18 AUGUST Special Seminar (12:30 pm, HST) • After the Fire: The Importance of Scientific Support in Protecting Health and Recovery by Dr. Andrew J. Whelton (Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana). Location: Saunders Hall 443 and Zoom (register for Zoom here).
15 SEPTEMBER • Reinventing the Toilet for Global Sanitation: The NEWgenerator Resource Recovery Machine by Dr. Daniel Yeh (Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida). Location: Holmes Hall 244 and Zoom (register for Zoom here).
6 OCTOBER • Metabolic Models and Machine Learning Methods for Bioprocess Optimization by Dr. Garrrett Roell (Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering Dept., College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i). Location: Zoom (register for Zoom here).
27 OCTOBER • Impacts of Physical Stressors on Coastal Groundwater Flow and Transport Processes by Dr. Xiaolong (Leo) Geng (WRRC and Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Hawai‘i) Location: Zoom (register for Zoom here).
17 NOVEMBER • Water is Water–Not Waste! International Options for Smart Wastewater Treatment Decisions by WasteWater Education 501(c)3 (https://wastewatereducation.org). Location: Zoom (register for Zoom here).
8 DECEMBER • Nationwide Assessment of Cost Impacts to the Clean Water Agencies Triggered by PFAS by Pooja Sinha (Stantec Institute for Water Technology & Policy). Location: Zoom (register for Zoom here).
For more information about the Fall 2023 WRRC Seminars, please contact: Zhiyue Wang, zhiyue@hawaii.edu
If interested in joining the seminar, please contact: wrrc@hawaii.edu
Nationwide Assessment of Cost Impacts to the Clean Water Agencies Triggered by PFAS (Presentation Slides) (Report)
Speaker: Pooja Sinha
Date: December 8, 2023 (2:00 pm, HST)
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) initiated a membership survey in 2022 to estimate cost impacts attributable to the presence of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater and biosolids. The survey collected 103 agency responses that geographically represent 40 states. The survey found an average solids management cost increase of 62% reported by PFAS-impacted agencies, based on annual cost per dry ton produced. This cost increase was significantly higher than the average cost increase of 15% reported by agencies without any identified cost driver but is similar to the 67% cost increase reported by agencies experiencing limitations to biosolids disposal options not specifically attributable to PFAS. This presentation will summarize the survey findings, differences in financial implications based on regionally specific PFAS regulations, the case study findings, and will provide recommendations for agencies considering PFAS in future financial planning efforts.
Water is Water–Not Waste! International Options for Smart Wastewater Treatment Decisions
Speaker: WasteWater Education 501(c)3
Date: November 17, 2023 (2:00 pm, HST)
For many small communities in Hawaii, the US, and overseas, the central wastewater infrastructure is not always affordable, geologically impossible to construct, and financially unsustainable with local resources. WasteWater Education 501(c)3, with 21 years of operation, provides access to education and resources that increase public awareness of the link between appropriate wastewater systems and (1) clean drinking water, (2) safe recreational waters, (3) environmentally sustainable surface, and (4) groundwater with watershed-based best management practices. WasteWater Education emphasizes water resource management and reuse strategies given the increasing impacts of climate change. Extreme weather events impact maintenance, operations and water availability and use. Resource recovery and building ‘smart’ should be prevalent in the design process. Webinar attendees will hear from our Board of Directors, who are international professionals, on how issues affecting Hawaii have been addressed worldwide and how the lessons learned can be put into practice here.
Impacts of Physical Stressors on Coastal Groundwater Flow and Transport Processes
Speaker: Dr. Xiaolong (Leo) Geng
Date: October 27, 2023 (2:00 pm, HST)
Coastal beach aquifers play a pivotal role in supporting healthy ecosystems along the coastline. Consequently, it is essential to understand the complexity of the driving mechanisms interacting at the shoreline. My presentation focuses on major factors influencing beach hydrodynamics such as freshwater buoyancy, tides, waves, evaporation, and aquifer heterogeneity. The nonlinear interactions between these factors are demonstrated based on real-world data and numerical simulations. Oil spills pose severe threats globally to coastal environments. The second part of my talk addresses how beach hydrodynamics influence the persistence and biodegradation of oil in the Gulf beaches following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. Our integrated field and numerical studies revealed varied oil biodegradation rates in different beach zones due to complex flow and chemical exchange across the land-sea interface.
Metabolic Models and Machine Learning Methods for Bioprocess Optimization
Speaker: Dr. Garrett Roell
Date: October 6, 2023 (2:00 pm, HST)
Non-model microbial species offer unique potential for biomanufacturing. However, the development of novel microbial hosts requires holistic metabolic knowledge and modeling tools for strain engineering and fermentation optimization. I will present computational methods for unravelling the metabolic regulations of two non-model microbes: Rhodococcus opacus and Clostridium carboxidivorans. R. opacus is an aromatic-tolerant bacteria that can produce lipid-based biofuels from lignocellulose. C. carboxidivorans is a syngas-consuming bacteria that can produce alcohol-based biofuels. Among tested machine learning methods, random forests and support vector machines performed best, and these trained models were able to offer guidance for fermentation optimizations and model predictive control of bioreactor operations.
By 2027, the annual market for the products of synthetic biology are projected to be over $30 billion in the USA alone. However, strain development suffers both high failing rates and high experimental costs. To overcome this challenge, knowledge engineering and AI methods are essential approaches. I will also discuss my current work focusing on the development of a ChatGPT-enhanced biomanufacturing database (ImpactDB; impact-database.com) and AI methods for guiding synthetic biologists and bioprocess engineers to enhance microbial cell factory performance.
Reinventing the Toilet for Global Sanitation: The NEWgenerator Resource Recovery Machine
Speaker: Dr. Daniel Yeh
Date: September 15, 2023 (2:00 pm, HST)
This presentation is part of the AAEES Kappe Lecture series
Billions of people worldwide suffer from poor sanitation due to a lack of wastewater infrastructure. With high capital expenditure and operational expenditure, the conventional approach of centralized wastewater treatment plants served by an extensive sewer system is not an option for many communities. A new classification of modular and pre-fabricated non-sewered sanitation systems (NSSS, ISO 30500) has been introduced as an onsite micro-infrastructure alternative. Developed at the University of South Florida, the NEWgenerator is a solar-powered, modular, automated wastewater treatment and recycling system capable of operating independently from grid power, piped water, and sewer. The core technology within the NEWgenerator is the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), capable of handling a wide range of wastewater strengths, intermittent flows, and prolonged shutdowns. The value proposition of the NEWgenerator is that it makes flush toilets possible in off-grid, remote locations. The NEWgenerator was a recipient of the 5th Cade Museum Prize for Innovation and the 2020 USPTO Patents for Humanity Award. This presentation will follow the two-decade journey of the NEWgenerator from concept to development to commercialization, including extended field trials in India (Kerala) and South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). The presentation will also highlight potential use of the NEWgenerator to help tackle cesspool conversion in Hawaii and other islands.
Special WRRC Seminar
After the Fire: The Importance of Scientific Support in Protecting Health and Recovery
Speaker: Dr. Andrew J. Whelton
Date: August 18, 2023 (12:30 pm, HST)
In response to the Maui wildfires and the probable contamination of water infrastructure, Dr. Andrew J. Whelton, Professor of Civil Engineering and Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana, was invited by UH WRRC to help us understand and address this important topic. Water safety and scientific support lessons from past wildfires including the 2018 Camp Fire (CA), 2020 Oregon Fires, 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire (CA), 2021 Marshall Fire (CO), and 2022 Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire (NM) will also be discussed.