University to build One Water Living Learning Laboratory at 麻豆传媒映画 Mission Valley River Park
A $2 million grant from San Diego River Conservancy will fund a workforce training facility tackling water issues with innovative technologies.
Amid recent winter storms, ongoing contamination of local waterways, and periods of drought exacerbated by climate change, water issues have figured prominently on San Diegans鈥� minds lately. 麻豆传媒映画 researchers have long been at the forefront of tackling these issues, and now they鈥檝e received a $2 million grant from the San Diego River Conservancy to build a laboratory in 麻豆传媒映画 to train the region鈥檚 future water professionals and share their research with the community.
The One Water Living Learning Laboratory will allow 麻豆传媒映画 students to deepen their understanding of watershed science and hydrological systems while gaining hands鈥搊n experience with cutting-edge technologies for studying water quality, stormwater treatment and wastewater reuse.
The planned 900 square foot facility along with outdoor space will provide a staging area for 麻豆传媒映画 research teams conducting fieldwork and water sampling on the San Diego River as well as other nearby urban waterways.
The design of the river park includes a bioretention basin that captures and filters stormwater runoff from pavement before it returns to the San Diego River and eventually drains into the ocean. This, along with the river park鈥檚 sanitary sewer infrastructure will provide a source of stormwater and wastewater for water reuse research.
In addition, the laboratory鈥檚 location in the southwest corner of the family-friendly river park will facilitate community outreach around water issues as well as learning opportunities for K-12 students, according to Natalie Mladenov, William E. Leonhard, Jr. endowed chair and professor of environmental engineering and principal investigator of the project.
鈥淲ater issues hit home in so many ways for San Diegans,鈥� said Mladenov. 鈥淲e're going to hear more and more about extreme events like the rains and flooding that we've had. Through One Water Living Learning Lab, we want to provide a space where community members and students can have a chance to interact with different technologies and better understand the value that water has."
All water is valuable
According to Mladenov, people used to think about rivers, drinking water and wastewater as separate entities. But the 鈥渙ne water鈥� concept at the heart of the new laboratory鈥檚 vision treats all water as an important resource.
鈥淚t's not just water from the Colorado River that we need to be using, especially in this water scarce environment where we live,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have the technologies to treat all water types 鈥� including wastewater or stormwater that runs off from the landscape 鈥� to make it clean water that's safe enough for drinking. And it's all connected. Safely treating the water means that we can protect the water quality of our rivers so that we can enjoy them and maintain public health.鈥�
Technologies that go beyond just eliminating harmful microbes and toxins will also be showcased at the lab, such as those that remove microplastics and 鈥渇orever chemicals,鈥� or PFAS, from stormwater and river water, harvest rainwater, or treat greywater from showers and sinks in the home.
鈥淲e also would love to demonstrate technologies that became popular during Covid where we can monitor wastewater for outbreaks,鈥� said Mladenov.
Mladenov said wastewater also harbors valuable resources that are often overlooked, such as nutrients, precious metals, and even energy. Visitors to the laboratory will have the opportunity to learn about technologies for recovering these resources while reducing greenhouse gases and addressing climate change at the same time.
In addition to Mladenov, other faculty members from the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering whose research groups are involved in the development of the One Water Living Learning Laboratory include professor and chair Dongye Zhao, associate professor Alicia Kinoshita, associate professor Matthew Verbyla, and assistant professor Christy Dykstra, with support from other members of .
鈥淲ater is so central to our daily lives that it can be easy to take for granted the amount of human effort and ingenuity required to ensure a safe drinking water supply, prevent flooding, and protect our waterways,鈥� said 麻豆传媒映画 Vice President for Research and Innovation Hala Madanat. 鈥淎s one of 麻豆传媒映画 Mission Valley鈥檚 first active research and training facilities, the construction of One Water Living Learning Laboratory reflects 麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 commitment to preparing the workforce with the skills that will be required to navigate the region鈥檚 water challenges in the future.鈥�
鈥淚t is vital to collaborate on issues relating to water quality and supply, hydrology, flood control, water reuse, and local watersheds in San Diego County,鈥� said Julia L. Richards, executive officer of San Diego River Conservancy. 鈥淭his initiative will undoubtedly set a new standard for innovation and excellence in the field of water resource management. We are excited to continue working closely with 麻豆传媒映画 to develop and implement forward-thinking projects to positively impact the San Diego region.鈥�
The One Water Living Learning Laboratory is scheduled to open in January 2026.
