Developing a platform for rapid online DNA monitoring of microbial communities in wastewater treatment systems

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This proposed project is a partnership with Metro Vancouver to develop improved technologies for the detection and mitigation of problematic microorganisms in secondary treatment processes at their wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), with a view to optimizing treatment performance, reliability, and ultimately environmental water quality. WWTPs provide the restorative function of the urban water cycle, and typically include primary treatment to remove particulate carbon materials, and secondary treatment to remove soluble organic compounds as well as nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Secondary wastewater treatment is entirely dependent on microorganisms to degrade different forms of pollution present in wastewater, and to minimize impacts on receiving waters. However, certain microorganisms in secondary wastewater treatment can cause process instability and upsets due to foaming or poor-settling (bulking). This project will focus on developing protocols using next-generation portable DNA sequencing technology to rapidly profile wastewater microbial communities. Through active microbial monitoring using these emerging detection methods, it will be possible to gain early warning signals for when problematic microorganisms are growing, and develop strategies to tune secondary process operation accordingly to meet regulated effluent standards and maintain ecosystem health in Canada's environmental receiving waters. This project will support the training of the next-generation of environmental engineers by involving 4 graduate students in innovative solutions applying genomics, bioinformatics, and data science.