Tag: Wastewater

New York City Water Summit (photos)

by | 4.12.2010 at 10:08am | 3 Comments

About 150 people attended the first New York City Water Summit on April 9th, which was organized by Professors William Becker and Kartik Chandran of the Columbia University Dept. of Earth and Environmental Engineering. The morning sessions dealt with drinking water issues, while the afternoon sessions concentrated on wastewater treatment.  The event had a focus [...]

Nitrogen and Wastewater: Kartik Chandran interview Part 2

by | 3.24.2010 at 9:41am

Part 2 of CWC interview with research scientist Kartik Chandran: Nitrogen in wastewater removal and technology development.

“As part of the nitrous oxide research program we are also coming up with process designs that remove nitrogen from both the liquid and gaseous space. Not one against the other. This is actually going into place all across the United States.”

Microbial Drug Resistance: Interview with Kartik Chandran, Part 1

by | 3.22.2010 at 8:52am

Kartik Chandran, an Assistant Professor at the Columbia University Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering and the Director of CUBES, spoke to CWC about microbial drug resistance and nitrogen in wastewater treatment, and its relationship with climate change.

New York City Water Summit, April 9, 2010

by | 3.16.2010 at 9:56am | 1 Comment

Two of the most important, though less visible, environmental issues will have their day on April 9th. Attendees at the first New York City Water Summit will spend the day exploring the issues of drinking water and waste water, from technical and policy perspectives.

The Role of Wastewater Treatment in Drug Resistance

by | 2.19.2010 at 2:29pm

One of the main threats to health in both the developing and developed worlds is the increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics. On February 19, Kartik Chandran, Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering talked with Water Center staff and students about his study of the role wastewater treatment might play in this complex issue.

Water Human Rights: Pollution

by | 12.3.2009 at 2:19pm | 1 Comment

In my previous blogs, I have been discussing different ways in which the human right to clean water is violated. I have already discussed how economic scarcity occurs, and this week I will be discussing pollution of water. Pollution issues are largely leading to contamination of the water supplies around the world.  There are countless [...]

Osmotic power — prospect of sustainable energy, or water liability?

by | 11.24.2009 at 6:57pm | 4 Comments

Today, Statkraft, a company in Norway, opened the world’s first osmotic power plant—a model of a sustainable energy system which uses osmosis to harness the energy of fresh water’s natural movement toward salt water through a membrane. The idea for power generated through the movement of water, due to osmosis through a specially designed membrane, [...]

Reclaimed Water: Safe to Drink?

by | 6.23.2009 at 1:17pm | 5 Comments

People often cringe at the thought of water that was once wastewater being treated and used as drinking water.  However, in Tampa, Florida, voters will be deciding next year on whether to use reclaimed water as part of the city’s drinking water. Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater that is often used as a replacement [...]

A Cistern in NYC – Yes!

by | 5.26.2009 at 6:35pm

A cistern is not what you would expect to find in a NYC house; however, a brownstone in our backyard has its own rainwater collection cistern. The brownstone, billed as the “Greenest House in NYC” and the first residential property in Manhattan to receive the coveted LEED certification, was recently highlighted in Good Housekeeping Magazine. [...]

Green Infrastructure

by | 5.14.2009 at 1:16pm | 3 Comments

Since May is American Wetlands Month, I want to highlight the use of constructed wetlands, or green infrastructure, as a way to manage or restore natural hydrologies to an ecosystem. The technologies mentioned below are not necessarily new or revolutionary. However, with the recent government emphasis on infrastructure and green projects, I think the scale [...]