Researchers say growing water demand, along with waterborne contaminants, require closer examination for new desalination and filtration technologies.

Two separate water research efforts were announced today by the Environmental Protection Agency and Black & Veatch, a large engineering, consulting and construction company.

The EPA said it has awarded $3.6 million in research grants to four universities to investigate technology applications to detect and remove drinking water contaminants, including noroviruses and harmful substances produced by blue-green algae. The EPA currently regulates 90 harmful chemicals, microorganisms and radiation in water.

Those four universities are: Battelle Memorial Institute in Richland, Wash.; Drexel University in Philadelphia; Montana State University at Bozeman; Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta; University of Missouri in Columbia; and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Mass. (see Academics, industry team to ID contaminants in water).

In east-central Florida, water demand is expected to rise by as much as 84 percent by 2025, according to water engineers from Black & Veatch.

The consulting company plans to evaluate zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) desalination of brackish water that contains high concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM), found in Florida’s brackish water reserves. For that reason, desalination is more difficult and could require more energy for brackish water than for seawater (see Tampa Bay desalination plant rises again).

The private researchers have previously studied and evaluated energy-efficient designs for ZLD desalination in the southwestern United States. The Florida project is sponsored by the American Water Works Association Research Foundation.

Black & Veatch's research team will be assisted by scientists and engineers from Texas A&M University, University of Kansas, University of North Carolina, University of South Carolina and Orica Watercare.