society at large.

“With fundamental research expertise in water chemistry, he is widely considered to be the foremost authority on corrosion in water distribution systems and building plumbing,” wrote one nominator. Another wrote that “the impact of his research was that the federal environmental laws were changed that have protected untold numbers of young children from the hazard of lead in their drinking water, many of them living in underserved communities.”

The Borchardt-Glysson Water Treatment Innovation Prize is awarded to an individual whose accomplishments in the water or wastewater treatment fields have been nationally and internationally recognized. The prize selection committee used five criteria to evaluate the candidates, including their overall record of accomplishments, their role in developing innovative technologies, their potential for continued contributions to the field.

The new award is named after two University of Michigan professors:

• Jack A Borchardt (1916-1987) was a Professor of Civil and Sanitary Engineering at U-M from 1948 until his retirement in 1982. He devoted his life to his students, to the university, and his profession of sanitary engineering. Professor Borchardt was a devoted educator, a technical innovator in the water and wastewater treatment field and a promoter of public health.
• Eugene A. Glysson (1926-2014) was a professor in the U-M Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for over 40 years. He performed research and taught classes in solid-waste management and water and wastewater engineering. He was known for his devotion to students, the engineering profession and community service including Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honor Society.

Edwards is the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech.