Net-zero water resource recovery facilities
CME Department Seminar
March 6, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM America/Chicago
Presenter: Veera Gnaneswar Gude, PhD, Purdue University Northwest
Location: ERF 1047
Abstract: The nationwide demand for wastewater treatment is expected to grow by 25% in the next decade alone. Current (over 16,000) resource-demanding wastewater treatment systems are already responsible for direct or indirect greenhouse gas emissions of over 44 million metric tons each year. There is over $271B investment need for maintaining the nation’s wastewater and stormwater infrastructure over the next 20 years. It is also important to ensure that this level of investment is inherently profitable and a major contributor to the evolving economies. On the other hand, major issues with the current wastewater infrastructure are the infrastructure age, inefficient treatment configurations, and increasing environmental footprint. New investment opportunities can be tailored towards adopting more energy-yielding, resource-efficient, net-zero and productive treatment schemes, which will potentially replace the existing resource-demanding treatment systems.
This seminar will highlight two major routes for developing more sustainable and circular economy-based water resource recovery facilities. These are based on the well-known principles of anaerobic digestion and the bioelectrochemical synergy of wastewater microorganisms. In particular, we will examine the potential of enhanced carbon capture, codigestion of various organic waste streams and integrated anaerobic and bioelectrochemical treatment systems towards developing these net-zero water resource recovery facilities. The presentation will also discuss other applications of bioelectrochemical systems in energy recovery and emerging contaminant removal (advanced water treatment).
Speaker Bio: Dr. Veera Gnaneswar Gude is NiSource-Meyer Charitable Foundation Professor of energy and the environment in the department of mechanical and civil engineering at Purdue University Northwest. Gude is also the director of Purdue University Northwest Water Institute (PWI). Prior to this, he was a tenured full professor and Kelly Gene Cook, Sr. Endowed Chair in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Mississippi State University. Gude obtained his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from New Mexico State University. His research interests include energy, water and environment nexus, resource recovery from waste streams, and sustainable energy systems development. His research efforts received funding from federal agencies such as NSF, USEPA, USGS and USDA and other industry and international agencies. Gude published more than 150 scientific research articles and nine books on desalination, wastewater treatment and bioenergy research.
Date posted
Mar 4, 2026
Date updated
Mar 4, 2026