How do AguaClara technologies make water safe to drink?
AguaClara technologies in plain English
Why is AguaClara at Cornell a program rather than a project?
Unlike a project, the AguaClara program has no ending date. The program includes multiple basic and applied research projects as well as an ongoing design team. The complexity of treating surface waters, the multiple processes that must be coupled, and the need to invent new systems that meet the criteria of sustainability provide the impetus for a long term program where extensive expertise can be acquired through multiple iterations of the innovation cycle. The scope, duration, and complex nature of the challenge we are working to solve qualifies AguaClara as a program rather than a project.
See our AguaClara at Cornell University - A White Paper describing the AguaClara program at Cornell.
What inspired you to begin working on water issues?
I think the ideals of sustainability were core values for me since childhood. Perhaps I was inspired by the energy crisis of the 70's. I was interested in alternative energy sources as a teenager and built a windmill that generated electricity while I was in high school. My passion shifted to water while I was in Honduras working with Salvadoran refugees from 1982 to 1983. It was obvious that water is a critical need and that contaminated water is a source of a lot of suffering. I, of course, experienced the agony of waterborne disease while I was in Honduras.
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What were the main obstacles in development?
- * A major challenge continues to be funding. It is possible to find donors who are willing to support bricks and mortar, but it is very difficult to find support for the research, innovation, and design work that is required to develop new high performing and sustainable technologies.
- * The number of innovations required to create a sustainable technology was daunting.The number of innovations required to create a sustainable technology was daunting.
- The project size is larger than for point of use water treatment and* The project size is larger than for point of use water treatment and so the risk of failure during innovation were larger.
- The technology development required and continues to require many years of Research, Invention, Design, and full scale implementation with partner organizations. The scale of the program and the required partner network is beyond the capabilities of most university project teams. We were fortunate to have connections with a partner organization that was willing to take the risks to try new technologies and new approaches.
so the risk of failure during innovation were larger.
- The technology development required and continues to require many years of Research, Invention, Design, and full scale implementation with partner organizations. The scale of the program and the required partner network is beyond the capabilities of most university project teams. We were fortunate to have connections with a partner organization that was willing to take the risks to try new technologies and new approaches.
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