Wednesday December 18, 2024
UC Riverside via Maven’s Notebook —
The University of California system has awarded a $1.4 million grant to UC Riverside chemical and environmental engineering professor Haizhou Liu and a collaborative team from several UC campuses to combat water scarcity by developing strategies to clean and reuse water for agriculture.
With California facing climate change and dwindling water supplies, the research comes at a pivotal moment.
“Water scarcity is one of the most pressing challenges in agriculture today,” said Lui, a faculty member in the Bourns College of Engineering. “Our project not only aims to improve water use efficiency but also to improve food safety, protect public health, and ensure a sustainable agricultural future.”
The grant will allow Liu and his research team to develop methods to remove chemical pollutants and pathogens from wastewater supplies. Pollutants and pathogens can significantly hinder crop growth when contaminated recycled wastewater is used for irrigation.