Super saver:Student’s research prevents pollution, reduces freshwater use
By Taylor Provine
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Pollution Prevention Institute
You could say Isaac Wright’s research is making a splash. Wright, a spring 2020 graduate in biological systems engineering in the 1xbet best casino website State University Carl R. Ice College of Engineering, has studied methods to save freshwater and reuse wastewater disposal from industrial Processes.
“I study ways to take 1xbet best casino website that’s not good enough for drinking and use it in other ways,” he said. “Any 1xbet best casino website that remains in the cycle is useful.”
As an undergraduate, Wright participated in the Pollution Prevention, or P2, Intern Program offered through the K-State Pollution Prevention Institute. Through the 11-week program, interns are trained and placed at a host company with specific pollution prevention projects. The interns perform a case study and calculate project recommendations, environmental outcomes and cost.
Wright interned at Compass Minerals at one of its salt mining plants in central 1xbet best casino website . The company has a corporate goal to reduce freshwater use across all of its sites nationally and internationally, he said.
One of Wright’s projects reviewed two continuous flow drinking fountains that ran 24/7 year-round, he 1xbet best casino website .
“My research showed installing two traditional hi-low drinking fountains would save 1.7 million potential gallons of 1xbet best casino website and ,600 per year, depending on exact 1xbet best casino website consumption and electricity use,” Wright said.
“Based on my recommendations, they installed these new 1xbet best casino website fountains at the site.”
He also studied diversion options for the company’s wastewater.
“The salt mining process contributes to wastewater because the high saline 1xbet best casino website can’t be used for irrigation, so it is immediately pumped into an underground 1xbet best casino website deposit,” Wright said.
Wright’s recommendations included diverting wastewater to an area golf course for use on fairways or using it for wetland creation or restoration. While these options could be implemented in the future, Wright 1xbet best casino website more research and policy changes are needed.
Wright said freshwater reduction and wastewater reuse research is important because it can address 1xbet best casino website problems in other areas.
“In central Kansas, 1xbet best casino website is readily available, but if you go 100 miles west, they are struggling to bring in the 1xbet best casino website that they need,” he said. “You have to start in the areas that don’t have the problem and have the best management practices in place so that the problem doesn’t continue.”
Wright has presented his research at the Governor’s 1xbet best casino website Conference and the Kansas Environmental Conference, which is the state’s premier environmental conference hosted by the 1xbet best casino website Department of Health and Environment.
“We enjoy working with the K-State Pollution Prevention Institute and appreciate the contributions that the interns have made at our facility over the last several years,” 1xbet best casino website Brent Peterson, Compass Minerals project engineer. “Isaac’s work made an immediate positive impact on 1xbet best casino website use at the plant and further developed our long-term plans for continuously improving the way we manage 1xbet best casino website .”
“Isaac is one of more than 70 engineering students who have helped our 1xbet best casino website industries save more than million and reduce their environmental footprints,” said Nancy Larson, director of the Pollution Prevention Institute. “The P2 intern program is a win-win for 1xbet best casino website industries, students and the environment.”
