Current Roster | Syllabus | Alumni

Research and Development

The Research and Development team works on projects geared towards expanding our knowledge of flocculation processes to refine and optimize our design of flocculation-sedimentation small-scale water treatment plants. One section of the team researches flocculation at typical plant flow rates at the Cornell University Water Treatment Plant. Another section of the team is conducting research using a smaller scale flocculator in our lab in Hollister Hall, the Civil and Environmental Engineering building. The remaining team members are working on the development of a cost-efficient and easily constructed apparatus to replace the more expensive Jar Test for testing alum doses.

Capacity Building

The Capacity Building team is an extended version of our previous Publicity and Fundraising team. Members of this team work on publicizing AguaClara within the academic atmosphere at Cornell as well as to prospective students. The team is also beginning an outreach project to engage younger students in Ithaca's elementary schools. Most recently, this team has been focusing on developing a new design for an educational, portable pilot plant and preparing materials for the upcoming EPA P3 competition.

Design and Engineering Team

The Design and Engineering team is involved with refining and optimizing the details of the treatment plant design. Members of this team work modifying the structural design of the plant and research new possibilities for construction materials. Another aspect of this team includes the development of the design process itself, where members create and compile design algorithms in MathCAD with the ultimate goal of creating a consistent, versatile algorithm to provide engineers with plant designs based on a few essential parameters.

Ojojona Team

During the winter break between the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 semesters, many members of AguaClara traveled to Honduras for two weeks to assess the newly constructed, experimental plant, find possible issues, and get the plant up and running. The Ojojona team is dedicated to resolving certain issues that became apparent during this trip. For more information on students' experiences traveling to Honduras for this project, see each students' journal reflections provided on the "Trips" page.