--- title: NSF Plays Rainmaker to Fund Research in Drought-Plagued California description: Discussing a new water treatment to aid in drought-plagued California. image: https://blog.bccresearch.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/water%20reatment%20chm013h.png --- [![BCC Research Blog](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/BCC_Research_Blog.png?width=188&height=45&name=BCC_Research_Blog.png "BCC Research Blog")](https://www.bccresearch.com/) ** ![NSF Plays Rainmaker to Fund Research in Drought-Plagued California](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/water%20reatment%20chm013h.png "NSF Plays Rainmaker to Fund Research in Drought-Plagued California") # NSF Plays Rainmaker to Fund Research in Drought-Plagued California ![](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/author.svg) [ Clayton Luz](https://blog.bccresearch.com/author/clayton-luz) ![date](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/date.svg) Jan 3, 2017 [Blog](https://blog.bccresearch.com/) ** [Materials](https://blog.bccresearch.com/topic/materials) ** NSF Plays Rainmaker to Fund Research in Drought-Plagued California As [California enters the sixth year of its historic drought](http://drought.ca.gov/pdf/archive/DroughtUpdate(09-08-16).pdf), a researcher's award to explore water reuse technologies for drinking water supplies comes at a propitious time for the water-starved state.   The $300,000 grant, made by the National Science Foundation to the University of California, Riverside’s Bourns College of Engineering, will support the work of Haizhou Liu, assistant professor of UCR's chemical and environmental engineering.   Liu’s research is partnered with the Orange County Water District (OCWD), which operates the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world’s largest water purification system for indirect potable reuse.    Liu will collaborate with Kenneth Ishida, principal scientist at OCWD, to investigate the addition of chloramines—a group of compounds that are generated when chlorine and ammonia are mixed —to a treatment step that currently uses hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet (UV) light.   OCWD manages and protects the [Orange County Groundwater Basin](http://www.ocwd.com/gwrs/), which supplies 75% of the potable water supply for 2.4 million people in north and central Orange County. A joint project of OCWD and the Orange County Sanitation District, the GWRS purifies treated wastewater to produce 100 million gallons of high-quality drinking water every day, enough water for 850,000 residents annually.   **CREATING ULTRA-PURE WATER FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION**   The researchers believe the alternative process will improve water quality and lower treatment costs, ultimately alleviating water shortage concerns in one of the country's most drought-stricken areas.   While all wastewater must be treated before being released back into the environment, treated wastewater that is purified for potable use must undergo a stringent purification process along with rigorous monitoring and testing. As [noted](https://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/40512) by Sarah Nightingale, the GWRS purifies wastewater using a three‐step advanced process consisting of microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet (UV) light with hydrogen peroxide. The result is ultra-pure water that meets or exceeds state and federal drinking water standards.   Liu said that like hydrogen peroxide, chloramines can be activated by UV light to degrade trace organic contaminants in wastewater in a reaction called an advanced oxidation process (AOP). While chloramines are frequently used in other stages of water purification processes like disinfection, they haven't been studied as oxidants in the presence of UV light, per a [UCR article](https://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/40512).   “So far, little is known about the optimization of chloramine photolysis for water reuse applications, but the results of early studies in my lab suggest a very beneficial reaction that could be relevant to many water utilities,” Liu [tells](https://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/40512) Nightingale. “In particular, we found that chloramines can generate highly reactive chemicals upon UV photolysis, but this only happens under certain chemical conditions.”   Liu said the university-industry collaboration serves as a model to develop efficient, cost-effective and sustainable water reuse technologies that will improve U.S. global competitiveness in this field.   “If successful, this project can both save photon energy cost at treatment facilities and improve the quality of recycled water for drinking purposes. Our ultimate goal in developing this technology is to alleviate the drought impact and protect human health,” Liu says.   Unfortunately, the impact of the drought appears far from over, [reports](http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-drought-20160404-snap-htmlstory.html) the LA Times. In 2015 alone, the drought's economic cost was [pegged](http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article31396805.html) at $2.7 billion.   Compared with that economic devastation, a grant in the amount of $300,000 may seem a proverbial drop in the bucket, but one that has huge, and necessary, implications.  ### Stay ahead of industry trends, build your market research strategy and more. ## Recent Posts ![Sweet Intelligence: How AI is Transforming the $180 Billion Confectionery Ingredients Game](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Modern%20Confectionery%20Lab%20with%20AI%20Tech%20and%20Colorful%20Samples.png?quality=low&width=150&height=100&name=Modern%20Confectionery%20Lab%20with%20AI%20Tech%20and%20Colorful%20Samples.png) #### [Sweet Intelligence: How AI is Transforming the $180 Billion Confectionery Ingredients Game 1 min. read | Featured, food-and-beverage, artificial intelligence technology](https://blog.bccresearch.com/how-ai-is-transforming-the-180-billion-confectionery-ingredients-game) ![AI Is Quietly Revolutionizing How We Make the Foam That's Everywhere](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Foam%20Lab%20with%20Robotic%20Arm%20and%20Data%20Analytics.png?quality=low&width=150&height=100&name=Foam%20Lab%20with%20Robotic%20Arm%20and%20Data%20Analytics.png) #### [AI Is Quietly Revolutionizing How We Make the Foam That's Everywhere 1 min. read | Semiconductor](https://blog.bccresearch.com/ai-is-quietly-revolutionizing-how-we-make-the-foam-thats-everywhere) ![Medical Plastics Meets AI: The Manufacturing Revolution Healthcare Didn't See Coming](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Futuristic%20Manufacturing%20Facility%20with%20Robotic%20Arm%20and%20Holographic%20Interfaces.png?quality=low&width=150&height=100&name=Futuristic%20Manufacturing%20Facility%20with%20Robotic%20Arm%20and%20Holographic%20Interfaces.png) #### [Medical Plastics Meets AI: The Manufacturing Revolution Healthcare Didn't See Coming 1 min. read | medical devices](https://blog.bccresearch.com/medical-plastics-meets-ai) ![The $1 Million Monthly Problem That AI Is Finally Solving in Clinical Trials](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/AIDriven%20Clinical%20Research%20Hub%20with%20Dynamic%20Data%20Visualization.png?quality=low&width=150&height=100&name=AIDriven%20Clinical%20Research%20Hub%20with%20Dynamic%20Data%20Visualization.png) #### [The $1 Million Monthly Problem That AI Is Finally Solving in Clinical Trials 1 min. read | Featured, healthcare](https://blog.bccresearch.com/the-1-million-monthly-problem-that-ai-is-finally-solving-in-clinical-trials) ![Clayton Luz](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/author.svg) ### Written By Clayton Luz ### Related Content [![Boeing's Potential 500-Aircraft China Order Has Everyone Talking — But the Real Story Is in the Materials](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AI-Generated%20Media/Images/Aerospace%20Manufacturing%20Facility%20with%20Advanced%20Machinery%20and%20Growth%20Graph.png?quality=low&width=380&height=250&name=Aerospace%20Manufacturing%20Facility%20with%20Advanced%20Machinery%20and%20Growth%20Graph.png) ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/boeings-potential-500-aircraft-china-order-has-everyone-talking) [ 1 min. read | ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/boeings-potential-500-aircraft-china-order-has-everyone-talking)[Materials](https://blog.bccresearch.com/topic/materials) #### [Boeing's Potential 500-Aircraft China Order Has Everyone Talking — But the Real Story Is in the Materials](https://blog.bccresearch.com/boeings-potential-500-aircraft-china-order-has-everyone-talking) While aviation headlines focus on massive aircraft orders and space tourism mile... [Read more ![Read More](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/read_more_arrow.png?width=12&height=12&name=read_more_arrow.png) ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/boeings-potential-500-aircraft-china-order-has-everyone-talking) [![Explore the Future of Light-Based Innovation in Healthcare and Beyond](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Biophotonics-Technologies.webp?quality=low&width=380&height=250&name=Biophotonics-Technologies.webp) ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/explore-the-future-of-light-based-innovation-in-healthcare-and-beyond) [ 2 min. read | ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/explore-the-future-of-light-based-innovation-in-healthcare-and-beyond)[Materials](https://blog.bccresearch.com/topic/materials) , [Tariff](https://blog.bccresearch.com/topic/tariff) #### [Explore the Future of Light-Based Innovation in Healthcare and Beyond](https://blog.bccresearch.com/explore-the-future-of-light-based-innovation-in-healthcare-and-beyond) Biophotonics: Technologies and Global Markets (PHO024B) [Read more ![Read More](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/read_more_arrow.png?width=12&height=12&name=read_more_arrow.png) ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/explore-the-future-of-light-based-innovation-in-healthcare-and-beyond) [![Tariffs, Chips & Shifting Borders: How Trade Policy Is Redrawing the Semiconductor Map](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-image-new.webp?quality=low&width=380&height=250&name=blog-image-new.webp) ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/tariffs-chips-shifting-borders-how-trade-policy-is-redrawing-the-semiconductor-map) [ 3 min. read | ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/tariffs-chips-shifting-borders-how-trade-policy-is-redrawing-the-semiconductor-map)[Materials](https://blog.bccresearch.com/topic/materials) #### [Tariffs, Chips & Shifting Borders: How Trade Policy Is Redrawing the Semiconductor Map](https://blog.bccresearch.com/tariffs-chips-shifting-borders-how-trade-policy-is-redrawing-the-semiconductor-map) Global Trade: A Strategic Shift The global trade environment is undergoing a dra... [Read more ![Read More](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/read_more_arrow.png?width=12&height=12&name=read_more_arrow.png) ](https://blog.bccresearch.com/tariffs-chips-shifting-borders-how-trade-policy-is-redrawing-the-semiconductor-map) ![Guiding smart decisions every step of the way](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Images/workaholic-hand-typing-keyboard-dark-late-night-with-computer.webp?width=1366&height=378&name=workaholic-hand-typing-keyboard-dark-late-night-with-computer.webp) ## Guiding smart decisions every step of the way We are your trusted research partner, providing actionable insights and custom consulting across life sciences, advanced materials, and technology. Allow BCC Research to nurture your smartest business decisions today, tomorrow, and beyond. [ Contact Us ](https://www.bccresearch.com/aboutus/contactus) BCC Research provides objective, unbiased measurement and assessment of market opportunities with detailed market research reports. Our experienced industry analysts assess growth opportunities, market sizing, technologies, applications, supply chains and companies with the singular goal of helping you make informed business decisions, free of noise and hype. ### Stay Informed #### Contact - [**781-489-7301](tel:7814897301) - [**info@bccresearch.com](mailto:info@bccresearch.com) © 2023 BCC Research [Privacy Policy](http://www.bccresearch.com/privacypolicy) |[Site Map](http://www.bccresearch.com/sitemap) #### Connect With Us [![BCC Research](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BCCResearch%20-Feb2017/icon-linkedin-ftr.png?width=36&height=36&name=icon-linkedin-ftr.png) ](http://www.linkedin.com/company/bccresearch) [![BCC Research](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BCCResearch%20-Feb2017/icon-email-ftr.png?width=36&height=36&name=icon-email-ftr.png) ](mailto:info@bccresearch.com) [![BCC Research](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BCCResearch%20-Feb2017/icon-twitter-ftr.png?width=36&height=36&name=icon-twitter-ftr.png) ](https://twitter.com/bccresearch) [![BCC Research](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/youtube.png?width=36&height=36&name=youtube.png) ](https://www.youtube.com/user/bccresearch) ![money back guarantee](https://blog.bccresearch.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bcc_blog-2022/blogs/money-back.png?width=60&height=60&name=money-back.png) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Clayton Luz", "url" : "https://blog.bccresearch.com/author/clayton-luz" }, "datePublished" : "2017-01-03T16:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "NSF Plays Rainmaker to Fund Research in Drought-Plagued California", "image" : [ "https://blog.bccresearch.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/water%20reatment%20chm013h.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.bccresearch.com/nsf-plays-rainmaker-to-fund-research-in-drought-plagued-california", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.bccresearch.com/hubfs/Logos/BCC-Logo-PSD-REMOVED-WHITE-BCC.png" }, "name" : "BCC Research LLC" } } ```