OCWD-UCR Collaborate on GWRS Research
The Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world’s largest water purification system for indirect potable reuse utilizes a three-step method: microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide for advanced oxidation. A University of California, Riverside (UCR) researcher has recently been awarded $300,000 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to compare the addition of chloramines to the UV/peroxide advanced oxidation process (AOP) and will partner with OCWD to do so.
For the NSF project, UCR Assistant Professor of Chemical and Environmental Engineering Haizhou Liu will team with OCWD Principal Scientist Ken Ishida (pictured) to investigate UV/chloramine AOP and the impact chloramine compounds have on the UV/peroxide AOP commonly utilized for water purification.
Early studies in Liu’s lab suggest a “very beneficial reaction that could be relevant to many water utilities…If successful, this project can both save photon energy cost at treatment facilities and improve the quality of recycled water for drinking purposes.”
“This collaboration allows graduate students at the scholastic institution to develop cost-effective and efficient technologies for recycling wastewater and have these innovations tested and implemented by an industry leader,” says Ishida. It is a win-win-win—for the university, for OCWD and the water industry.”