The Foundation will release several new Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in early 2009 under the Solicited Research Program.
WRF-08-03: Investigation of Social, Environmental, Natural and Other Informational Factors that Influence Judgments and Decisions about Water Reuse
This project aims to advance understanding about how knowledge and images, marked by positive or negative affective feelings, guide public judgment and decision making regarding water reuse. The result of the work is intended to be a comprehensive document that combines insight into theories about public resistance to water reuse with the practical aspects of successful cases.
WRF-08-05: Use of Ozone in Water Reclamation for Contaminant Oxidation
This project will evaluate the potential of ozone for contaminant oxidation in a variety of reclaimed water qualities. A key component of this study will be the evaluation of ozonation in combination with a variety of water treatment processes.
WRF-08-06: Evaluation of Alternatives to Domestic Ion Exchange Water Softeners
This project will assess alternative domestic water treatment devices that are designed to remove hardness from domestic drinking water. The overall objective of this project is to analyze technologies that can provide the benefits of soft water for domestic use while reducing salinity impacts on reclaimed wastewater.
WRF-08-07 Disinfection Guidelines for Satellite Water Recycling Facilities
The objective of this project is to produce disinfection guidelines for satellite water recycling facilities that provide uniform public health protection and, yet take advantage of superior treatment and reliability where it is available. These guidelines will be used by designers and regulators to develop more efficient systems.
WRF-08-12: Water Reuse Requirements for Energy and Biofuels Production
The objective of this project is to determine the application potential and requirements for using recycled and other non-conventional waters in the production of power and biofuels. More particularly, this project will help establish water quality criteria, survey and assess cost/benefit tradeoffs, define impacts on human health and the environment, and identify cross-cutting issues, gaps, barriers, and areas needing further development or investment to help enable successful water reuse in these applications.
WRF-08-13: Guidelines for Implementing Renewable Energy, Peak Power Management, and Optimization of Advanced Treatment Technologies to Reduce Greenhouse Gases at Water Reuse and Desalination Membrane Treatment Plants
This project will provide facility managers information on ways to increase the use of renewable energy sources, develop management strategies to reduce peak power use, optimize advanced treatment technologies to reduce CO2 emissions to save on energy and costs, and reduce the overall output of greenhouse gases (GHG) at utilities. The project will include an economic and technical evaluation as well as case studies.
WRF-08-14: Evaluation and Optimization of Existing and Emerging Energy Recovery Devices for Desalination and Wastewater Membrane Treatment Plants
Energy recovery devices, including pressure exchangers and turbines, are used in order to lower overall energy consumption associated with membrane systems. This project will assess the different types of currently available and emerging energy recovery devices, their applications, and their performance. It will include a spreadsheet model for evaluation, including economic evaluations, and results will also produce a guidance manual to help utilities using membranes for desalination and wastewater treatment processes select energy recovery devices.
WRF-08-15: Evaluating Long and Short Term Planning Under Climate Change Scenarios to Better Assess the Role of Water Reuse.
This project aims to better understand the role of recycled water under possible climate change scenarios by developing a methodology for assessing climate change-related risk for water utilities to meet regional standards for long term and emergency preparation. The investigator will identify models currently used at two or three utilities that factor in drought, heat waves, storm, and other events. They will interpret model results, producing statistical analysis and likelihood estimates in order to generate alternative future scenarios to be used in planning.
WRF-08-16: Implications of Future Water Supply Sources on Energy Demands
This project will produce a spreadsheet based planning tool for water and energy resource planners to help them project changes in energy demand resulting from shifts in future water supply sources, population increases, and increased water conservation. This will be accomplished by quantifying the impacts on energy requirements associated with these three parameters and connecting them to the environmental benefits and drawbacks of utilizing alternative water sources.
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