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STAR Grantee Wins 2007 Stockholm Water Prize
Dr. Perry L. McCarty of Stanford University was awarded the 2007 Stockholm Water prize for his development of a scientific approach to designing and operating water and wastewater treatment systems. McCarty has a long and impressive history in the areas of biological and chemical processes for safe supply and treatment of drinking water, and has worked with the EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research on 18 projects related to water treatment.
McCarty was presented with this award for his development of more efficient water treatment processes, especially anaerobic systems for wastewater, biological nutrient removal, and biofilm reactors. Dr. McCarty's has developed innovative methods to treat toxic chemicals, especially chlorinated pollutants, in wastewater and underground water sources.
The Stockholm Water Prize 
is awarded annually for outstanding water-related activities within the fields of aid, education, technology, management or science. It was first awarded in 1991 and includes $150,000 and a crystal sculpture, which will be presented to Dr. McCarty this August in Stockholm, Sweden. In cooperation with the City of Stockholm, the Stockholm Water Prize was founded by both Swedish and international companies in an effort to promote positive water processing and preservation practices. The committee responsible for reviewing the nominations and choosing a candidate is appointed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
Dr. McCarty joined Stanford University in 1962 to develop their environmental engineering and science program and he served as Chairman for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. From 1989 to 1999, Dr. McCarty was the director of the EPA-funded Western Region Hazardous Substance Research Center. Research at the Center focused on biological approaches to remediation of sites and groundwater contaminated with chlorinated aromatic and aliphatic solvents; petroleum derivatives; ordinance wastes (TNT); and heavy metals.
After his acceptance into the National Academy of Engineering in 1977, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1996, Dr. McCarty received the John and Alice Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement in 1992 followed by the Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Water Science and Technology in 1997. Among his other awards are an honorary Doctorate from the Colorado School of Mines, Honorary membership in the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation, and Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Microbiology.
Dr. McCarty has over 300 publications, and co-authored the textbooks, Environmental Biotechnology - Principles and Applications, and Chemistry for Environmental Engineering and Science.