UWM to participate in The Water Council’s WAVE program

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has committed to WAVE: Water Stewardship Verified, a program of The Water Council that helps organizations improve their water stewardship practices. WAVE, established in 2022, offers a continual improvement platform that gives participants clear pathways to improve water stewardship. The efforts are then independently verified by SCS Global Services.

Through participation in WAVE, UWM will identify water-related risks, launch action plans, and set goals and timelines that address water-related challenges and opportunities, including those posed by climate change. Participation in WAVE, along with UWM’s freshwater research, offers an unprecedented opportunity to students for hands-on training and real-world experience.

“As a top-tier research university with the nation’s only school dedicated to freshwater sciences, UWM strategically addresses water challenges and opportunities,” UWM Chancellor Mark Mone said. “Being an early adopter of WAVE is critical. We look forward to continued collaboration with The Water Council and are committed to expanding our role as a global leader in water stewardship.”

UW-Milwaukee was the first institution in the UW System to establish an Office of Sustainability and also first in the system to win the Green Ribbon Schools Award from the U.S. Department of Education.

In 2022, UWM developed the Climate Action-Carbon & Resilience Plan, which features an assessment of UWM’s strengths and vulnerabilities in the face of current and future climate intensification, highlighting the water-related risks of more rainfall and extreme storms. The plan provides proactive solutions to minimize future stormwater impacts on campus and plans for climate impacts we cannot avoid.

“Combined with UWM’s unique strengths in preserving freshwater resources and the development of new water technologies, the university has also demonstrated a vigorous commitment to making its campus a national sustainability leader,” said Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council. “Participation in WAVE is an opportunity to deepen and validate that sustainability commitment while also further exposing students and staff to the critical principles and applications of water stewardship required today and in the future.”

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