Briefly explain your research so someone without experience would be able to understand.
I designed a single-household (single home) greywater filtration system. This system reuses greywater, water without fecal matter, from laundry machines to flush toilets. This is useful because wastewater from laundry machines is relatively clean and with some basic filtration processes can be repurposed for toilet flushing, which does not require the highest quality water. The components of the design include a settling tank, skimmer, and sump pump. The design is cost-friendly and can be modified to fit larger buildings as well. I calculated the dimensions for this design based on average water consumption for an American household, and I tested the quality of wastewater from laundry machines using a dissolved oxygen test kit to help guide the major design components. My design utilizes the recommended City of Tucson’s greywater filtration design as a base and incorporates innovative elements such as the sump pump, floating skimmer, and relay.
What inspired you to delve into this research topic? (personal experience, pure curiosity, something you genuinely care about, etc.)
Because I was born and raised in Arizona, I’m quite used to extremely hot and dry weather. I grew up with teachers preaching about the importance of taking short showers and not letting the faucet run for too long. At the time, I don’t think I understood the gravity of our water scarcity issue until I started reading up on it. I designed this filtration system via water repurposing to address the issue of water scarcity. Recently, there have been growing concerns regarding the Colorado River running dry, and many states including Arizona rely on water from the Colorado River. Many lakes such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead have also reached historically low reservoir levels. I came up with this design to reduce our potable water intake while offering homeowners a path to lower water bills.
What was your role in this research project?
I am the ideator and sole researcher for this project. Professor E. Carr Everbach provided me invaluable guidance through the Pioneer Academics program.
Did you have any past experience with the research project?
When I first started this research project, I had little to no experience with water resources and environmental engineering. Actually, this was my first time researching something engineering-related, and I grew to appreciate the creative flexibility that engineering offered. I got involved with this research topic through the Pioneer Academics program, where they pair you with a professor in a specific field to conduct a research project after spending several weeks learning about the topic. I vividly remember the many nights sitting in front of my desk and scratching my head over a particle settling physics problem that I had to use calculus to solve. It was quite overwhelming to say the least, but everything turned out fine in the end, and I’m really grateful to have been given the opportunity to research under a mentor.
What are some things or who are some people who helped you be successful with your research?
An open mindset was definitely very important in my research process, especially when it came to brainstorming a project idea. Even though there were other greywater filtration designs out there, that did not stop me from designing my own and adding creative strategies to address problems, like using a floating skimmer to clear grease or dirt that has collected on the surface of the settling water. My mentor, Dr, Carr Everbach, helped me tremendously throughout the whole process, giving me engineering design tips. I’m also grateful for my peers who provided me with constructive criticism and different perspectives. Finally, the Pioneer Academics program sent me the dissolved oxygen kit №1469–00 by HACH allowing me to conduct a dissolved oxygen analysis.
What are the implications of your findings (how are they important/relevant on a larger scale)?
This single-household greywater filtration design has the potential to make a big dent in our water scarcity issues. If the design is modified to fit larger buildings such as schools and libraries and implemented on a mass scale in the larger Tucson area, this could result in a drastic reduction of required potable water intake, up to 22 million gallons of water. Across the globe, many countries and communities are struggling with conserving water, so this design is not limited to the Arizona region, rather the low cost of mandatory parts in this design makes it ideal for any family or larger institution. This design is easy to implement in homes and buildings under construction but can also be built in existing structures, allowing for increased flexibility and a larger target audience. Furthermore, the incentive of lower water bills may persuade more people to install greywater filtration systems in their own homes. If communities work consciously and collectively to address these imminent water resource issues, this enables a positive future in water conservation.
Did this experience prompt you to continue pursuing research as a career goal?
This experience, along with many others, has helped me realize that research is definitely something I would like to pursue later on in my career whether that’s interning in labs as an undergraduate student or becoming the PI in my own lab. I enjoyed being at the forefront of engineering research, and I would like to continue to be. I’ve also realized how important it is to nurture the spark of creativity that is inside each of us, and I believe research will help me do that. My mentor, Dr. Everbach, is also a big influence on my passion to continue pursuing research. Research tests my limits and allows me to grow personally, intellectually, and professionally.
What did you like about your research (the process of learning, a specific research process like coding, or meeting new people through surveys, etc.)?
I liked that my research challenged me, pushing me outside of my comfort zone. I was able to apply skills that I learned in school to real-world applications like calculus in water flow rates and dimensions of water tanks. I really enjoyed exploring a topic that I previously did not know about and probably would not think to explore. Reading about other people’s designs really motivated me to create my own, and I hope my research can inspire my fellow peers too. Lastly, this research project taught me how to interact with professionals, email formally, and build a professional network which I will utilize later on in my career.
Fun Fact 1: Favorite Netflix/TV show?
Kim’s Convenience, The Flash, Community
Fun Fact 2: What really makes you angry?
When someone chews their food really loudly at the dinner table
April Zhang is a senior at BASIS Oro Valley in AZ. She is an aspiring physician interested in Computer Science and Bioinformatics. She plans on majoring in Biomedical Engineering. As a vegetarian, she hopes to further her environmental research interests beyond college. You can connect with April here
This article was written as part of STEMchats’ Blueprint program. Follow us on Instagram @blueprint.stemchats and visit our website!
