Water Research Foundation celebrates 50th anniversary

Denver — The Water Research Foundation (WRF), a leading sponsor of research supporting the water community, is celebrating 50 years of dedication to the advancement of water research. Officially incorporated in 1966, WRF has provided its subscribers with the highest level of research and tools to solve the most complex challenges of the water community. Today, WRF subscribers include over 1,000 water and wastewater utilities located throughout the world, as well as consulting firms and manufacturing companies.

“The Water Research Foundation is proud to celebrate our 50-year history of advancing the science of water through research and collaboration,” said Rob Renner, CEO of WRF. “By working with utilities and other members of the water community, we’re able to leverage our knowledge and resources to the benefit of public health and the environment.”

As part of WRF’s yearlong anniversary celebration, WRF will highlight several utility stories through videos, showcasing subscriber utilities that have experienced significant achievements, in part because of their use of and participation in WRF research projects. The first utility story video, launched in February, focuses on Milwaukee Water Works, a WRF subscriber and active participant in WRF projects for over 25 years.

In 1993, MWW experienced a Cryptosporidium event, which resulted in a boil water advisory. Over the next five years, Milwaukee implemented an unprecedented $89 million renovation of facilities to strengthen the barriers related to source water protection, disinfection, and filtration. At the time, the $51 million design-build project was the largest ozone retrofit in the world. To ensure the success of this project, Milwaukee Water Works relied on WRF research on ozone inactivation of emerging pathogens, ozone contactor optimization, bromate formation reduction strategies, quenching agents, and diffuser design.

“We have benefited tremendously from our participation with the Water Research Foundation,” said Carrie Lewis, Superintendent of Milwaukee Water Works. “Not only does WRF fund research on new technologies, they take the next step and show utilities how to implement the technology, optimize it, and measure its effectiveness.”

The next utility story, coming this spring, will focus on Trinity River Authority (TRA), in Arlington, Texas. TRA partnered with the Water Research Foundation on a Tailored Collaboration project that demonstrated how enhanced biofiltration can provide long-term water quality improvements, including taste and odor control and prevention of manganese breakthroughs.

For more information about the Water Research Foundation, its 50 years of dedication to water research, and ongoing One Water research projects, visit www.waterRF.org.