Tennessee Water Resources Research Center Secures $1 Million EPA Grant for Statewide Wastewater System Enhancement Project

TNWRRC has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for its collaborative initiative, Statewide University-Utility Partnership for Technical, Managerial, and Financial Assistance to Wastewater Systems in Rural Tennessee. The project, planned to span approximately three years, aims to provide aid and support to small and economically disadvantaged communities across the state in obtaining low-interest wastewater infrastructure loans through specialized training and technical assistance programs.

In collaboration with the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA), Tennessee Tech University (TTU), and the University of Memphis (UofM), the project targets all 95 counties of Tennessee, organized into west, middle, and east regions, to ensure consistent delivery of technical assistance and training.

The project’s primary goal is to enhance wastewater system infrastructure in small communities by facilitating their access to loans and funding. To achieve this, the endeavor proposes a comprehensive set of training and technical assistance activities, organized into six essential tasks. These tasks include communication with the project team and partners, identification of community needs, provision of technical assistance, delivery of training, enhancement and creation of training materials, and the establishment of a monitoring and reporting framework.

Heading the initiative is Dr. John Schwartz, the Director of TNWRRC and UTK Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Supporting Dr. Schwartz are Steven Hoagland from TNWRRC, Dr. Qiang He from UTK’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dr. Larry Moore (UofM), Dr. Tania Datta (TTU), and Dr. Sreedhar Upendram (UTIA). This collaborative team actively engages with small systems, identifies community needs, and provides training and technical assistance across all three regions in Tennessee. Their collective efforts are geared towards empowering communities to secure funding for critical wastewater system enhancements, ultimately contributing to the long-term sustainability of rural Tennessee.

The project aligns with the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) program’s annual prioritization requirement, using the Ability to Pay Index (ATPI) developed by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and UTIA. The ATPI prioritizes projects based on the socioeconomic characteristics of project communities, assigning scores reflecting their ability to fund wastewater system upgrades.

Notably, the proposed work addresses three of EPA’s five long-term performance goals: reducing water systems in noncompliance by 33%, leveraging an additional $45 billion in non-federal funds through EPA’s water infrastructure finance programs, and aiding small, rural, or underserved communities to improve the operations of their drinking water or wastewater systems (U.S. EPA, 2022).

This collaborative effort signifies a significant step towards enhancing the resilience and sustainability of wastewater systems in rural Tennessee communities. The project’s impact is anticipated to extend beyond the three-year timeline, contributing to the long-term well-being of all the state’s populations.

ISSE Partners with Industry Giants Eastman and VW of America

ISSE is helping Tennessee businesses achieve their net zero goals through mass balance and life cycle assessments for pulp and paper, plastics, lighter metals, and other materials. The scope of this work has been published in Nature: “Country-specific net-zero strategies of the pulp and paper industry,” Nature, pp. 1-3. 2023.

The project with Eastman is titled Literature Review of Mass Balance for Enhancing Sustainability. The goal is to understand and evaluate the efficacy of the mass balance approach to improve sustainable practices across industries. Mass balance, a chain-of-custody method that tracks the net sustainable materials as they move through a system or supply chain, ensures the effective use of these sustainable materials in final products. Investigators want to know how the mass balance approach can be applied and expanded to cover more aspects of industrial processes by understanding relevant standards, certifications, policies, and regulations. The project aims to devise new strategies to integrate sustainable practices more broadly and effectively that will advance green industrial ecology. By doing so, it seeks to pave the way for industries to adopt more eco-friendly methods, thus aligning with global efforts towards achieving Net Zero emissions and fostering a more sustainable future.

The project with Volkswagen of America (VWoA) is Life Cycle Analysis of Automotive Composite Materials. ISSE and VWoA are embarking on a detailed study of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of automotive materials. This includes an in-depth analysis of paper composites and sheet molding compounds. The project will develop a VW-specific LCA framework to conduct cradle-to-gate LCAs for these materials, examining their end-of-life scenarios and impact on carbon footprint. Additionally, the study will compare sheet molding compounds with traditional metallic automotive materials to assess their environmental benefits. The expanded objective of this initiative is to design a bespoke LCA framework for VWoA and investigate ways to significantly reduce emissions by increasing the use of fiber-based composites and optimizing the sizing characteristics of sheet molding compounds. The project aims to uncover innovative ways to integrate these materials into VWoA’s manufacturing processes, improve the environmental efficiency of their vehicles, and contribute to a more sustainable automotive industry.

Both projects are a result of ISSE’s robust commitment to forging productive relations with businesses and industries relevant to sustainability through decarbonization, resilient supply chains, cleaner fuels, Earth System Modeling, water resources, and smart manufacturing.

Empower Equality in Resilience: Kickstarting a Southeastern Climate Solutions Venture

This project, the Southeast Center for Just, Resilient, and Sustainable Ecosystems (SECURE) is funded by National Science Foundation and poised to confront the urgent challenges stemming from the climate crisis in the southeastern United States. The mission is to establish a collaborative hub that brings together academia, industry, and local communities to devise solutions for a just, resilient, and sustainable ecosystem capable of mitigating the impacts of the climate crisis. The Southeast region, which harbors a high concentration of disadvantaged communities, faces escalating risks due to climate-driven hazards, encompassing power outages, extreme weather, and limited access to resources. These challenges necessitate a comprehensive approach to disaster preparedness and mitigation, particularly as the region encounters unique events such as cool-season tornadoes and nocturnal convective weather.

The Principal Investigator, Dr. Chien-fei Chen, an environmental sociologist and research associate professor at ISSE, leads the SECURE team of 11 interdisciplinary researchers. With a focus on energy and environmental consistency, the team will develop a socio-technological integration framework.

Co-PIs are Jennifer First, Assistant Professor of Social Work, who will examine the impacts of heat and disasters, and Kelsey Ellis, Associate Professor of Geography and Sustainability, who will investigate the intersections of climatological patterns with vulnerabilities. Co-PI Hiba Baroud, an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt University, specializes in resilient infrastructure, while Co-PI Amir Jafari from Louisiana State University will lead efforts in building energy efficiency. Other senior personnel include Dr. Fran Li (CURENT) and Dr. Mingzhou Jin (ISSE) who will focus on power grid resilience and climate modeling. Dr. Xinwu Qian from the University of Alabama will work on transportation resilience, and Dr. Sanya Carley, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will focus on energy policy. Dr. Kristina Kintziger of the University of Nebraska will study the impacts of climate disasters on health. All team members bring a wide range of expertise and community engagement experiences to the project.

The project will delve into the intricate interdependence of social-environmental-technological systems, aiming to provide effective solutions for the region’s disadvantaged communities. The research will explore factors influencing community preparedness, methods for enhancing resilience across interconnected systems, the development of climate-resilient infrastructure, and pathways toward adopting clean energy. Community engagement is integral to the project, ensuring that the voices and needs of marginalized groups, including Indigenous communities, people of color, and those with disabilities, are central to the research.

Through a comprehensive approach that integrates their interdisciplinary expertise and community engagement experiences, the SECURE team envisions establishing a research center that addresses energy supply systems, the built environment, transportation networks, and health infrastructure. Ultimately, the SECURE project seeks to empower underserved communities in the Southeast with effective strategies for resilience, adaptation, and mitigation, thereby assisting them in navigating the challenges posed by the climate crisis.

A Multisource Remote Sensing-based Framework and Decision-support Tool for Flash Droughts and Floods

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) has funded a project proposed by a UTK and UTIA research team of John Schwartz (CEE, TNWRRC), Brian Lieb (UTIA), Shawn Hawkins (UTIA), Mingzhou Jin (ISE, ISSE), and Yuefeng Hao (ISSE). The funding is for $532,082 over three years.

Ninety percent of crop losses in the U.S. are related to extreme weather, with drought (44%) and excess moisture (27%) being the top two causes. These environmental effects are sensitive to both long-term change of weather patterns and short-term weather ‘shocks’ or flash droughts and floods. These short-term events have become more frequent and intense in certain regions, which adversely impacts agricultural production during the growing season. Understanding how different crop species respond to both short-term and long-term nature hazards can inform irrigation strategies and agricultural water management practices.

The project PIs will tackle these questions: (1) What is the frequency, duration, intensity, and trend of drought and flood in targeted watersheds? (2) How do different crop species respond to both short-term and long-term nature hazards in terms of irrigation and water use efficiency? (3) What is the potential increase in crop yield under different irrigation application rates? (4) What models can address the uncertainty associated with flash droughts and flash floods and balance the tradeoff among agriculture production, economic values, environmental impacts, and resilience? They will test the hypothesis that a multi-source remote sensing-based framework can optimize irrigation plans and improve irrigation and water use efficiency. This hypothesis will be tested with historical data from 2002 to 2017 and validated based on ground measurements in farmland in East Tennessee.

Developing a Sensor Platform for Rapid On-Site Detection of Field-Relevant Levels of PFAS in the Environment

PIs: Jayne Wu (EECS) and Qiang He (CEE)

Purpose: Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (pfas) have been found in various environmental media, including water, soil, sediment, and air, in both urban and rural areas. Pfas can have detrimental effects on the environment, particularly wildlife, and can also impact human health through the food chain. On-site testing for pfas in environmental media is crucial for understanding the distribution and fate of these chemicals in the environment. This understanding is critical to human health, environmental protection, regulatory compliance, and remediation strategies. Unfortunately, conventional pfas detection methods are laboratory based, time-consuming, and expensive. The researchers propose to develop a point-of-use detection system for on-site sensitive and specific detection of several kinds of pfas in water, plasma, and sediments, which are environmental matrices critical for evaluating pfas exposure and impact. The proposed system builds upon previous successes, i.e., a rapid, sensitive, and specific capacitive sensing platform using nanomaterial molecular capture probes for specific pfas species. The researchers plan to develop and incorporate sample extraction protocols for various environmental matrices and further validate the developed sensor platform and protocols with established detection methods.

Activities: The proposed on-site pfas sensor will use a unique electroanalytical sensing platform technology developed at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville known as alternating current electrokinetic capacitive (aicap) sensing. The proposed work includes (1) laboratory development and characterization of aicap sensors for pfos, pfoa, and total pfas in spiked water and plasma samples, (2) optimization of sensor protocols for pfas detection in sediment samples, and (3) benchmarking the aicap sensing of field samples against established methods and validating its effectiveness in field use.

Outcomes: The project outcome is expected to be a significant advancement in environmental monitoring and surveying. The proposed pfas detection system is designed to be user-friendly, cost-effective, energy-efficient, and compact, making it ideal for field use. The system targets pfoa, pfos, and total pfas, which are known to be harmful to public health. It is anticipated to detect pfos, pfoa, and total pfas at part-per-trillion levels with high specificity when applied to various types of field samples. Field testing of the system is expected to demonstrate a rapid turnaround time of a few minutes, operated by a lay person. Additionally, the platform can be easily reconfigured for the detection of other pfas targets not yet tested in this project by simply changing the sensor probes. Successful implementation of the proposed system will have a significant impact on protecting public health from pfas exposure.

Beneficiaries: The proposed portable pfas sensing system can provide numerous benefits to the environmental research community, regulators, and the public. A rapid, sensitive, and affordable pfas detection platform can significantly improve the surveillance and monitoring of pfas in the environment, with high temporal and spatial resolutions required for precise mapping, modeling, sourcing, predicting, and subsequent mitigation of pfas pollution and exposure. The system can aid in the characterization and remediation of contaminated sites, which is crucial for protecting human health and the environment. The system’s portability and ease-of-use can enable prompt response to pfas contamination incidents, facilitating timely intervention. Overall, such a portable pfas sensing system can have wide-ranging benefits for environmental monitoring and management, contributing to a more sustainable and healthier future.

ETFC to Work with Clean Cities Georgia and Triangle Clean Cities to Expand Coalition Reach and Validate Public EV Charging Infrastructure

Expanding Coalition Reach in the Southeast
US Department of Energy has funded Clean Cities Georgia’s SE-CCC Expansion project, according to a recent DOE Vehicle Technologies Office Funding Opportunity Announcement. East TN Clean Fuels Coalition (ETCF) will participate as a super sub-awardee and contract directly with other participating Coalitions for their roles in this project. ETCF expects to see ~$230,000 in income that will stay with the Coalition over the next two years.

Clean Cities Georgia will lead the Southeast Clean Cities Network Expansion of partner coalitions.
The Southeast Network consists of Clean Cities coalitions representing everyone in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina. As a “super-sub,” ETCF will contract directly with these participating Coalitions to help them assume administrative roles and prepare them to become fully functioning Coalition member via these aims:

Expand existing Clean Cities Coalition capacity.
Grow into new and hard-to-reach areas.
Provide training to coalitions to be more effective by offering sessions on grant management, financial management, indirect cost rate, scaling team growth, membership recruitment, time tracking for project management, performance measurement and reporting.

TEST Real-World Charging
Funded by the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, the goal of this project with Triangle Clean Cities is to assess the performance, reliability, usability, and safety conditions of AC Level 2 and DC Fast Charging (DCFC) stations across the United States from Coast to Coast. The Team-based Evaluation, Surveying & Training (TEST) for Real-World Charging project, or TEST Real-World Charging, will use Clean Cities Coalition networks of community-based organizations including EV Chapters/Clubs, community colleges, trade schools and Workforce Development Partners, State Departments of Energy and Departments of Transportation to execute a scalable, in-field methodology to assess AC Level 2 and DCFC performance, reliability, and customer experience.

TEST Real-World Charging Teams will assist in developing a training program to teach state Department of Transportation and state officials how to conduct their own field assessments of charging performance and reliability, using a single, nationally consistent methodology for all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

ETCF will serve as the super sub-awardee responsible for handling the contracting and administrative needs with the Clean Cities coalitions under a single contract with TJCOG/TCC. ETCF, led by 22-year Clean Cities Director Jonathan Overly, has substantial experience working with collaborative project teams across the country.