Research and initiatives

The Nevada Center for Water Resiliency (NCWR) is committed to advancing water reuse, sustainability and resiliency through cutting-edge research. Our initiatives focus on developing advanced treatment technologies; detecting and treating emerging contaminants; and enhancing resource recovery efforts to ensure sustainable water security for both municipal and military applications.

Key research areas

Following are key focus areas and ongoing projects.

Advanced water treatment for potable reuse

  • Developing and testing potable water reuse technologies to ensure safe and sustainable drinking water sources
  • Benchmarking pathogen reduction during advanced treatment at the Reno-Stead Water Reclamation Facility (RSWRF)
  • Advancing direct potable reuse (DPR) applications through pilot-scale testing and ozone-based pretreatment systems
  • Deploying modular treatment trains for efficient and scalable water reuse solutions

Detection and treatment of emerging contaminants

  • PFAS detection and removal
    • Development of real-time PFAS detection technologies using nanoporous conductive wires and liquid metals
    • Fluorinated compound removal innovations, including alkaline methanol extraction and advanced degradation techniques
  • Biological and chemical contaminant monitoring
    • Researching sensors for distributed monitoring systems to detect biological agents and emerging contaminants

Water harvesting and alternative water resources

  • Stormwater characterization and treatment for safe reuse applications
  • Developing regional supply chain models to optimize water reuse strategies in northern Nevada
  • Enhancing water minimization and reuse at Department of Transportation (DOT) facilities
  • Treatment and reuse of vacuum truck wastewater, focusing on operational efficiency and sustainability

Resource recovery and circular economy

  • Selective lithium/magnesium separation from brine using membrane distillation coupled to crystallization
  • Recovering valuable resources (e.g., nutrients, metals) from wastewater streams to support industrial applications
  • Integrating waste-to-resource pathways to establish circular economy principles in water treatment processes

Infrastructure innovation and deployment

  • Advanced high-bay laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno for pilot-scale water treatment testing and technology validation
  • Demonstration space with direct access to raw municipal wastewater for pilot-scale experimentation
  • Mobile treatment units for deployment in remote and emergency water supply scenarios
  • Expanded analytical capabilities for testing emerging contaminants, biological agents and innovative treatment methods