While many in West Virginia may associate water with strife�€floods, pollution, and the spread of disease through raw sewage�€one West Virginia University researcher describes water as the states greatunderappreciated natural resource.

Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of the West Virginia Water Research Institute (WVWRI) at WVU , called today (Oct. 28)for a shift in thinking about water in remarks made at the 3 rd Annual West Virginia Water Conference held at Stonewall Resort .

Ziemkiewicz encouraged West Virginias citizens to see the value that water offers as an economic engine for attracting industry, tourism and quality jobs.

In the future, water will make West Virginia a unique and valuable place to live and do business,Ziemkiewicz predicted.How the states citizens choose to manage our water will make the difference.

The conference, which is held each year in October, is sponsored by the WVWRI and the U.S. Geological Survey. WVWRI is a program of the National Research Center for Coal and Energy at WVU .

Managing water is not new, said Ziemkiewicz. The federal government already manages water through laws such as the Clean Water Act. In the Monongahela River, water withdrawals are already restricted by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to support navigation.

The goal of our conference is to create greater awareness about water opportunities and how citizens can position the state to realize maximum benefit from this valuable resource,said Ziemkiewicz.

Conference topics included water security approaches and strategies; current water law; energy and water issues in Appalachia; urban sprawl and planning use related to growth in the eastern panhandle; water asset protection through green infrastructure planning; coordination of emergency services; alternative wastewater treatment; nutrient criteria; flooding of underground mines; and pollution from agriculture among others.