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Thoughts From Engineers: Smart Tech Steps into the Spot (Flood) Light

May 5, 2023 - in Articles, Column

Any homeowner who has taken advantage of the myriad doorbell cameras, home thermostats, motion sensors and other smart devices available in the market knows the value smart tech brings to home security. (“I can’t be everywhere at once,” the thinking…

Thoughts From Engineers: A Toxic Fix? Another Chemical Disaster Makes Headlines

March 24, 2023 - in Articles, Column

The lives of working-class folks tragically intersected with a load of hazardous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, in early February 2023. Zoning…

Thoughts From Engineers: Precipitation Estimates That Make Us or Break Us

February 2, 2023 - in Articles, Column

On the eve of the New Year, in a one-two move suggestive of a “prepper” mentality, the U.S. Congress passed two laws that address the issues of national…

Thoughts From Engineers: Where the Water Will Go

November 28, 2022 - in Articles, Column

The local waterfront pub you’ve been in the habit of visiting for burgers and fries on Friday night is very likely to be flooded several times a year by the year 2050. Moreover, if past development patterns are anything to go by, this historic eatery…

Thoughts From Engineers: When Cities in the Midwest Run Dry

May 27, 2022 - in Articles, Column

The states surrounding the Great Lakes have always been a bit smug about the bounty of freshwater on their doorstep. These states have been equally vigilant about keeping this resource close and have drafted laws to protect this enormous concentration…

Thoughts From Engineers: On Shaky Ground: The Effect of Human Activity on Drinking Water

April 28, 2022 - in Articles, Column

The results of a study examining the relationship between land use and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) contamination were published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology in February 2022 (bit.ly/PFAS2022).…

Thoughts From Engineers: Microplastics: An Unavoidable Reality of Modern Life?

August 27, 2021 - in Articles, Column

Our dependence on plastics, most of which are based on a formula developed from coal, natural gas and crude oil, is another aspect of our deep-rooted reliance on fossil fuels. The battle to move away from these fuels to support our way of life is best described…

Thoughts From Engineers: Water Reuse Enters the Spotlight

July 27, 2021 - in Articles, Column

The Wichita Falls Resource Recovery Facility in Wichita Falls, Texas, became a national model for indirect potable reuse (IPR) in 2018 when it captured, disinfected, filtered and oxygenated wastewater before delivering roughly 20 million gallons a day…