Clean water: Warrior

Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech professor, used his engineering skills to expose water problems in Flint and beyond. Fascinated with science from an early age and encouraged by his high school science teacher, Edwards earned a B.S. in biophysics from the State University of New York at Buffalo. The work of local environmental activists inspired him to pursue engineering instead of medicine. In 2003, EPA, through its subcontractor environmental consultant Cadmus Group, hired Edwards to determine the origins of pinhole leaks in Washington's water system. Edwards field-tested the water from the pipes and found it had at least 80 times the amount of lead that the agency allowed. He later determined the lead was being leached out of the pipes because corrosive chloramine, rather than chlorine, was being used as a disinfectant. Months after Edwards raised the red flag, the agency notified residents about the problem. Edwards serves on the state interagency committee that is assisting Flint. He expects to be involved in the city for perhaps another three years, helping with a wide range of problems. He also helps engineering and science peers to research and publicize their own similar investigations.