The Water Research Foundation Funds 21 New Research Projects Totaling $4.8M

May 10, 2023
Press Release

(Denver, CO) 05/10/23 – The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is seeking volunteer participants for 21 new research projects funded through WRF's Research Priority Program. This strategic research program enables WRF to address broadly relevant subscriber issues, challenges, and opportunities with targeted research.

Utilities and subject matter experts are invited to get involved with these new projects as participating utilities or Project Advisory Committee (PAC) members. Utilities can enroll in the Utility Participation in Research (UPIR) program to serve as test facilities, provide samples, respond to surveys, loan equipment, or share staff expertise on research projects of interest. Each project will also have a volunteer PAC, which will oversee the project, providing technical review to ensure the project is scientifically valid and beneficial to the water community. The 2023 PAC application deadline for the funded projects is June 12.

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WRF will soon release Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for these projects, which were prioritized and approved by WRF’s Research Advisory Council. This diverse selection of One Water research projects, listed below, will benefit all areas of the water sector. It is anticipated that the RFPs will be available in early September. Information on project objectives can be found on WRF’s Advance Notice webpage.

The projects funded through the 2023 Research Priority Program are:

  • Advancing Anoxic Phosphorus Uptake for Highly Efficient Simultaneous Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal ($200,000)
  • Advancing Nature-Based Solutions by Assessing Long‐Term Performance of Natural and Engineered Media ($275,000)
  • Advancing the Disinfection from Wet Weather-Driven Sewer Overflows: Best Practices and Case Studies ($200,000)
  • Advancing the Understanding of the Next Largest Source of Utility GHG Emissions through Enhanced Whole-Plant Monitoring and Quantification ($250,000)
  • Approaches to Build Strong Partnerships and Solidify Successful Interagency Reuse Projects ($150,000)
  • Best Practices to Attract and Retain a Skilled and Diverse Water Workforce ($150,000)
  • Case Studies for Successful Watershed and Sewershed Monitoring and Decision Making ($150,000)
  • Developing a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Library for Unit Processes by Water and Wastewater Utilities and Decentralized Systems ($250,000)
  • Enhancing Collection Systems Integrity and Capacity through Application of Emerging Assessment Methods ($150,000)
  • Evaluation and Demonstration of Molecular Microbial Tools for Improved Operation and Optimization of Biofiltration ($300,000)
  • Integrating Nature-Based Solutions and Conventional/Gray Infrastructure to Optimize Treatment Performance ($225,000)
  • Maximizing and Accounting for the Value of Natural Assets and Green Infrastructure at Watershed Scale ($200,000)
  • Optimization of Sensor Network and Advanced Sensing Techniques for Enhanced Collection Systems Management ($150,000)
  • Ozone Nanobubble Technology for Water Treatment ($350,000)
  • Quantifying the Performance of Source Water Protection Measures to Improve Utilities’ Decision Making and Accountability ($200,000)
  • Regionalized and Integrated Solutions for Brine Management and Recovery ($150,000)
  • Residential End Uses of Water, Version 3: A Single-Family and Multi-Family Study ($600,000)
  • Strategies to Integrate Energy Data into Utility Operations: Energy Management Challenges and Best Practices across North America's Water and Wastewater Utilities ($200,000)
  • Technology and Innovation for Assessing Operability and Full Closure of High Consequence Valves ($200,000)
  • Unlocking the Advantages of Internally Stored Carbon for Nutrient Removal ($250,000)
  • Validation of an Integrated One Water Framework of Treatment Options for Source Control, Cost Effectiveness Analysis, and BMPs of CECs ($200,000)

If you have any questions about these projects or the Research Priority Program, please contact John Albert, Chief Research Officer, at jalbert@waterrf.org or 303.734.3413.

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