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By Courtney Morin ’10
Ben Towne ’09 and Diana Hasegan ’10 are working with officials in the nearby borough of Nazareth, Lafayette engineering faculty, and others on ways to reduce energy consumption at the borough’s wastewater treatment plant.
The project focuses on energy alternatives for the facility and integration into sustainable models. During interim session in January, Towne (Litchfield, N.H.), who is pursuing a B.S. in electrical and computer engineering and an A.B. with a self-designed major in community development, interviewed energy experts and government officials, evaluated energy usage at the plant, and began considering models for alternative energy sources, including wind and solar power. Hasegan (Tirgu Mures, Romania), who is pursuing a B.S. in civil engineering and an A.B. with a major in economics and business, is continuing the work through the spring semester. She is completing the review of potential energy models and will make recommendations for necessary equipment.
The students have been invited to present their results at the annual conference of Pennsylvania Water Environment Association and publish an article in the association’s journal, Keystone Water Quality Manager. They also will make a presentation on another project, “Sustainability Opportunities in Themed Living Groups,” at the inaugural Conference on Sustainability Opportunities, sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges, Feb. 20.
“Energy usage and cost continue to be a salient concern in all communities. One of the largest energy users in any community is generally water and wastewater treatment facilities,” says Art Kney, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, a mentor on the project along with Javad Tavakoli, professor of chemical engineering. Funded by Nazareth’s municipal authority, this is the second project in the Student-Mentor Research Award Program, which brings municipal officials, professional engineers, wastewater operators, and academics together on environmental projects.
“The Student-Mentor Research Award Program is important for student research because not only do students get the benefit of being involved with a research project, they are also meeting people who know the ins-and-outs of the field. The guidance and advice of these individuals is invaluable, and their expertise and experience promote a more successful and well-rounded research project,” says Lindsey Brough ’08, a civil engineering graduate who led the program’s first project, a study of better uses for biosolids, the byproduct of treated sewage, at the plant.
The program was launched in June 2007 by Kney; Dean Minnich, manager of the Nazareth Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant; PWEA; and Vermitech, an international waste management firm.