As mentioned in the main Research page, the economic growth and development, as well as the scenic beauty and natural wildlife, in our nation is dependent on our water resources. However, the rapid growth is posing a major threat to the quality and quantity of the water resources by over-pumping of groundwater and nutrient loading to streams from discharges. The concept of “One Water” to promote holistic and integrated water resources management has been proposed and discussed across the U. S. In this scheme, those water resources historically regarded as nuisances and burdens such as sewage effluent and storm water are harvestable resources. One of the challenges in the use of storm and reclaimed water is the requirement of additional infrastructures like a dedicated distribution system (dual-plumbing “purple pipe” system) and their proper operation to prevent cross-connections. A possible solution is the direct use of treated reclaimed and storm water as a combined source of local potable water supply. Although potable reuse of reclaimed water has been implemented in some municipalities in the Southwestern U. S., no system currently exists to combine these two underutilized water resources to achieve true “One Water”. A simple, reliable, and flexible water purification system for the direct use of these water resources is, therefore, desired to secure potable water and to minimize environmental impacts in all-weather situations. The goal of this proposed research is to develop a technically and economically feasible dual-purpose water purification system by conducting lab- and pilot-scale studies.
A preliminary study funded by Texas State University’s Research Enhancement Program is being performed in Dr. Ikehata’s lab. With an additional financial support, a fully automated mobile pilot-scale water purification system (~2 gallons per min) will be constructed and tested at the at Texas State University’s Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) Park in San Marcos, TX. This research is in line with our Civil Engineering Department’s Technology Enhanced Infrastructure (TEI) theme, as well as the Connected Infrastructure for Education, Demonstration, and Applied Research (CIEDAR) initiative, at Texas State University.
Texas State University STAR Park – Copyright by Skymaster Photography