About the National Environmental Services Center
When people find themselves in a difficult situation, they often turn to a trusted advisor for help. And when the situation is related to water or wastewater, many turn to the National Environmental Services Center (NESC) for reliable information.
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Over the last 30 years, we've helped thousands of communities find solutions to their environmental problems. We've also helped thousands of individuals learn more about environmental issues that impact the places they call home.
NESC exists to assist small and rural communities with their drinking water, wastewater, environmental training, solid waste, infrastructure security, and utility management needs and to help them find solutions to problems they face. Our staff of environmental specialists, engineers, certified operators, technical writers, editors, and trainers understand the latest technologies, regulations, and industry developments.
NESC offers:
- Toll-free technical assistance from our staff of certified operators, engineers, and scientists;
- Publications (On Tap, a magazine about drinking water; Small Flows, a magazine about wastewater treatment; and Pipeline, a newsletter about wastewater topics for the general public);
- A comprehensive Web site including online discussion groups;
- Many databases with thousands of entries, searchable online;
- Demonstration projects at more than 100 sites around the country that show the latest onsite sewage technology at work;
- Training sessions; and
- More than 1,000 free and low-cost educational products.
At NESC, we believe that you can't do the job correctly without the right tools and that knowledge is the most important tool of all.
About Our Initiatives
SMART About Water - Funded by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), SMART About Water is being orchestrated by West Virginia University's National Environmental Services Center (NESC) in partnership with the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP). The program is called SMART About Water, for Strategic Management and Available Resources and Technology. The program provides training and technical assistance about source water and wellhead protection planning to small and rural communities, focusing on untreated wastewater from failing septic and sewer systems, the largest contributor to water quality degradation.
State Onsite Regulators and Captains of Industry Conference (SORA/COI©) - This annual gathering of state, tribal, and U.S. territorial officials is charged with regulating onsite and decentralized wastewater treatment. The conference provides an opportunity to enhance interdisciplinary dialogue and advance scientific knowledge and research about wastewater issues affecting public health, as well as to promote the decentralized wastewater industry's role in a viable and sustainable wastewater infrastructure.
EPA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU):
Partners for Decentralized Wastewater Management Programs -
In 2005, West Virginia University's NESC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with seven other national organizations, launched an initiative to improve septic systems across the country and reduce pollution in the nation's waterways. At a November 19, 2008 signing ceremony in Washington D.C., the initial partnership was renewed and eight new organizations joined the effort.
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| Photo by WVU Photo Services |
Our Location
NESC is based at West Virginia University (WVU), one of the nation's major research institutions. WVU is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, 75 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. NESC is housed in the National Research Center for Coal & Energy (NRCCE) Building on WVU's Evansdale Campus.
Get directions to our building or call (304) 293-2867.
West Virginia University (WVU) recognizes that diversity enriches the institution and the society it serves. The University is committed to social justice and to practicing the principles of equality of opportunity and affirmative action.
WVU's special responsibility is to seek out, challenge, educate, and help create opportunities for those West Virginia citizens who can benefit from its programs, especially those who have demonstrated high achievement or who possess excellent potential.