Drinking water treatment and disinfection
The water we drink has a long way to go from source to tap; ensuring that water is free from contaminants gets more and more difficult and pollutant-specific. Researchers at Waterloo strive to protect our water supply through the development of smart technologies for both detecting and removing pathogens and emerging contaminants.
- Affiliated departments: chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering
- Drinking water treatment and disinfection researchers
Microfluidics and water quality measurement
Critical technologies for the future of water science necessarily address one key question: what is in the water? Researchers at Waterloo work to both develop new analytical methods and strive towards creating "lab-on-a-chip" microtechnology that can quickly and cost-effectively detect both biological and chemical contaminants.
- Affiliated departments: chemical engineering, chemistry, mechanical and mechatronics engineering
- Microfluidics and water quality measurement researchers
Water supply and infrastructure
The extensive infrastructure supporting our water supply needs is deteriorating steadily, as both wooden pipes installed 100 years ago and the concrete ones from 40 years ago simultaneously reach the end of their design lives. The key to reinventing this infrastructure for the long term requires intelligent design and novel construction methodologies.
- Affiliated departments: civil and environmental engineering
- Water supply and infrastructure researchers
Wastewater treatment
Any society produces waste and we rely on good science to find out how to best process and treat these byproducts. At Waterloo, multiple faculty members work to determine the best way to process our wastewater to protect the environment.
- Affiliated departments: chemical engineering, civil and environmental engineering
- Wastewater treatment researchers