Urban water engineering project AquaCharge earns awards

A project designed to enhance the resiliency and sustainability of urban water supplies has been honored by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Innovation Contest.

The project, called AquaCharge, was submitted by PhD student JON BRADSHAW, who works with RICHARD LUTHY, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Engineering Research Center for Re-inventing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure (ReNUWIt).

AquaCharge was recognized with one of three major awards, as well as the “Most Efficient” award within the Green/Sustainable Engineering category and the “Best Value” award in the Resiliency category. AquaCharge is based on Bradshaw’s PhD research and was supported by ReNUWIt.

AquaCharge is an optimization tool for enhancing water system resiliency and sustainability by using combined storm water and recycled wastewater to augment groundwater recharge. It is a first-of-its-kind computer model that will allow water management planners to inform decisions about developing new, safe water supplies to increase system resiliency and sustainability, while also meeting future demands.

ASCE’s Industry Leaders Council debuted the Innovation Contest in 2016 as part of the society’s initiative to improve the nation’s infrastructure by 2025. The contest aims to identify innovative ideas from civil engineers across the board, including students, educators, practitioners and project managers. The winners will gather in June to present their ideas to industry leaders and network with other innovative thinkers.