It is heartening to see so many in our field seeking innovative ways to help our country battle the coronavirus. Here are a few key ways water and wastewater engineers have pitched in to keep everyone safe and healthy:
Global technology company Xylem is repurposing water pumps in to ventilators. Aquatech reports that the water company has been utilizing their Jabsco flow control pumps, typically used “in the recreational boats and vehicles and food and pharmaceutical markets,” to create ventilators that will be delivered to several hospitals once the design has been approved.
Wastewater engineers have also been assisting with the testing of water samples from sewer systems. These tests can detect the spread of COVID-19. Bay Area researchers have been tracking their local wastewater treatment plants by testing the samples for “traces of genetic material from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.” This testing of the sewer systems could supplement the need for nation-wide COVID-19 testing of individuals. Some evidence suggests that when a person first contracts the virus, they can shed some of their viral load into their fecal matter. At the University of Michigan, associate professor Krista Wigginton is leading a team of civil and environmental engineers in similar testing, and her team is seeking to answer the question “Can we slow the spread through sewer surveillance?”
Following NY’s shelter-in-place order, it might also become imperative for environmental, water, and wastewater engineers to test water quality in buildings that have been on shut down for prolonged periods of time, as stagnant water could pose health risks. According to phys.org, “water left sitting for long periods of time could contain excessive amounts of heavy metals and pathogens concentrated in pipes nationwide.” Associate professor of civil and environmental engineering Andrew Whelton is conducting a study to determine how safe the water in shut-down buildings will be after the pandemic. Once results of the study are available, researchers will “advise public health officials, building owners and water utilities on how to safely recommission buildings with low or no occupancy due to the pandemic.”
We are so proud to belong to a field that can offer such profoundly versatile and flexible skills, especially in times of severe need such as these. While times seem uncertain, it is helpful to know that we are all putting our heads together in pursuit of a healthier future.
It made sense when you said that wastewater engineers can test samples. Now that I think about it, I’d like to learn more about the specific testing methods used. Thanks for sharing this interesting info about wastewater treatment.