Melissa Scanlan – The Conversation

Are you allowed to walk on the beach? Maybe. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

June 9, 2026

Who is allowed to walk on the beach? It depends on where you live

Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Will Matuska, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Both legally and practically speaking, getting to the water’s edge isn’t as straightforward as it might seem – or as many people might like.

The Columbia River running through The Dalles, Oregon, supplies water to cool data centers. AP Photo/Andrew Selsky

August 19, 2025

Data centers consume massive amounts of water – companies rarely tell the public exactly how much

Peyton McCauley, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

In 2024, one data center in Iowa consumed 1 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the state’s residences with water for five days.

The United States’ offshore wind potential isn’t just in the ocean, where these turbines are located, off Rhode Island. John Moore/Getty Images

July 29, 2025

Great Lakes offshore wind could power the region and beyond

Cora Sutherland, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

States take the lead on regulation of planning, site selection, leasing and other elements of offshore wind projects in the Great Lakes, though the federal government has a role as well.

Plastic water pipes may be cheaper, but they also come with risks. Mark Bernard/iStock/Getty Images Plus

June 25, 2024

Lead water pipes created a health disaster in Flint, but replacing them with cheaper plastic − as some cities are doing − carries hidden costs

Rajpreet Grewal, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Laodong Guo, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Durability and the risk of chemicals being released when pipes heat up are just 2 concerns about plastic pipes.

Raw sewage bubbles up in the front yard of a home in Jackson, Mississippi, on Oct. 20, 2021. Rory Doyle/The Washington Post via Getty Images

October 10, 2022

How to steer money for drinking water and sewer upgrades to the communities that need it most

Andrian Lee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Melissa Scanlan, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Congress has approved billions of dollars to fix water and sewer systems across the US. But getting that money to needy communities depends on how states define a key word.

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