Video

What is Environmental Science and Research?

ESR scientists Wendy Williamson, Chris Nokes and Brent Gilpin are part of the Water Management Group. Here they describe what ESR is and what research the Water Management Group is involved with.

Transcript

Dr Chris Nokes
ESR is Environmental Science and Research. We are one of nine government-owned science companies – they are known as Crown Research Institutes.

Dr Brent Gilpin
In ESR, there is basically two parts of it – the forensic part, which works for the police looking at crimes, and an environment health group.

Dr Wendy Williamson
A large part of ESR's work is the environmental health, which covers water quality, food quality and also has communicable disease and population disease type of research, and support for government agencies.

Dr Brent Gilpin
The water group – which I am part of – which is really focused on chemicals and bacteria, viruses and protozoa in water which can cause disease in humans.

Dr Chris Nokes
The main focus of the Water Management Group is to ensure that water that is being used by humans is safe, either for drinking water, or for recreational purposes – that is swimming and such like.

Acknowledgements:
TVNZ Television Archives

Rights: The University of Waikato
Published:18 June 2008