Four Decades of Research, Practical Applications and Educational Leadership Earn Professors Werner Stumm and James J. Morgan First Joint Prize

In Memoriam: Professor Werner Stumm SIWI has received the solemn news that Professor Werner Stumm, co-Laureate of the 1999 Stockholm Water Prize, passed away after a lengthy illness at his home in Switzerland on April 14. Professor Stumm will be honored during the August Stockholm Water Prize Ceremony along with his long-time friend, collaborator and co-Laureate, Professor James J. Morgan.

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - The Stockholm Water Foundation today announced that Professors Werner Stumm from Switzerland and James J. Morgan from the USA have been accorded the prestigious 1999 Stockholm Water Prize. Their profound and far-reaching research achievements in aquatic chemistry have improved the understanding of chemical and physical processes in the water environment and have led to the development of improved techniques for the treatment of wastewater and drinking water in societies around the world.

As the basis for honoring Professors Werner Stumm and James J. Morgan with the award, the Prize's Nominating Committee noted:

"For outstanding contributions to aquatic chemistry of great importance for understanding chemical reactions in the water environment and contributing to the development of techniques for treatment of wastewater and drinking water."

In addition, they also made important, fundamental discoveries in the chemical processes in soil and water related to acid rain, and the transport of metals and other substances in the water environment. In short, their work has improved the quality of drinking water, wastewater, and coastal and enclosed waters for people around the planet.

Dr. Stumm, 74, Professor Emeritus of the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, and Dr. Morgan, 66, the Goldberger Professor of Environmental Engineering Science at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, USA, met at Harvard University in 1960 and have for decades been the paramount scientists in the field of aquatic chemistry, which deals with the chemical behaviors of natural waters, and the processes that affect the distribution and circulation of chemical substances in these waters.

Stumm and Morgan's applied research focused on:

Chemistry of surfaces in natural waters
Water chemistry of iron, manganese, and phosphorus
The chemical reactions of species (including pollutants) as they move through the environment Physicochemical (treatment) processes such as coagulation and filtration to remove particulates

For example, Professors Stumm and Morgan were among the first persons to recognize the importance of phosphorous in eutrophication, the oxygen-depleting, over-fertilization of lakes. They linked phosphorus inputs to eutrophication and also provided the scientific basis for technological processes to remove phosphorus from wastewaters. They also directed fundamental research on mechanisms for the removal of particles and associated pollutants from water supplies and wastewaters, and assisted in the application of these concepts into practice so much so that clean drinking water is of a high quality and that wastewater is properly treated in much of the industrialized world.

A common theme throughout their life achievements has been the value of fundamental research in the physical, chemical and biological processes involved in the cycling of iron and manganese in aquatic systems. The results have included new concepts and applications for such problems as acid mine drainage, the transport of particle-reactive pollutants in lakes, and the removal of iron and manganese in potable water treatment.

They also established aquatic chemistry as a core discipline for limnologists, oceanographers, ecologists, soil scientists, and environmental engineers. In 1970, they co-authored the seminal book Aquatic Chemistry, which was published again in 1989 and 1996 and is used in education all over the world, Together, Professors Stumm and Morgan have had an enormous educational impact as research supervisors, teachers and intellectual mentors. Through their "academic children and grandchildren," they have laid a scientific and educational foundation that will reach far into the next millennium.

The $150,000 Stockholm Water Prize, founded in 1990, is presented annually to an institution, organization, individual or company that has made a substantial contribution to the preservation, enhancement or availability of the world's water resources. The Prize recognizes outstanding research, action or education that increases knowledge of water as a resource and protects its usability for all life.

HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden will present the Stockholm Water Prize at a ceremony during the "World Water Week in Stockholm" in August. Professors Stumm and Morgan join a distinguished group of previous Laureates from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, India, Israel, Japan and the United States who have represented disciplines ranging from technology and engineering to education and research.

Founders of the Stockholm Water Prize include Anglian Water, Aragon Fondkommission, Bacardi Limited, Compaq, General Motors, Grundfos, ITT Flygt, Kemira Kemwater, KPMG, Ragn-Sells, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), SNECMA, Stockholm Water Festival, Swedish State Railways (SJ), Uponor Group, and the Water Environment Federation.

For more information, please contact
Dave Trouba (Press Contacts)
Tel: +46 8 522 139 89
E-mail: dave.trouba@siwi.org

The Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), a scientific, technical, and educational organization, contributes to international efforts to combat the escalating global water crisis by facilitating research, raising awareness, and stimulating action on world water issues. SIWI administers the Stockholm Water Prize, Stockholm Junior Water Prize, Stockholm Water Symposium, and Stockholm Water Initiative.

Photos : credit "Stockholm International Water Institute, 1999"