'Wave' time with Michel Caluwé1. What was the motivation to become the president of BIWA?
I was already involved in the board for several years. During this period I co-represented the YWP (young water professional) community. I was involved in the organisation of several YWP conferences in the BeNeLux and I was part of the IWA Emerging young water professionals steering committee. A next step to make impact as YWP could be becoming president of BIWA. During the previous years I had a very good collaboration with Ilse which was, possibly unconsciously, a good lead-up to this moment. 2. What expectations do you have from this position? I hope to get more people engaged in our community. Organise events that bring the people together, bridge with other organisations and give the floor to our valuable YWP community 3. What can the BIWA members expect from you? I will put all my positive water energy in BIWA and I’m always open to have a talk with anyone. Suggestions are always welcome. Connection is my keyword 4. Which type of new additions/changes do you plan to bring in? Do you already have immediate ideas (perhaps for an event)? My major plan is to forget the previous years were we couldn’t organise events. Let’s meet each other, connect and interact! Some save the dates for events are coming soon 😉 5. As you are a YWP yourself, can we expect more engagement from other YWP’s during your tenure? I hope so 😉 I will do what I can to get them involved and give them the opportunity to give input, idea’s and new contacts and experiences. 6. Any final words to our readers? I hope to see all of you soon! 'Wave' time with Ilse Smets1. How was your experience presiding as the BIWA president for 6 years?
It was a rewarding experience, because I had the opportunity to work together with an amazing B-IWA Board Members team and other water organizations. Although all these colleagues have an extremely busy work agenda, they still shared their time, energy and inspiration. Due to corona, it was, evidently, also a frustrating experience, given that I had and still have the feeling that we could not give our members ‘what they deserved’. 2. Why did you choose to become the president (back in the day)? What was your motivation behind it?In short: I wanted to give back. Already starting during my own PhD period, I had a very positive experience with B-IWA, especially the Happy Hours during which I also presented my own work at the time and received very positive and stimulating feedback. I became a board member by replacing a faculty colleague and experienced during these meetings that it was a very constructive and gender balanced team. I had the greatest respect for the previous presidents (Peter Goethals and Ingmar Nopens and others before them). When Ingmar asked me to become the next president, I had an informal meeting with the leading ladies of the board (Wendy Francken, Gisèle Peleman and Greet Degueldre). They were very supportive and convinced me of their unwavering support … and they kept their promise ;-) 3. If you were to continue in this position for another term, what changes/additions would you have liked to happen? More (joint) activities, hopefully also more with the Walloon water organizations. 4. Any word of advice to the new president (Michel Caluwé) from your end? He does not need my ‘advice’ ;-) He has been my much appreciated right hand for all my presidency years, so he knows all the ins and outs. I just want to thank him for taking over and want to stress that he can and should rely on his fellow board members. We are happy to help! 5. Would like to say something to our BIWA members (readers)? I like to cite Jacques Cousteau who said: “people protect what they love”. He was hoping for more respect for the marine underwater world, but we as B-IWA members love of course all that is water, whether it is fresh or salt. So, let’s keep on sharing our passion for water such that even more people get ‘bitten by the water microbe’ and eventually all people will understand and appreciate its value. 'Wave' time with Wendy Francken1. Can you give us a brief introduction of your water-related professional works?
I have been active in the water sector since 2000. Immediately after my studies, I started working as a project coordinator at VLARIO. VLARIO is the knowledge centre and consultation platform for sewerage and wastewater treatment in Flanders. 2. How did you know and later join BIWA as a broad member at the first place? I was particularly familiar with B-IWA through its connection with the European Water Association. For me, it is important to exchange knowledge and experiences and this both nationally and internationally. In this, B-IWA plays an important role. 3. As a member of BIWA, what do you think is/are the most challenging aspect(s) of this position and what are you doing to overcome this issue? B-IWA's core mission is to add value to its members. And this added value is there in several areas. Only this is not always obvious. B-IWA is the network of water professionals and this network can certainly be expanded. 4. What do you think are the most challenging issues of the future water sector? Water is the blue gold and both quality and quantity aspects will become more important in the coming years. Sufficiently pure water, not too much, not too little. The knowledge of B-IWA's members can certainly help answer these questions. 5. In your opinion, what are the roles of young water professionals in dealing with these issues? Can you share some tips for them to build up their career in this sector? YWP have a very important role to play because water is indispensable. And when it comes to water problems, Belgium has been through a lot. From droughts to floods, but also polluted rivers and low groundwater levels. We have a high water footprint with a high population density. These water problems are challenging and it are the YWP who can and should work together on the solutions. Career achievement award 2022Alain Gillis: water, a story of the heart
Alain Gillis has devoted his entire career and more to the water cycle. Alain joined the IECBW (Intercommunale des Eaux du Centre du Brabant Wallon) in October 1982 as engineer-director. Little by little, by learning the ropes and going into the trenches with his men to repair the pipes, he rose to the position of General Manager in 1993. He succeeded in raising the IECBW to the top of the Walloon intermunicipal companies and in 2008 he made the IECBW the first Belgian public company to obtain the quadruple integrated certification ISO 9001 (Quality), OHSAS 18001 (Safety), ISO 14001 (Environment), EMAS and SA 8000 (Ethics). Also involved in sewage and individual water treatment in his own municipality of Lasne as alderman for works, Alain Gillis' dream has always been to set up synergies and rationalise the water cycle in the province of Brabant Wallon. This dream was realised in 2017, when, at his instigation and in collaboration with the Director General of the IBW, the two inter-municipal organisations were merged, such that there was more coherence in the services provided to the municipalties and citizens of Brabant Wallon. In addition, Alain GILLIS was twice the president of the AQUAWAL Management Committee (1999-2000 and 2013-2014). Aquawal is the professional organization of water in the Walloon part of Belgium, so it is the counterpart of Aquaflanders in Flanders. In fact, he has always been a member of AQUAWAL's management bodies and is currently the 2nd Vice-Chairman of its Board. Furthermore, he represents BELGAQUA in the EurEau Excom and also acts as Treasurer and is the vice-president of the Public Water Management Company (SPGE). Alain Gillis ended his professional career at BW (resulting from the merger of the two intermunicipalities) on the 1st of October 2020 in the midst of the COVID health crisis. A bid of an anticlimax ! Even after his retirement, he continues to work for the water sector and has accepted the co-chairmanship of the association Classes d'eau, an association for environmental and water awareness. Furthermore, he is extremely busy as CertIBEau member to certify the water installations in Walloon buildings. In summary, throughout his career, Alain Gillis has been deeply involved in the water sector and has always defended the management of the public water service so that it remains in public hands. For all these reasons, it is clear that Alain Gillis merits to be the next name in the prestigious list of past recipients of the Water Career Achievement Awards of B-IWA |
Michel Caluwé |
B-IWA Waves (Issue 3)
Career achievement award 20211. How does it feel to receive a career achievement award that celebrates your entire professional career in the water industry?
Getting retired was not my preferred career move for the future. There are so many interesting developments ongoing in the (waste) water sector, such as: the planned revision of the European Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and other water related legislation, the increasing need to cope with the challenges of climate change, energy issues, the development of new technologies to effectively reduce emerging micropollutants, such as pharmaceuticals, in the water cycle, …. Getting this award makes me realize that the current position and realisations of the water sector were only possible due to the hard work and expertise of many dedicated persons thus far. It also makes me realize that I was part of this and that B-IWA and current generations appreciate and recognise this. It makes me feel very proud. 2. Do you have any standout moments while working for this industry? If so, then could you describe them in brief? When I started my career in Aquafin in 1992, much was moving in the water world. Most of the Flemish water courses had a bad water quality and a lot needed to be done. Aquafin was a young company, so from the start I was involved in defining - and developing new - technologies for wastewater and sludge treatment, advising on building infrastructure and on operating these once realized. So it is difficult to refer to any specific achievements for my company itself. The most important one is that from the start of my career, I tried to include ecological considerations in the activities of our industry. Now everybody is aiming for a sustainable environment, which is far broader, but this was not always a reason to reconsider planned investments or activities. Therefore, I am especially proud to have contributed to the development of Aquafin into the company it has become today: a reference in the world of collecting and treating urban wastewater and implementing integrated water management, performing its activities in a sustainable way. More in general, I am proud of having had a contribution in the growth of the Flemish water sector as a whole. I used my position in Aquafin to support the establishment of TNAV, now watercircle.be and of Vlakwa. I am glad to see that both associations were able to thrive and grow, despite not everybody at that time was convinced of their added value. Also, I had the opportunity to travel around for meetings and conferences within Flanders, Europe and worldwide. This allowed me to meet a lot of interesting people active in the water world and, I must admit, we also had a lot of fun together. It leaves me with a lot of good memories and very nice moments that we spent together. 3. Do you have any advice for the young water professionals (YWPs)? There are many opportunities for professionals in the water sector, going from research and innovation to specific operational expertise, spanning a wide range of technologies, modelling, digitalisation, analyses and data collection, …. So I think it is important to chose what suits you best. And then, just put enough time in high quality work and go into discussions. Realize that what seems not feasible today, because of lack of efficiency or financial resources, will become mainstream in the near future. Use your colleague-experts and relevant stakeholders to push to get things done. But most of all, be open to build further with new ideas based on previous achievements and the right ecological mindset. 4. How do you view the significance of B-IWA within the Belgian water community? B-IWA has a special place in the Belgian water sector. It is the global network of individual professionals, experts and students involved in research and innovation on water technology and water management for the whole of Belgium, that is also linked to IWA, the International Water Association. The members are mostly individuals and the relatively low members’ fee allows easy access. This makes the association the best place to get in touch with interested stakeholders, young or ‘less young’, and to discuss current and future strategies for water related topics, apart from the interests of water companies or public administrations. The only drawback may be that the functioning of the association relies on the non-binding input of dedicated members. However, I am reassured that this will not be a problem in the short term, as many young water professionals already became member of the executive board before my retirement. Best research development collaboration award 20211. How does it feel to receive the research collaboration award? I am now retired but it is still a pleasure that my work has been recognized by colleagues. 2. When and how did you start your collaboration with Vietnamese research institutions? Partner with Gent university ( Pr Niels De Pauw) for the preliminary design of the Tan Hoa Lo Gom wastewater treatment plant (project management unit 415, 2000-2004). This was the first WWTP in Ho Chi Minh City,. build by the Balteau company it has been cofounded by CTB-BTC. The first team of operators for this plant has been trained in Belgium. This was the beginning also of collaboration with various Vietnamese Universities (Technical University of HCMC, National University of Vietnam, Hanoi.) and research centers (VAST- Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology) 3. Do you think that there is more need of research collaborations with developing countries? How can this be further improved? There is still a large need for water management, water sanitation, but also solid waste management in many developing countries. Of course a large part of the problem is due to the lack of investments in those sectors, but there is also a large need for trained operators, engineers, laboratories and consulting. Thus collaborations with research centers and universities of more developed countries is very useful especially to develop appropriate technologies. For example in Africa, Asia… many persons went from no phone at all directly to cell phones. In the field of sanitation, some technologies that have been developed in western countries could be skipped to select technologies more appropriate to local cases, especially if recycling and reuse are needed. But his implies a work to define the needs for water and the quality needed for the reuse. Best research award 20211. How does it feel to receive the ‘Research award’ for your research paper?
I am very honoured! Receiving the B-IWA Research Award is an exciting recognition of the quality of our research. It shows that our research is not only of value to the academic world, but also finds its way to industrial applications, which gives it an extra dimension. 2. Could you elaborate a bit more on your topic? The research paper focuses on online monitoring of microbial drinking water quality in a full-scale water tower, with flow cytometry. With this relatively novel technique, we were able to capture the microbial dynamics in a fast and sensitive way, and we could detect microbial water quality changes caused by operational alterations. If you would like to know more, I can highly recommend the full paper! The paper frames within my PhD topic of drinking water biostability. “Biostability” is a concept in which we aim to produce and distribute microbially safe drinking water without using any disinfectant residual, like chlorine. Instead, we focus on steering the microbial community in such a way that it remains stable from the production site to the tap. My research is in close collaboration with the Flemish drinking water sector (Aquaflanders), and contributes to a larger SBO project called BIOSTABLE (FWO), which combines the efforts of different disciplines and multiple researchers within the CAPTURE research platform (https://capture-resources.be/projects/biostable). 3. What is your next career step? I am currently working on the last research projects of my PhD, and I hope to wrap everything up by the end of 2022. After that, I have not made any concrete plans yet. With changing source water quality and development of circular approaches, water treatment still harbours many industrial challenges and interesting research questions, so I would like to contribute in either way! 4. Have you previously attended the Academia meets Industry event? If so, how was your experience? Yes! I think the event is very relevant for the water sector, as water treatment and quality entail so many aspects. Bridging the gap between research and industry remains a challenge, and events like this allow different profiles to connect, exchange ideas and set up new collaborations. 5. Do you think we need to organize more activities for the Young Water Professionals (YWP), in order to engage them more? Do you have any suggestions? Based on the big success of the last YWP conference and the enthusiasm of both researchers and water professionals, I believe it could be valuable to establish an official Belgian YWP organization as a part of B-IWA (like in Denmark, Italy,…). In this setting we could start organizing smaller, but more regular events, such as interesting talks or networking events. This way, I think new opportunities will be created for young researchers and water professionals to develop their network, set up interesting collaborations and make a greater impact with their work. |
Greet De Gueldre
Jean |
B-IWA Waves (Issue 2)
"HELDER" podcast - season 21. What can we expect in the 2nd season of the HELDER podcast?
More of the same, interesting content! The set-up is the same, but the experts and questions are different. 2. Can you mention some specific topics that are different from the 1st season? The season begins with an episode about the water footprint and how it’s calculated. We also talk about some of the sources for drinking water; groundwater, surface water and brackish water. In the last episode, we learn a lot about plastics; both in the form of bottled water and microplastics in our waters. 3. What are some take home messages for the audience? The first thing that comes to mind is that most of our available fresh water sources are underground, hidden from view! There is much more groundwater then there is surface water. Another one is that 40% of all of the drinking water in Flanders comes from the Albert Channel! 4. Any interviewees who stand out in particular, in your mind? I’m very happy I got to talk to some more women in this season: Kim, Marijke and Ellen were such an inspiration to talk to. 5. Did your dad also participate in this one, like the last time? Yes, we had a lot of fun and enjoyed being able to record in person again! 6. For the people who did not follow season 1, should they follow this one and why? There are so many reasons! My main goal when I started the podcast, was that I want to bring information about our water in an easy-to-digest format. There’s something for everyone and it’s explained in a way that’s easy to understand. You don’t even have to listen to the whole season(s), you can just pick and choose the topics that you’re most interested in. 7. Can we expect a season 3, perhaps? I’d love to make a third season, and there are certainly enough topics left to discuss, but I don’t think it will come soon. Together with Toon Verlinden and based on the experience with the first two seasons, there is now a book that goes more into depth though; Weg van water describes the history of drinking water and wastewater treatment in Belgium, and includes a lot more information than we could ever get into a podcast! 8. Are there any fans of the podcast that contacted you directly, after listening? I am very proud to say that I indeed have met some people that I didn’t know before that listen to the podcast. The most memorable encounter was after Toon and I gave a talk at the Sound of Sounce Nights about the book, and a couple came up to me to ask if my dad was also present, because they wanted his autograph as well! I guess he has some fans too. I also receive e-mails and messages through social media from people that likes the podcast, have questions (which I happily answer) or suggestions for new episodes. 9 .Have you felt a “real impact” of your podcast, for example in the habit or perception of people? It’s hard to estimate the direct impact of one type of medium, but I do feel there is a general mindshift going on, where people are more aware of the value of water and I’d like to thing I contributed to that a little bit |
Marjolein Vanoppen |
B-IWA Waves (Issue 1)
Bidding adieu to Dr. Christian Legros1. When did you start volunteering at B-IWA? Could you describe your experience here?
I started to know about both IWSA (International Association of Water Services) and IAWPRC (International Association on Water Pollution Research and Control) who were active in these respective fields before their fusion to IWA in 1999 shortly after being engaged as director of Belgaqua (at that time still ANSEAU/NAVEWA). My contacts were obviously more intense with the drinking water side at that time as Belgaqua itself was the national committee of IWSA. My colleague Nicole van Eylen at the secretariat was more connected to the Belgian committee of IAWPRC. This association focussed on waste water and water quality in the environment in a broader sense and organized a yearly seminar where water scientists and people from the industry as well as regulators were involved. 2. What did you enjoy/like the most about this organization? Is there anything that you didn’t enjoy/like? Having been active in other field before joining Belgaqua, I got to discover a lot of issues about water and taking part to the activities of these committees and at international level up to the Governing assembly of IWSA gave me amazing opportunities to learn a lot and be part of it, discovering many nice people and sharing knowledge. The World Congresses were organized in different parts of the world. Those I took part to happened in Budapest, Durban, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Paris, Berlin and many other cities. In the first years, Belgaqua organized group travels with more than 60 people and touring around the host countries during one post-congress week. A lot of adventures and responsibilities for the shepherd ! Later on, this vanished due to more stringent company governance rules and each participant had to manage her/his own participation and travel. 3. Your association has been very long with B-IWA.. Would you have any words of wisdom for the current and future B-IWA members? B-IWA members are all alert and devoted to their job. A new generation has shown up and this gives much confidence about the future. Very important is the keep our minds wide open and look all around. For scientists it is also good and interesting to know, discover and link to history, social sciences, education, economics, welfare and why not sports. In a few words: be part of humanity. 4. In the future, do you intend to stay connected with us on some level? I would really appreciate to remain member and take part to B-IWA activities even after leaving the professional lifetime, just for fun. But let's be realistic: it is time for the new generation to pick-up. 5. Can you give an inspiring message to motivate the YWP’s? Humanity has to tackle unprecedented challenges to keep a sustainable environment with the growing population and climate change and all its consequences including migration stress and conflicts. As a young scientist I had the opportunity to be part of the first small group who warned against this threat with no or just a tiny audience. It is now time to act resolutely and one got the feeling that it is always "too little, too late". But this is just a reason more to engage. 6. Do you think B-IWA will keep its significance in the future? On which aspect should they focus more on? Every organization needs to adapt to its changing environment and so will B-IWA do. Considering all what needs to be done and enhance cooperation on a broader scale B-IWA and fellow organizations have a clear role to play. No room for competition, bring people together. A short CV of Christian: I was born in 1955 in Wilrijk (Antwerp) where I lived up to the age of 7. Then our family moved to Waterloo. I studied Physics at the faculty of Namur (batchelor) and subsequently at UCL in Louvain-la-Neuve (licence). My scientific memoire was about "sensitivity analysis of bi-gaussian models for the dispersion of atmospheric pollution" in the department of meteorology under supervision of Prof. André Berger. My first short jobs and contracts remained in this field, with in between periods of unemployment. I was indeed part of the first generation of scientists to share the problems related to the upsurge of restrictions in the wake of the economic crisis. At the turn of the 1980's, the care for environment faded at political level and I switched to the energy saving field, as manager of the R&D program at the Science Policy Office (Prime Minister Department). This was brutally terminated in 1986 by the new government and especially the young Deputy Prime Minister Guy Verhofstad whose nick name at that time was "Baby-Thatcher". Surely wisdom grew with years passing and knowing more about the world… Thus moving to the national coordination of the "Eureka !" initiative and technology development programs. I left the Science Policy Office in 1990 and switched to management consulting and in parallel following a 3rd cycle in business administration at IAG at Louvain-la-Neuve. This experience of management consulting was a mismatch but a very instructive step to know in which direction to move on. All this lead me to become director of Belgaqua in 1992. My 17th job and this time for a long period. "HELDER" podcast - season 11. What was the motivation to host a podcast (and why not conduct a seminar/presentation)?
I strongly believe in the one nail, multiple hammers principal: bring the same message in many different ways and you will reach more people and eventually evoke change. I was already engaging with media, writing, speaking, … so a podcast was a logical next step, especially since I love listening to them myself. It’s a way to reach yet other people compared to my other activities. 2. Why did you choose this topic for the podcast? Why did you choose this name “HELDER” specifically? Water plays a very important part in my (professional) life and has for many years now. Throughout the years I’ve notices that there are still a lot of misconceptions about our water and things people simply do not know. Where does it come from? How is it produced? Is it safe? I wanted to tackle those in a simple and clear way in the podcast. That also explains the name, which has two meanings in Dutch (and in fact in English): ‘HELDER’ means ‘clear’. I want my explanation to be clear as much as people like to have clear water. 3. Could you tell our readers a bit more about it? Why should we listen to it (for the ones who haven’t done it yet) and is there a message to us as a society? In short, 20-ish minute long episodes, I try to provide an answer to everyday questions about water. I do this together with my dad, who is no scientist, but has a healthy interest in science and sustainability. With our questions, I approach experts and all of that together provides a lot of insight. The main message is that our drinking water is safe and healthy, and that we should not take it for granted! 4. Everyone seems to have enjoyed your dad’s presence in the episodes. How did he come on-board and how was the experience? It’s great to have him on board! We joke that we should have started recording our conversations long ago since people seem to like them so much. He’s always been very interested in science and in what I do, so we’ve always had these kitchen table conversations. He asks very critical questions and often questions that I had never thought about or things that I found very obvious. When working on the concept for the podcast, we quickly realised that to reach the target audience we wanted, we needed an approachable side-kick, someone that represented that audience. And that’s how my dad came on board. 5. How many people did you interview for it? Any particular names that stand out? For the first season, I interviewed 8 experts. I was in the process of making an appointment with prof. Arjen Hoekstra to interview him on the water footprint. He’s THE expert when it comes to that subject, but unfortunately he unexpectedly passed away before I could talk to him, which I regret deeply. Of course the name that stands out to me the most is Frank Deboosere, our national weather guy. He is truly a pleasure to talk to and I’m very proud that we could get him on the podcast (and that I was a guest on his!). 6. Would you recommend other’s to make a podcast? What are the most important things that you learnt yourself from it? Making a podcast is fun, but I always want to encourage people to find forms of communication that they like themselves and that they are comfortable with. The most important thing I learnt is to not underestimate the time and money it takes to make something that sounds professional. It is very important to have a good concept before starting. Who will be your audience, what is the best way to reach them, what is your story and why would a podcast be the best way to realize all of that? I have also gained a deep respect for audio-technicians and how they can make everything sound better and easier to listen to. 7. Any memorable things to share from the shoot? Any bloopers that were not taken up in the final podcast? I actually have a separate folder on my computer called ‘dad-jokes’ in which I’m compiling some audio snippets of my dad making jokes. Not sure if they’ll ever see the light of day though… might just be for me J 8. Can we expect a season 2 of HELDER? Yes! And interviews have recently started! I’m very happy to have sponsors again and to be able to make a second season. We’ll be talking about groundwater, the water footprint, surface water, alternative sources for drinking water and many other topics… A lot of my experiences have also lead to a book, mainly written by Toon Verlinden, with my help, which will come out in May 2020! See https://www.academiapress.be/nl/weg-van-water Kudos to Dr. Michel Caluwé1. How did you realise that this position was appropriate for you and from where did you learn about it? I’m already a while involved in IWA, mainly in the IWA YWP Benelux group. True the IWA connect platform I’m trying to following the YWP community world wide a bit. In 2019 – 2020 I was intensely involved in the organisation of the 6th YWP Benelux conference that was held in Luxembourg. After the conference was finished, I was looking for a new adventure. Shortly after the conference I received an email from IWA with a call to apply for the IWA Emerging Water Leaders Steering Committee (EWLSC). I applied and so it happened. I will be 2 years member now of this committee.
2. Your first reaction when the results were announced? I was very excited. It was a nice recognition for the things that I did in the past and it gave me a boost to continue creating changes for other people and mostly to inspire people. 3. Could you briefly describe your tasks as an “Events and Communications Manager”? At this time we are still working on a strategic plan with the team. Based on the outcomes and the goals that will be set we will try to implement them in (online) events and conferences to get a maximal exposure and impact. 4.Do you think that can we expect for visibility for B-IWA, on the international forum, because of this? It’s difficult to address already specific actions that will result in more visibility for B-IWA. Of course I will do the best I can to realise that. Although, maybe we should think in the other way around? I think it can be an opportunity for B-IWA to make additional connections world wide and bridge YWP. Any ideas for that are more than welcome! Successful collaboration between B-IWA and Watercircle1. How was your experience in hosting the “meet and greet” for students? How many students participated in it?
This was already the 3th time watercircle.be organized the speed date between students and the industry. Extra challenging this year was the online part. We had no clue what to expect from online “job interview” but were very satisfied with the result. We got a higher response rate from the students, as well as, more divers profiles and different universities on board. It seems they were more eager to participate to an online event. This was undoubtedly due to the rising success of Academia Meets Industry and the co-collaboration with B-IWA. This year we had 18 participating students (in comparison in 2019 we had 15 students (most of them from UGent). In 2018 we only had 12 participating students, all from KU Leuven) 2. How many industrial partners took part in it? Could you name a few, if possible? 5 industrial partners: Blue Foot Membranes, Bosaq, Endress+Hauser, Gea and Procter&Gamble 3. What was the main agenda to hold such an event? Was it fruitful for students looking for opportunities post their Master/PhD studies? We want to give students the opportunity to scout the market. To learn what it is to do a job interview, what they might expect. On the other hand this event makes the water industry accessible. Apart from interacting with companies during the speed date, during a real life edition, a network reception offers the necessary platform for them to interact with industrial partners. On the other hand, for the participating companies, they can scout for new employees. 4. Are you aware of any successful transition scenario(s) from academia to industry, through these events? See our one newsletter from January 2021 https://watercircle.be/homepage/watercircle-be/nieuwsbrief/academia-meets-industry-in-de-praktijk/) 5. Did you face any glitches due to the online format of the event? Not really a glitch, but we did miss the aspects of meeting each other in real life with warm and lively conversations accompanied by a drink. 6. Any word of advice for future job seekers, on why they should attend this event in particular? It is a really low effort accessible way to get in touch with industry and thus your future career opportunities. The water world is a small world, and with this AMI event we gather most the technology providers in one place. Every participant also gets a word of advice: be bold (but not too much), prepare yourself (look up the companies you want to know more about, look up the CEO’s on LinkedIn, also check the member page on the watercircle.be website for more information) Besides that, Matthias and myself are very young and are approachable for students if they have questions regarding a company, or if they want us to introduce them, we are more than happy to help out. Extra information for the industries and students from the AMI event Academia Meets Industry (AMI) is a yearly returning evens of watercircle.be. Since 2020 a collaboration was started with B-IWA to organise this event and to make the programm. during this event, a bridge is make between industry and academia. we focus on collaboration!
Click here for more information Best research development collaboration award 2020The project VLIR-UOS Biodiversity Network (2013-2022) aims to train water professionals, via the establishment of innovative research-based master programmes, a PhD programme on natural resources management and a robust linkage to various relevant stakeholders across the country (https://www.vliruos.be/en/projects/project/22?pid=4331, http://www.vlirnetworkecuador.com/). The activities are interuniversity in nature, promoting team teaching and collaboration between universities in Ecuador and Belgium.
Prof. Dr. Luis Dominguez was actively involved in the project proposal development and has been the coordinator of the subproject water resources management. Since the start, Marie Anne Eurie Forio is functioning as scientific coordinator of the project. The project resulted in the collaboration of numerous and diverse activities related to water research, education and management. Among these are the establishment and development of innovative distance-learning programmes and research-based education, that were valuable experiences for dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. Several water sampling campaigns were setup in Ecuador in cooperation with local water managers: two huge campaigns in Guayas basin (as large as whole Belgium), three in the Galapagos islands, two in Cuenca basin and short campaigns in Antisana glacier rivers, Amazon basin, Yahuarcocha lake in Ibarra, and Portoviejo basin. The campaigns were coordinated by both scientists and generated valuable information based on the collaborative involvement of many Flemish researchers and students, and have resulted in the publication of more than 25 scientific articles in water-related topics in the WOS-indexed journals. Fourteen of the published articles were co-authored by Marie Anne and Luis (https://www.researchgate.net/project/VLIR-Ecuador-Network). Noteworthy, the publications and related training activities raised awareness among local water managers leading them to gradually enact on the water-related problems within the country. The data obtained during the sampling campaigns were used in the PhD thesis of Marie Anne Forio (Promoter: Prof. Olivier Thas) and also enabled the generation of 12 master theses. Aside from the scientific outputs, the cooperation also generated the basis for the organization of international IWA-IDB Innovation conference in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Both applicants played a major role in the organisation (https://www.globalsustainablewater.org/). In particular, the conference focused on the implementation of innovation for sustainability in the water sector and was the first international event in Ecuador where water professionals of the region interacted with the academic, NGOs, private and public sectors. The organization of the conference gave way to the start-up of the IWA national chapter and Young Water Professionals in Ecuador (https://www.globalsustainablewater.org/iwa-membership-promotion.html). The project was also the basis to synergistic projects such as Watermas, an ERASMUS+ EU-project on introducing water and climate change issues in academic curricula (https://www.watermas.eu/, https://www.watermas.eu/team-corporate/) and the VLIR-UOS NSS project on the development of E-learning tools for water resources management (https://sustainablewaterresources.weebly.com/). The collaboration enhanced local knowledge about current trends and threats to water resources due to land use in Ecuador, especially in the Guayas basin, home of more than 5 million people, and provided a knowledge transfer towards the adoption of innovative methodologies for sustainable water management in whole Ecuador. National-level collaboration (in Belgium and Ecuador) was moreover achieved through international mobility of professors and students within the network. Best research award 2020Publications: Ho, L. T., Alvarado, A., Larriva, J., Pompeu, C., and Goethals, P.: An integrated mechanistic modeling of a facultative pond: Parameter estimation and uncertainty analysis, Water Res, 151, 170-182, 10.1016/j.watres.2018.12.018, 2019.
Summary: More than 80% of wastewater from human activities is currently being directly discharged into rivers and seas with no treatment (United Nations 2015). Over the past decennia, centralized and high-technology-based wastewater treatment has emerged as a successful solution in many cities of industrialized countries. However, this conventional wastewater management concept is facing an issue of affordability. In this regard, nature-based approaches have become cost-effective alternatives to treat wastewater, as acknowledged by various researchers and institutions, including the World Bank and WHO (Massoud et al. 2009). Nature-based treatment systems are simple and cost-effective technologies with resilience capacity towards climate change (Ho et al. 2018). Consequently, systems like waste stabilization ponds (WSPs), have been applied for domestic wastewater treatment on a global scale (Ho et al. 2017). In fact, WSPs are ubiquitous. In the US, more than half of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are WSPs (ca. 8,000 facilities) which are also the first choice for nearly all remote communities in Northern Canada (Ho and Goethals 2020). In Europe, WSPs comprise 20% of the total number of urban WWTPs in France and 33% of the WWTPs in Germany (Mara 2009). Nevertheless, pond treatment systems still need to overcome their major drawbacks, such as the high land occupation, inconsistent performance throughout the year and low nutrient removal efficiency (Li et al. 2018). One of the main reasons is the lack of an in-depth understanding of their complex mechanisms, being reflected by the absence of a state-of-the-art framework of WSP design and operation models. This research developed an integrated mechanistic model simulating not only biogeochemical processes of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus removal, but also the hydraulic and physical processes of a facultative pond in combination with a systematic investigation on model calibration and validation. Despite the high variability of the influent and the climate conditions, the developed WSP model showed a good reliability, based on the agreement between the predictions and observed data. A sensitivity analysis on pond modeling shedded light on the most influential parameters of the pond performance, while a systematic model identification helped to minimize uncertainty and increase robustness. In summary, this research provided advanced insights into pond treatment mechanism regarding both biogeochemical and hydrodynamic processes that could be used to optimize the design and operation of WSPs, and thus maximize benefits and minimize drawbacks of WSPs. In a follow-up study, the value of this treatment technology has been analyzed in the context of its contribution to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (Ho and Goethals 2019). Learning from this sustainability assessment, in a recent review, a combination of innovative ideas were elaborated to tackle remaining limitations of this pond treatment technology and improve its potential as sustainable ecological engineering solution (Ho and Goethals 2020). References Ho, L. and Goethals, P. (2019) Opportunities and Challenges for the Sustainability of Lakes and Reservoirs in Relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Water 11(7), 1462 Ho, L. and Goethals, P. (2020) Municipal wastewater treatment with pond technology: Historical review and future outlook. Ecological Engineering 148, 105791 Ho, L., et al. (2018) Statistically-Based Comparison of the Removal Efficiencies and Resilience Capacities between Conventional and Natural Wastewater Treatment Systems: A Peak Load Scenario. Water 10(3), 328 Ho, L.T., et al. (2017) Design of waste stabilization pond systems: A review. Water Research 123, 236-248 Li, M., et al. (2018) On the hydrodynamics and treatment efficiency of waste stabilisation ponds: From a literature review to a strategic evaluation framework. Journal of Cleaner Production 183, 495-514 Mara, D.D. (2009) Waste stabilization ponds: Past, present and future. Desalination and Water Treatment 4(1-3), 85-88 Massoud, M.A., et al. (2009) Decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management: Applicability in developing countries. Journal of Environmental Management 90(1), 652-659 United Nations, D.o.E. (2015) The Millennium Development Goals Report 2015, United Nations Publications. Best MSc thesis award 2020Publications: Biostable water, a sustainable solution for the drinking water sector to prevent invasion of pathogens during distibution?
Summary: Every year, the Flanders water technology network watercircle.be awards young engineers for their promising research for the water industry. This year, CMET’s Fien Waegenaar won the first price for her master thesis ‘Biostable water, a sustainable solution for the drinking water sector to prevent invasion of pathogens during distribution?' (2019-2020). This work is the result of a successful collaboration between Ghent University and the Flemish drinking water sector (Aquaflanders). In order to quantify biostable drinking water, Fien examined the invasion potential for two common drinking water coliforms. Next to that, Fien could demonstrate the benefits of online monitoring of drinking water to manage the drinking water quality in practice. Together with the CAPTURE Water partners Pidpa, FARYS, De Watergroep and Water-link, she performed a biological online monitoring project at the drinking water treatment plant in Kluizen. She compared different online monitoring devices and determined the detection limit towards contaminations, such as rainwater. The project revealed a lot of promising opportunities for the use of real-time monitoring in routine analysis of drinking water quality. In the coming years, the research team has the ambition to develop an early-warning system for the water industry. Fien was guided by her proud promotors Prof. Nico Boon and Prof. Bart De Gusseme and her tutor Ir. Jorien Favere. Fien recently started working on a PhD in close collaboration with the Flemish drinking water sector (Aquaflanders). Her research is part of a larger SBO project called BIOSTABLE (FWO), which combines the efforts of numerous disciplines and researchers within the CAPTURE research platform (https://capture-resources.be/projects/biostable). Contact details Ir. Fien Waegenaar Ir. Jorien Favere Prof. dr. ir. Nico Boon Prof. dr. ir. Bart De Gusseme CMET Abstract thesis: Having access to safe and clean drinking water is a basic human right, as drinking water is an essential food product. Drinking water providers ensure safe and microbial qualitative drinking water at the end of the drinking water treatment by advanced treatment processes and the addition of disinfectants. However, these disinfectants, such as chlorine, may promote bacterial regrowth during distribution when the residual disinfectant is depleted. Moreover, the addition of chlorine enhances the formation of carcinogenic disinfection by-products. Producing biostable water is an alternative approach for these disinfection strategies. This concept implies that no changes may occur in the concentrations and composition of the microbial community during drinking water distribution, without the addition of disinfectants. The production of biostable drinking water will be more and more important in future. It is therefore of utmost importance to monitor the bacterial concentration and the presence of indicator organisms to ensure safe and qualitative drinking water at the tap. In a first part of this thesis, a biological online monitoring project was performed at the drinking water treatment plant in Kluizen, in which different online monitoring devices were compared. In short, enzymatic techniques, optical analyses, and a technique based on ATP measurements were evaluated. Furthermore, different contaminations were spiked to determine the detection limit of the devices, and it was concluded that a contamination, with for example rainwater, first resulted in an increase in enzymatic activity and the ATP concentrations. Additionally, the objective was to relate operational changes in the production process to changes in the bacterial community determined with the devices. It was shown that backwashing of the activated carbon filters and interruption of the production process resulted in an increase of the bacterial concentration. In a second part, the aim was to determine the invasion potential of two coliforms in tap water. Therefore, growth experiments were performed, in which the concentration of the invader and the total bacterial concentration were determined with flow cytometry. In addition, experiments were performed to determine the carrying capacity of tap water for each invader. The invaders were not able to grow in tap water, even though they were able to establish in tap water. Finally, the sensitivity of chlorination towards coliforms was determined. It was shown that the coliform Lelliottia amnigena was more resistant against chlorination than the indigenous drinking water community. |
Christian Legros
Marjolein Vanoppen
Michel Caluwé
Matthias Mertens
Valérie Verjans
Luis Dominguez
Marie Anne Eurie Forio
Long Ho
Fien Waegenaar |