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Homepage | The Water Research Foundation The SSO service is currently unavailable. Please try again in a few minutes. advancing the science of water ® Environmental, Social, and Governance Developing a framework for water utilities Studying the Fate of PFAS Through sewage sludge incinerators June 21-24, 2026 in Washington, DC Now accepting proposals, due May 20, 2026 Hear from utility leaders on why water research is so essential.

Need additional help accessing resources, logging in, managing your subscription or volunteer opportunities? Please fill out our Customer Care form. Throughout the year, WRF hosts and participates in events that focus on critical water quality issues.

From web seminars to research workshops, these events provide opportunities for you to learn about new research from water quality experts and to share ideas and connect with other industry professionals. Managing Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) to Extend Asset Life Per Capita Water Use Calculation Reporting Period: January 2026 – March 2026 Available Options for Regeneration or Disposal of PFAS-Laden Drinking...

Reporting Period: January 2026 – April 2026 Reducing Nitrification Risks Through Voluntary Collaboration Between... Reporting Period: December 2025 – March 2026 Artificial Intelligence-Based Early-Warning and... Reporting Period: September 2025 – February 2026 Developing Aromatic DBPs as Improved Metrics for ...

Reporting Period: October 2025 – March 2026 A New Rulebook for Effluent Organic Matter (EfOM): Redefining... Reporting Period: October 2025 – April 2026 Enhancing the Viability of Hydrothermal Liquefaction for... Reporting Period: September 2025 – February 2026 Advancing Nature-Based Solutions by Assessing Long-Term Performance of...

Reporting Period: August 1, 2025 – February 1, 2026 Evaluation and Demonstration of Biotechnological Tools... Reporting Period: September 2025 – March 2026 Integrating Energy Data into Water and Wastewater Utility Operations: Best... Reporting Period: July 2025 – December 2025 In the United States alone, billions of gallons of water are treated each day at water resource recovery facilities.

Once the water is clean, a different challenge remains: determining what to do with the solids that are removed during the treatment process. The resulting mixture is often a unique semi-solid blend of organic and inorganic materials, trace elements, chemicals, and even pathogens, so there is no across the board solution for handling and processing the combinations of constituents that may be present.

Because these solids are often rich in nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus—which also happen to be the perfect ingredients for promoting healthy soil and plant growth—many facilities have turned to land application. Before these solids can be put to use for things like fertilizing farmland, however, they must undergo rigorous treatment to meet stringent regulations, at which point they become known as biosolids.

For more information, contact Maitreyi Nagarkar . In this topic 107 Projects Characterization and Contamination Testing of Source Separated Organic Feedstocks and Slurries for Co-Digestion at Resource Recovery Facilities A key challenge with source separated organic (SSO) feedstock co-substrate is that its composition, quality, and characteristics differ between geographical locations and can change over time.

This causes challenges and uncertainties for pre-treaters, substrate brokers, facilities accepting this material, operators... Deprecated Principal Investigator The Water Research Foundation Funds 26 New Research Projects Totaling $5. 9M (Denver, CO) 05/28/24– The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is seeking volunteer participants for 26 new research projects funded through WRF's Research Priority Program.

This strategic research program enables WRF to... Interview with Dr. William Tarpeh By Julia Dinmore, The Water Research Foundation Turning Waste into Gold with Dr. William Tarpeh A rare few people end up in the career they decided for themselves as children. More often, the question “What do you...

WRF Presents $100K Research Award To Advance Wastewater Resource Recovery (Denver, CO) 10/11/23 – Last week, The Water Research Foundation (WRF) presented William Tarpeh, PhD, with the esteemed 2023 Paul L. Busch Award. With this $100,000 research prize, Dr. Tarpeh...

Climate change is altering our natural hydrologic cycle, creating uncertainty when it comes to the quality and quantity of water sources. WRF’s research on climate change covers the key areas of climate risk assessment, climate adaptation, and mitigation strategies.

Because the first step in preparing for climate change is understanding the potential and variable impacts these changes can have on water sources and treatment systems, WRF research tracks potential outcomes, considering a variety of possibilities, and provides resources and tools to help facilities identify and address risks and vulnerabilities in their operations and infrastructure.

Implementing climate change adaptation strategies will be critical as the water sector moves forward. WRF’s research in this area helps utilities create better long- and short-term adaptation plans, respond more effectively to severe weather, and improve infrastructure and operations to meet changing needs, including the production of onsite energy systems and reliable back-up power to protect critical services.

The water sector must also have a hand in mitigating the root causes of climate change. By pioneering approaches to improve energy efficiency, including process optimization, improved energy management, and the use of renewable energy, WRF is helping the water sector decrease activity that is driving these changes. For more information, contact Harry Zhang .

In this topic 99 Projects Establishing Industry-Wide Guidance for Water Utility Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories Water and wastewater utilities need credible, consistent methods to quantify greenhouse gas emissions to support climate planning, identify mitigation opportunities, and track progress over time.

Developing meaningful climate action strategies requires a clear understanding of emissions across operations and how...

Deprecated Principal Investigator Integrated Water Management By Harry Zhang, PhD, PE, The Water Research Foundation Advancing Cross-Disciplinary Research The pressures of population growth, water scarcity, water pollution, climate impacts, and competition for water among municipal, industrial, agricultural, and ecosystem water uses have resulted in adoption...

Holistic Flood Management Under Climate Impacts By Harry Zhang, PhD, PE, The Water Research Foundation Municipalities and utilities are facing unprecedented challenges as they plan for extreme precipitation and flooding, which are becoming more frequent and less predictable. There was Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Superstorm...

Submit Your Ideas for Novel, Transformative Research (Denver, CO) 1/19/24 – The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is now accepting pre-proposals for projects to receive funding through our Unsolicited Research Program. The Unsolicited Research Program funds innovative, transformative...

Cyanobacteria & Cyanotoxins Cyanobacteria & Cyanotoxins Aquatic microscopic algae and cyanobacteria (formerly known as blue-green algae) occur naturally in most surface waters. However certain nutrient and temperature conditions can cause them to multiply rapidly, leading to “blooms.

” Under certain conditions, some species of cyanobacteria can produce toxic secondary metabolites or cyanotoxins, which may pose health risks to humans and animals. Even when cyanobacteria are not toxic, they can produce unpleasant tastes and odors. Cyanobacteria continue to be among the most problematic organisms in fresh water systems.

Without clear guidance or consensus regulations in place, many utilities struggle with responding to cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom (cHAB) events. Since 1994, WRF has completed more than 40 research projects on these microscopic organisms and the cyanotoxins they produce, helping facilities detect, monitor, and manage these organisms—as well as communicate with the public.

For more information, contact George Kajjumba and Sydney Samples . In this topic 42 Projects Autonomous in situ Monitoring of Harmful Algal Blooms Harmful algal blooms (HABs) damage aquatic ecosystems, threaten water supplies, impose economic costs, and are increasing in frequency and intensity due to climate change. Effective monitoring of HABs is not only important for mitigating their impact on public health and...

Deprecated Principal Investigator Sustainable Algal Control Technologies By Rich Abbott, Skaneateles Lake Watershed Protection Program and Justin Rickard, The Water Research Foundation Small Investments in Diffused Aeration and Ultrasound Systems Make Big Improvements in Water Quality At a Syracuse, New York-area reservoir the use of two technologies—diffused aeration systems and ultrasonic algal...

The Water Research Foundation Funds Utility Research Projects Worth $5M in Research Value (Denver, CO) 12/19/2023 – The Water Research Foundation (WRF) has selected twelve new projects for funding through its Tailored Collaboration Program, totaling over $5 million in research value. The projects...

PFAS Communication Guidance Water sector professionals need to be able to communicate with their customers clearly, concisely, and consistently about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). This may include information on what PFAS are...

Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) The use of strong oxidants to disinfect water has virtually eliminated waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera, and dysentery in developed countries. However, research has shown that chlorine interacts with natural organic matter present in water supplies to form regulated and emerging disinfection byproducts (DBPs).

To minimize the formation of regulated DBPs and comply with existing regulations, water utilities have increasingly been moving away from chlorine to use alternative disinfectants like chloramine, or installing more advanced and costly treatment processes, such as ozone or granular activated carbon to remove DBP precursors.

However, while reducing the formation of halogenated DBPs, alternative oxidants have been shown to favor the formation of other DBPs (e.g., ozone producing bromate and halonitromethanes, and chloramines producing N-nitrosodimethylamine and iodinated DBPs). For more information, contact Lola Olabode and Kenan Ozekin .

In this topic 182 Projects Impact of Haloacetic Acid MCL Revisions on DBP Exposure and Health Risk Reduction The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering changes to the disinfectant and disinfection byproducts (D/DBP) rule. Specifically, there may be a shift from the currently regulated five haloacetic acids (HAA5) to nine (HAA9), which would include four additional brominated...

Deprecated Principal Investigator Director of Research Services Recent Projects Advance Biofiltration Research and Guidance WRF Presents $100K Research Award to Advance Water Quality Treatment Last week, The Water Research Foundation (WRF) presented Jeffrey McCutcheon, PhD, with the esteemed 2024 Paul L. Busch Award at WEFTEC in New Orleans, LA. With this $100,000 research prize...

WRF Seeks Pre-proposals for High-Priority Utility Research (Denver, CO) 02/15/24 – The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is now accepting pre-proposals for its matching research program, the Tailored Collaboration Program. The Tailored Collaboration Program provides an opportunity for... For most water facilities, energy is one of the highest costs in their operating budget.

Stricter regulations are pushing facilities to use even more advanced—and energy-intensive—treatment technologies. Optimizing energy use can provide huge cost savings and numerous additional benefits, including improving air quality, protecting the environment, and bolstering energy security.

WRF has published more than 100 projects that explore ways to not only optimize current energy use, but to generate power as well—setting the course for a self-sufficient water sector. For more information, contact Sanjana Yagnambhatt .

In this topic 131 Projects Developing a Framework for Quantifying Energy Optimization Reporting Energy projects within the water sector are often discretionary and initiated based on projected annual energy savings metrics. The water sector lacks standard energy savings estimation procedures, as well as measurement and verification approaches and procedures that adhere to the...

Deprecated Principal Investigator Integrated Water Management By Harry Zhang, PhD, PE, The Water Research Foundation Advancing Cross-Disciplinary Research The pressures of population growth, water scarcity, water pollution, climate impacts, and competition for water among municipal, industrial, agricultural, and ecosystem water uses have resulted in adoption...

Holistic Flood Management Under Climate Impacts By Harry Zhang, PhD, PE, The Water Research Foundation Municipalities and utilities are facing unprecedented challenges as they plan for extreme precipitation and flooding, which are becoming more frequent and less predictable. There was Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Superstorm... The Water Research Foundation Funds 26 New Research Projects Totaling $5.

9M (Denver, CO) 05/28/24– The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is seeking volunteer participants for 26 new research projects funded through WRF's Research Priority Program. This strategic research program enables WRF to... Intelligent Water Systems Intelligent Water Systems As with other industries, newly developed technologies drive water utilities to adapt their day-to-day operations.

Water networks have been a special focus, with new instrumentation options for water production, transmission, distribution, wastewater collection, and consumer end-points coming to market. Implementing these technologies can improve the efficiency and reliability of water networks, but with myriad options, utilities need guidance on which technologies are most worthwhile and how they should be implemented.

For more information, contact Sydney Samples and Sanjana Yagnambhatt . In this topic 53 Projects Development of Hybrid Digital Twins for Predictive Nutrient Control This project developed, implemented, and studied how live digital twins of nutrient removal water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs), which included machine learning (ML), could be used to benefit ongoing operations.

In the three full scale pilots completed, digital twins were... Deprecated Principal Investigator The Digital Transformation By Miriam Hacker, PhD, The Water Research Foundation Exploring Data Science Careers in the Water Sector The use of advanced technologies and data to improve decision-making is the basis of the emerging topic area, Intelligent Water Systems. The...

2024 Intelligent Water Systems Challenge The Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology (LIFT) program, a joint effort of The Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the Water Environment Federation (WEF), is holding the sixth Intelligent Water Systems... WRF Seeks Proposals for 22 New Research Projects Totaling $4. 9M (Denver, CO) 9/12/23 - The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is now accepting proposals for 22 research projects totaling $4.

9M that will advance the science of water for communities around the... Control of microbes in water systems is critical to achieving water quality and public health goals. While most microbes are not considered human pathogens, certain microbes can pose health risks or contribute undesirable tastes and odors.

Since the early 20th century, modern drinking water treatment has made great advancements in the detection, removal, and inactivation of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. As technologies in the drinking water space continue to progress, new challenges have arisen in the form of opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens.

Wastewater and stormwater utilities also play an essential role in reducing the pathogen load to receiving waters used for recreation. Additionally, more recent advancements in water reuse, especially direct potable reuse, demand more understanding of pathogen detection, removal, and inactivation in wastewater. For more information, contact Grace Jang (drinking water & reuse) or Lola Olabode (wastewater).

In this topic 358 Projects Demonstrating the Effectiveness of Flushing for Reducing the Levels of Legionella in Service Lines and Premise Plumbing Legionella are pervasive environmental bacteria that can incidentally cause severe and sometimes fatal infections upon inhalation.

Because Legionella inhabit engineered environments and proliferate in warm, stagnant premise water systems, the majority of outbreaks are associated with preventable water system maintenance...

Deprecated Principal Investigator Recent Projects Advance Biofiltration Research and Guidance WRF Presents $100K Research Award to Advance Water Quality Treatment Last week, The Water Research Foundation (WRF) presented Jeffrey McCutcheon, PhD, with the esteemed 2024 Paul L. Busch Award at WEFTEC in New Orleans, LA. With this $100,000 research prize...

The Water Research Foundation Funds 26 New Research Projects Totaling $5. 9M (Denver, CO) 05/28/24– The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is seeking volunteer participants for 26 new research projects funded through WRF's Research Priority Program. This strategic research program enables WRF to...

In recent decades, the wastewater sector has moved away from the idea of wastewater treatment plants as waste disposal facilities, instead envisioning these plants as water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). WRRFs can produce clean water, recover nutrients (such as phosphorus and nitrogen), and potentially reduce fossil fuel consumption through the production and use of renewable energy. For more information, contact Jeff Moeller .

In this topic 115 Projects Developing a Framework for Quantifying Energy Optimization Reporting Energy projects within the water sector are often discretionary and initiated based on projected annual energy savings metrics. The water sector lacks standard energy savings estimation procedures, as well as measurement and verification approaches and procedures that adhere to the...

Deprecated Principal Investigator The Water Research Foundation Funds 26 New Research Projects Totaling $5. 9M (Denver, CO) 05/28/24– The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is seeking volunteer participants for 26 new research projects funded through WRF's Research Priority Program. This strategic research program enables WRF to...

Interview with Dr. William Tarpeh By Julia Dinmore, The Water Research Foundation Turning Waste into Gold with Dr. William Tarpeh A rare few people end up in the career they decided for themselves as children. More often, the question “What do you...

WRF Presents $100K Research Award To Advance Wastewater Resource Recovery (Denver, CO) 10/11/23 – Last week, The Water Research Foundation (WRF) presented William Tarpeh, PhD, with the esteemed 2023 Paul L. Busch Award. With this $100,000 research prize, Dr. Tarpeh...

Advances in Water Research These issues highlight essential research WRF has delivered thanks to the contributions of researchers, participating utilities, and countless volunteers. Join our mailing list and receive news and updates in your inbox! To search for an exact phrase, use quotes around the full phrase.