DENVER, JULY 1, 2016 -- The Water Research Foundation (WRF), a leading sponsor of research supporting the water community, is pleased to announce a new project that will advance the science of effective control of lead corrosion by phosphate addition. The project is funded through a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between WRF and the National Science Foundation (NSF) that enables WRF to review and selectively co-fund proposals that are submitted to NSF’s Environmental Engineering program and underwent NSF merit review.
“This is an exciting opportunity for both organizations to leverage resources to tackle the crucial issue of lead corrosion,” said Rob Renner, CEO of the Water Research Foundation. “This is one of many proposals within the NSF Environmental Engineering program that are well aligned with WRF priorities.”
The overarching objective of the research is to provide new scientific insights into lead phosphate nucleation, aggregation, and deposition that will enable efficient application of phosphate to control both dissolved and total lead concentrations in water. The specific objectives are to (1) identify factors that control the behavior of lead phosphates in solution and quantify the effects of water chemistry on those processes; (2) determine the rates of precipitation and deposition of lead phosphate particles on scales that form on pipe surfaces; and (3) enable optimization of phosphate application strategies that can be tailored to a particular water chemistry and scale type. The approach will build from fundamental studies of processes in solution (Task 1) and on surfaces (Task 2) to the consideration of processes occurring in intact pipes (Task 3).
The research will be conducted by Daniel Giammar, Ph.D., P.E., Washington University in St. Louis; Jill Pasteris, Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis; and Yandi Hu, Ph.D., University of Houston. The work builds on prior WRF research conducted by Dr. Giammar. Under the MOU, WRF will fund Dr. Giammar to perform Task 3 of the study; NSF will fund Dr. Giammar and Dr. Hu to conduct Tasks 1 and 2. The researchers will publish the results as a single final report.
The NSF Website includes more information about the projects under award #1603717 and #1604042.
NSF is the only U.S. federal agency that funds all fields of fundamental science and engineering research. The goal of the NSF’s Environmental Engineeringprogram is to encourage transformative research which applies scientific and engineering principles to avoid or minimize solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges, resulting from human activities on land, inland and coastal waters, and air, while promoting resource and energy conservation and recovery. The program also fosters cutting-edge scientific research for identifying, evaluating, and monitoring the waste assimilative capacity of the natural environment and for removing or reducing contaminants from polluted air, water, and soils.
About the Water Research Foundation
The Water Research Foundation is the leading not-for-profit research cooperative that advances the science of water to protect public health and the environment. Governed by utilities, WRF plans, manages, and delivers scientifically sound research solutions on the most critical challenges facing the water community in the areas of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and reuse. Over the last 50 years, WRF has sponsored nearly 1,500 research projects valued at $500 million, and serves more than 1,000 subscribing organizations. For more information, go to www.WaterRF.org.
