NORFOLK – HRSD (Hampton Roads Sanitation District) Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Charles B. Bott, PhD, PE, BCEE, was recently appointed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a new member of the Science Advisory Board (SAB) and was chosen to serve as board Chair.

HRSD Chief Technology Officer since 2009, Dr. Bott leads technology, innovation, and research and development for HRSD’s wastewater treatment plants and interceptor systems. HRSD has attained 10 active patents, with four additional patents pending under his leadership.

“I am honored to be nominated as chair of the EPA Science Advisory Committee. I look forward to embracing this challenge and leveraging my experience in environmental technology and infrastructure to help translate robust science and engineering into practical, impactful policies. I'm excited by the challenge, humbled by the responsibility, and committed to supporting rigorous, independent science and engineering in service of the public,” said Dr. Bott following the Friday, April 17 EPA announcement.

HRSD GM and CEO, Jay Bernas: "Dr. Charles Bott's appointment as Chair of the EPA Science Advisory Board is a tremendous honor — for Charles personally and for HRSD as an organization. It affirms what we've long believed: that practical, utility-driven science has a vital role to play in shaping sound national environmental policy. Charles has spent his career proving that the best science happens where research meets real-world operations, and there's no one better suited to lead this board."

Charles holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Virginia Military Institute, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech. He is a fellow of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and a member of the Science and Technology Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council. Dr. Bott is also a three-time winner of the WEF Harrison Prescott Eddy Medal for outstanding contribution to wastewater principles/ processes research. Charles is a licensed Professional Engineer in Virginia, a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, and a licensed wastewater treatment plant operator – Virginia Class I.

Read the full EPA release here: Administrator Zeldin Announces Selection of Members to the Science Advisory Board | US EPA.

About HRSD
HRSD is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia created by public referendum in 1940 and currently serves 20 cities and counties in southeast Virginia and the Eastern Shore, an area with a population of 1.9 million.

HRSD’s Promise: We promise to treat wastewater and recover natural resources to protect public health and the environment.

Our Vision: Our communities will have clean waterways and reliable water resources for generations to come.