DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--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.
As part of WRF’s yearlong anniversary celebration, WRF is highlighting 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, focused on how Milwaukee Water Works implemented WRF research to strengthen the barriers related to source water protection, disinfection, and filtration. The second utility story video, launched in June, focuses on how Trinity River Authority (TRA) from Arlington, Texas partnered with WRF to develop an innovative process to control manganese during conversion to biofiltration.
TRA has been a WRF subscriber since 1989. In 2012, Trinity River Authority began a Tailored Collaboration project with WRF, entitled Optimizing Filter Conditions for Improved Manganese Control During Conversion to Biofiltration (project #4448). The purpose of this pilot-scale study was to determine if enhanced biofiltration could enable a utility to retain previously removed manganese on the filter media and provide long-term water quality improvements, including taste and odor control and prevention of manganese breakthroughs. The research proved successful, and TRA was able to move to full-scale testing with their plans to implement biofiltration at the Tarrant County Water Supply Project in the future.
“Trinity River Authority subscribes to the Water Research Foundation because they are an internationally recognized source for science related to water,” said Julie Hunt, Assistant Regional Manager, Operations, Trinity River Authority of Texas. “By subscribing to the Water Research Foundation, we get the benefit of all of that research instead of the huge bill that it would be if we tried to conduct all of the research on our own.”
WRF’s Tailored Collaboration Program allows water and wastewater utilities to leverage their dollars on a research idea that they develop. Additionally, utilities have the opportunity to take advantage of WRF’s independent review process and project management expertise.
For more information about the Water Research Foundation, its 50 years of dedication to One Water research, and ongoing research projects, please visit www.waterRF.org.
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.