Nicole Rowan serves as Division Director for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Water Quality Control Division. In this capacity, she oversees the implementation of the federal Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Colorado’s Water Quality Control Act. Ms. Rowan has over 25 years of experience as an environmental engineer working for the state of Colorado and in private industry. She has a bachelor’s degree in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Abstract
Protecting and restoring water quality in Colorado through the extremes
The Clean Water Act turns 50 this year, and the Safe Drinking Water Act is not far behind. In Colorado, there have been some improvements in water quality during the past 50 years. Some of these improvements are extreme. Yet, challenges remain. Let’s explore some of these extremes and how they influence policy and regulation in Colorado.