I/UCRC Phase II: Collaborative Research: Water Equipment and Policy Center

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This project supports the second Phase (five years) of the Water Equipment and Policy I/UCRC (WEP) headquartered in Southeastern Wisconsin, which is home to more than 150 local and international companies serving the water industry. Co-located at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Lead institution) and Marquette University, the WEP research center serves as a catalyst for synergizing regional and global assets to create the next generation of products and processes to advance the water industry. WEP research focuses on creating new sensors and devices, novel materials, innovative water treatment systems, and water policies that will help change the way the world manages its acutely stressed water resources. The new sensing technologies will address major drawbacks of the existing water contaminant detection methods to provide early warning of water contamination and avoid catastrophes. New materials and processes are proposed for water conveyance systems which could reduce energy and water loss due to corrosion and leakage from water pipes. Projects focusing on water treatment systems will lead to new water filtration and reuse technologies through efficient and low-cost removal of contaminants. The water policy-related projects will develop policy components to assess risks, promote benefits, and identify opportunities to advance water technology. The envisioned projects will benefit potential and current WEP I/UCRC industry companies by enabling new or additional capabilities for their water equipment to increase product performance, market share, profits, and job creation. The proposed program aims to train the current and future workforce at the frontier of water equipment and policy. The proposed education plan also features proactive efforts to improve entrepreneurial engineering education; to attract underrepresented students, including women and minorities, into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields; to integrate research and education; and to broadly disseminate water research and educational findings.Envisioned WEP projects can potentially lead to game-changing water technologies and policies to safeguard our water quality with sustainable approaches. WEP PIs will carry out research to advance water technologies in real-time sensors for detection of water contaminants, self-cleaning and self-healing materials that can reduce energy consumption and water leakage in water equipment and distribution systems, innovative water treatment systems that can address emerging contaminants while reducing energy and cost, and water policy that can inform policy makers. A portfolio of real-time sensing technologies has been proposed which includes optical fiber technology, single live cell technology, electrochemical technology, acoustic wave technology, and field-effect transistor technology. Novel surface microstructures and high-performance superhydrophobic concrete and coatings are proposed to minimize maintenance cost and pumping energy for water components. Self-healing and wear-resistant coatings are proposed to reduce water leakage. Novel photocatalytic nanomaterials are proposed for water treatment. Several technologies are proposed to address emerging contaminants such as pathogens and micropollutants and an advanced, rapid wet-weather treatment process is proposed to safely treat stormwater. A localized model will be developed to predict nutrient transport in Lake Michigan and inform decision making to minimize algal blooms, beach closures, and clogging of water intakes. Research also will be carried out to identify and analyze policy obstacles and opportunities to develop, commercialize, and expand emerging water technologies and intensive urban aquaculture projects.