OWML: Current Projects

The goal of the ORPP is to advance the science of monitoring and assessing recreational water quality to provide beach managers with reliable, science based information to make well-informed beach closure decisions to protect public health. (more)...

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are a relatively new wastewater treatment technology in which the conventional secondary treatment or secondary with tertiary treatment processes are replaced by a membrane separation process. Although there is adequate information on the reduction of bacteria and protozoa concentrations through MBR processes, especially in drinking waters, manufacturers report variable success in reducing concentrations of viruses. (more)...

As communities in Ohio continue to work toward eliminating pollutant discharge to streams to meet to goals of the Clean Water Act, wastewater reuse through onsite wastewater treatment followed by use for irrigation is an important option. It has been estimated that only 6.4% of Ohio soils are suitable for traditional leach-line or mound septic (more)...

There is a distinct need for a method to rapidly determine concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria in recreational waters because current methods require at least 18-24 hours from sample collection to availability of results. Bacteria concentrations in the water (more)...

Current methods to determine concentrations of fecal-indicator bacteria require at least 18–24 hours from sample collection to availability of results. This time frame is too long to adequately assess the safety of the water based on recreational standards. Bacteria concentrations in the water can change overnight; and because results of the current day’s bacteria concentrations are not (more)...