Future Strides

摘要

Is it time to coin a new term to replace "wastewater"? Engineers, scientists and operators in our field manage a gold mine of resources, such as energy and nutrients, entrained in the water we convey and treat before ultimately discharging it to receiving waters under the Clean Water Act permit system. Researchers, practitioners, and, ultimately, the public are coming to realize that the sustainable wastewater treatment plant of the future must be optimized for resource recovery.rnWith this goal in mind, the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF; Alexandria, Va.) has begun to develop a technology roadmap toward sustainable wastewater systems. The roadmap - a prioritized list of research needs complete with a scope, objectives, deliverables, and a budget estimate for each - will give wastewater treatment plants a path to follow to reduce energy use, increase resource recovery, and move toward more sustainable carbon footprints.