RESEARCH
Research activities at AQWATEC are directed to advance research and development of novel water treatment processes and hybrid systems to enable sustainable and energy efficient utilization of impaired water sources to provide potable and non-potable water supplies. Our focus areas include:
- Advanced natural systems for elimination of emerging contaminants from the environment
- Traditional and novel membrane separation processes for water purification, reuse and desalination including zero-liquid discharge
- Development of multiple-barrier hybrid processes to provide more efficient water treatment systems
- Advanced concepts in decentralized water treatment facilities
- Development of more efficient water treatment systems for the industrial and renewable energy sector
Our current activities include:
- Viability of nanofiltration and ultra-low pressure RO membranes for indirect potable reuse applications
- Beneficial reuse of co-produced water using capacitive deionization (CDT) and high-pressure membrane technologies
- Optimizing coagulation/flocculation processes through state-of-the-art floc particle characterization
- Contributions of household chemicals to sewage and their relevance to municipal wastewater systems and the environment
- Evaluation of river bank filtration systems to optimize removal of bulk organic matter, emerging organic micropollutants, and nutrients
- Development of indicators and surrogates for chemical contaminant removal during wastewater treatment and reclamation
- Development of surrogates to determine the efficacy of groundwater recharge systems for the removal of trace organic chemicals
- Zero-liquid discharge systems for the recovery of cooling tower water in geothermal power plants
- A novel hybrid membrane desalination process with minimal pretreatment and concentrate
- Desalination product water recovery and concentrate volume minimization
- Critical assessment of implementing desalination technology
- A novel hybrid system to increase recovery and lower energy costs in treatment of recycled water and ocean desalination
AQWATEC faculty currently sustain a research funding base of over $4.5M via active grants and contracts from AwwaRF, WERF, WRF, NSF, Cal DWR, DOE, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, NREL, and private industry.
AQWATEC Indirect Cost (IDC) Return and Policy
AQWATEC receives IDC returns for all full overheaded research accounts at a rate of 19.2% of
IDC paid. IDC return funds are administered through AQWATEC’s IDC account.
AQWATEC encourages faculty members to submit research proposals through the center that
are in support of AQWATEC’s mission. Principal investigators submitting
proposals through AQWATEC have the privilege to utilize center infrastructure that is available
on a service basis at the internal billing rate. A list of infrastructure that is available on a service
basis is posted on the center’s website (http://www.aqwatec.com/facilities/). External and
internal billing rates will be provided upon request. For more information IDC return policies, please click here.
AQWATEC's opening ceremony was held on August 29 th, 2007. Ribbon cutting ceremony was conducted by President Bill Scoggins, Congressman Ed Perlmutter, and Rob Renner, Executive Director of the Awwa Research Foundation in front of more than 100 guests. We would like to thank everybody for their help and support.
