Water Resource Management Commons^™

Harnessing Backcasting To Identify Drivers Of Critical Warming At Hoover Dam Using Hydrodynamic And Machine Learning Models, Eunice Ledres

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Elevated water temperatures can pose a significant threat to dam infrastructure, potentially damaging turbines, overheating internal components, and forcing generator shutdowns. This study uses a backcasting framework to evaluate how future scenarios may result in elevated water temperatures. Backcasting defines undesirable outcomes and works backward to identify the conditions that lead to them. The developed backcasting framework integrates 3D physics-based simulations with a Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM)surrogate model and SHapely Additive exPlanations (SHAP) interpretation. The combination captures temporal water temperature dynamics and quantifies the contributions of different drivers to elevated water temperature releases. As proof of concept, these methods are …

Shallow Groundwater Extraction Strategies In The Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, Teryl Stacey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Las Vegas Valley faces severe water scarcity due to Nevada’s limited Colorado River allocation and an arid climate. Population growth and prolonged drought have intensified these constraints, necessitating alternative resource strategies. This project evaluated a strategy to make use of brackish, shallow groundwater (from the top 30 feet below ground surface) located in the central and east-central parts of the valley. Its objective was to extract lower quality shallow groundwater for use as an alternative to fresh water currently being used for some applications that require little to no treatment. Dust suppression is among the most promising of such …

U.S. Water Infrastructure: Diving Into Needs And Recent Policy Developments, Joseph Kane

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presents a lecture titled, "U.S. Water Infrastructure: Diving Into Needs and Recent Policy Developments" by Brookings fellow in Brookings Metro, Joseph Kane. Whether providing drinking water, treating wastewater, or managing stormwater, water infrastructure in the United States spans a wide range of human-made and natural systems. In turn, the enormous scale and variety of these systems is leading to an array of challenges: aging and vulnerable infrastructure; fragmented governance and siloed planning across different geographies; a lack of financial, technical, and managerial capacity; difficulties adapting to new industrial and …

Hot Spring Associated Infectious Diseases In The Great Basin And Southwest, Matthew Bentz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Like all bodies of freshwater, natural hot springs can harbor pathogenic microorganisms that carry the threat of infectious disease. The unique chemistry, increased temperature, and popularity for bathing may alter the risk profile of hot springs compared to other natural bodies of water. Despite this risk, the role of hot springs as a reservoir for infectious diseases remains understudied, particularly within the context of regional public health. Nevada and the Great Basin/Southwest have increasingly promoted hot springs for the purposes of tourism, and they share a strong link to the cultural heritage of the region. The unknown risk profile and …

Climate Change And Hydropower Development Impacts In The Lower Mekong Basin, Nudthawud Homtong

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Mekong River Basin is vital to East and Southeast Asia, supporting over 60 million people and sustaining critical ecological systems. However, the basin faces dual threats from climate change and hydropower development, jeopardizing its ecological balance, hydrological patterns, and resource reliability. This research focuses on the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB), where aggressive hydropower expansion and climate variability have intensified concerns about sustainable water management. The study is divided into three interconnected parts. Part I examines spatial and temporal precipitation patterns in the Chi-Mun Basin (CMB) and Lower Mekong River (LMR) from 1950 to 2008, using linear regression and Mann-Kendall …

Dry And Wet Deposition Of Atmospheric Microplastics In Las Vegas, Nevada, Laine Adame

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Plastics have been one of the most widely used man-made materials since their inception, and production is expected to grow by five percent every year. Plastic waste has become a growing global environmental issue. Primary MPs are plastics that are created to be intentionally tiny for their specific functional purpose. Secondary microplastics (MPs) are byproducts of plastic waste occurring due to the breakdown of larger plastics resulting in the presence and accumulation of MPs in the environment. MPs are defined as tiny particles of plastic between 5 mm and 1 μm in size. MPs have been found in the deep …

Uptake Of Contaminants Of Emerging Concerns (Cecs) By Plants Irrigated With Recycled Waters, Abid Hussain

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The increasing demand for water in arid and semi-arid regions necessitates the use of recycled water (RW) for irrigation. RW is a viable alternative to conventional irrigation water at most locations, but it can be a major route for contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs) to be taken up by the tissues of food crops, thereby leading to their subsequent entry into the food chain. CECs include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and industrial chemicals that are generally present at low concentrations in environmental waters, hence their common designation as trace organic compounds (TOrCs), and CECs also include microbiological constituents such as …

Addressing Low Molecular Weight Chemical Peaking Events During Direct Potable Reuse By Granular And Biological Activated Carbon, Ceonie Washington

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) is an innovative solution designed to address water scarcity by treating wastewater to directly produce safe drinking water. As droughts and water shortages become more frequent, DPR offers a sustainable and localized water supply by incorporating advanced treatment processes. DPR systems typically rely on a combination of technologies such as ozone followed by biological activated carbon (O3/BAC), reverse osmosis (RO), and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to remove a wide range of contaminants. However, low molecular weight organic compounds (LMWCs), particularly volatile organic compounds, can sometimes pass through RO membranes and AOP systems.

California's DPR regulations currently …

Application Of A Novel Plasma-Based Advanced Oxidation Process For Efficient And Cost-Effective Destruction Of Refractory Organics In Tertiary Effluents And Contaminated Groundwater, Itay Even-Ezra, Anat Mizrahi, Daniel Gerrity, Shane A. Snyder, Andrew Salveson, Ori Lahav

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Corona discharge is emerging as a promising advanced oxidation process (AOP) for the treatment of a variety of organic contaminants, including compounds that are not effectively destroyed by more common AOPs. This paper presents laboratory and field results describing the destruction of regulated and Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) compounds in tertiary treated wastewater effluent and contaminated groundwater during the operation of a novel hydro-non-thermal-plasma (HNTP) AOP system. The system generates a plasma discharge above the target water matrix, which emits an “electron wind”, ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, O_3(g) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) into a relatively thin water layer. The synergism …

Evaluation Of The Extent Of Floods In 2022 In Different Land Cover And Land Use Classes In Sindh Province, Pakistan Using Sentinel-1 And Sentinel-2 Imageries, Alina Shrestha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Floods are one of the most frequent and most devastating natural disasters, which cause widespread destruction and pose significant risks to human life, infrastructure, and the environment. Advancement in remote sensing technologies and methodologies have demonstrated their efficacy in disaster-related applications, such as the detection, monitoring, and analysis of floods. This study explores the utilization of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical imagery for flood extent mapping and studying the extent of flood over various land cover and land use classes in Pakistan's Sindh province, utilizing the cloud computing power of Google Earth Engine. The change detection method identified extensive …

Investigating A Passive Treatment System For The Removal Of Nutrients From Urban Runoff, Jasminn Gray

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes urban runoff as a major contributor of surface water pollution with nutrients as the second largest cause of surface water impairment in the United States. While a water quality standard of 100 lbs/day total phosphorus load allocation for all nonpoint sources is permitted for the Las Vegas Valley (LVV) under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, currently there is not a counterpart standard for nitrogen. With the continued development of the LVV and the depletion of the quantity of water in Lake Mead due to the ongoing drought, the concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen species …

Water Efficiency & Sustainability In The Mountain West, 2022, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet analyzes the effectiveness of state-level policies related to water usage, conservation, and sustainability for the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah in 2022. The original data are published in the “2022 State Policy Scorecard for Water Efficiency and Sustainability” report written by the Alliance for Water Efficiency.

Development Of A Novel Ionic Liquid-Coated Adsorbent For Treating Emerging Contaminants In Recycled Water On The International Space Station, Madeline Carroll, Gabson Baguma, Savanna Vacek

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Synthesize at least 3 biobased ionic liquids. Optimize method for conducting liquid-liquid extractions. Analyze and quantify how much DMSO2 is removed by the ionic liquids. Coat biochar with the most effective biobased ionic liquids.

Poliovirus Detection In Las Vegas Wastewater, Sage Boss, Hayley Baker, Ching-Lan Chang

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Wastewater surveillance for poliovirus is a useful tool for spatial surveillance and evaluation of immunization efficacy. Polio testing in wastewater has been conducted since the 1980s in Finland and Israel, and the virus was recently discovered in New York. With increasing concern regarding the vaccination of children against the virus, there has been worry that polio cases could once again present themselves in the Las Vegas Valley. By testing for the virus in wastewater, we can monitor any new cases or outbreaks that occur and inform authorities as to the location and viral count. The wastewater samples were collected at …

Drought Levels In Nevada Counties, 2022, Julianna Jovillar, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet synthesizes data on drought levels within Nevada counties from the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) in 2022. The information presented in this document focuses on the breakdown of the number of Nevada residents affected by the droughts within each county and the drought experience in each county.

Synthesis Of Modified Walnut Shell Biochar And Material Characterization In Ground Water Treatment, Maaike Parajes, Suraj Pochampally

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Biochar (BC) is a carbon-rich material synthesized from the pyrolysis of biomasses and developed to remove soil and wastewater contaminants. The pyrolysis process involves thermally decomposing the organic materials in the absence of oxygen. Biochar has the potential to be an eco-friendly and effective adsorbent for heavy metals and toxic organic compounds. An adsorbent is a material that attracts other substances on its surface, chemically and physically. Walnut shells were chosen for the biochar modification to improve the surface morphology, pore structure, and adsorption capability.

Low-Cost Adsorbent For Disinfection Byproduct Removal From Drinking Water, Savanna Vacek, Suraj Pochampally

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Disinfection byproducts (DBPs) are harmful contaminants that are unintentionally created in disinfected water after chlorination. Activated carbon, often expensive and difficult to acquire in low-income and rural areas, has previously been used to remove DBPs from drinking water. Biochar is made from agricultural waste (i.e. feedstock) and has been identified as a low-cost yet effective adsorbent to remote contaminants from drinking water. This work focuses on the efficacy of biochar and activated carbon to remove DBPs from drinking water for the purpose of treating drinking water after emergency chlorination. This study has the potential to help water distributors and disadvantaged …

Biochar Hydrophilicity Characterization By A Smartphone-Based Apparatus: Design, Construction, And Measurement Calibration, Emma Letourneau, Suraj Pochampally

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Water contact angles are used to determine hydrophilicity, which is a material's attraction to water. A water contact angle of greater than 90 degrees indicates a hydrophobic material that repels water, whereas a contact angle of less than 90 degrees indicates a hydrophilic material [Fig. 1]. Water contact angles are measured through a goniometer, which can cost between $2000 to $10,000.

Biochar is a porous carbon material created from biological waste products, that is pyrolyzed (i.e. burned) in a low-oxygen, high heat environment. Biochar can be used to remove contaminants from water and remediate soil while reusing waste, making it …

Numerical Studies Of Regularized Navier-Stokes Equations And An Application Of A Run-To-Run Control Model For Membrane Filtration At A Large Urban Water Treatment Facility, Jeffrey Belding

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation consists of two parts. The first part consists of research on accurate and efficient turbulent fluid flow modeling via a family of regularizations of the Navier-Stokes equation which are known as Time Relaxation models. In the second part, we look into the modeling application for the filtration/backwash process at the River Mountains Water Treatment Facility in Henderson, NV.

In the first two chapters, we introduce the Time Relaxation models and their associated differential filter equations. In addition, we develop the regularization method which employs the Nth van Cittert deconvolution operator, which gives rise to the family of models. …

Characteristics Of Flow Over Rectangular Labyrinth Weirs With Round Corners, Omed S.Q. Yousif, Kawa Z. Abdulrahman, Wazira Qadir, Ahang S. Ali, Moses Karakouzian

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The hydraulic performance of round-cornered rectangular labyrinth weirs with varying weir heights and effective lengths has not been explored in the existing literature to the authors’ knowledge. The purpose of this experimental study was to see how the height and effective length of round-cornered rectangular labyrinth weirs affect their discharge efficiency. Nine flat-crested rectangular labyrinth weirs made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) were tested in a rectangular flume under various discharges to fulfill the goals of this study. The discharge coefficients for the weirs were then calculated. The hydraulic efficiency of weirs with round corners increases as the weir height (P) …

A 155-Year Tree-Ring Based Record Of Warm And Dry Snow Droughts For The Cascade Range, Usa, Laura A. Dye

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Contributing 50-80% to the surface water for the region, mountain snowpack is a pillar of the hydrologic cycle in the western US, and is projected to decrease to 44% by 2100 in the Cascade Mountains alone. The western US has recently been identified as a global snow drought hot spot, exhibiting more frequent, intensified, and lengthened snow drought events in recent decades. Only recently has the need to understand the types of snow droughts and their driving mechanisms become critical to understand and quantify. Recent research suggests ‘warm’ snow droughts caused by winter precipitation falling as rain rather than snow …

Evaluating Irrigation Performance And Water Productivity Using Eeflux Et And Ndvi, Usha Poudel, Haroon Stephen, Sajjad Ahmad

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Southern California’s Imperial Valley (IV) faces serious water management concerns due to its semi-arid environment, water-intensive crops and limited water supply. Accurate and reliable irrigation system performance and water productivity information is required in order to assess and improve the current water management strategies. This study evaluates the spatially distributed irrigation equity, adequacy and crop water productivity (CWP) for two water-intensive crops, alfalfa and sugar beet, using remotely sensed data and a geographical information system for the 2018/2019 crop growing season. The actual crop evapotranspiration (ETa) was mapped in Google Earth Engine Evapotranspiration Flux, using the linear interpolation method in …

Degradation Of Antibiotics In Aqueous Phase Using Pms Catalytic Decomposition With Zero-Valent Iron Nanoparticles Immobilized In Sba-15, Ahdee Bluma Zeidman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Zero-valent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) have been studied as an option for soil remediation and water treatment for many years. The capability of nZVI to produce oxidation/reduction processes, depending on the reaction conditions, has attracted great interest with their major drawback being reactivity loss through agglomeration. The loss in nZVI surface area has been reported to be prevented through immobilization onto a porous media (e.g., SBA-15, MCM-41, or zeolites). In this work, a mesoporous silica structure (SBA-15) is used as an nZVI supporting material to enhance its reactivity and promote peroxymonosulfate (PMS) catalytic decomposition for the degradation of antibiotics in aqueous …

Estimation Of Spatial Change In Cropland Area And Evaluation Of Irrigation Performance In Imperial Valley Using Remotely Sensed Data, Usha Poudel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Imperial Valley (IV) in the US is an extensively irrigated agricultural region, which includes multiple crops changing on an annual and semiannual basis. The valley is facing grave concerns about water management due to its semi-arid environment, water intensive crops, and limited water supply. A simple, inexpensive, and repeatable method to detect changes in cropping patterns may assist irrigation managers to understand crop diversification and associated consumptive use. In addition, a spatial assessment of existing water irrigation system performance and productivity is crucial to benchmark and improve current water management strategies. This thesis estimates the spatial pattern of change …

A Fusion Of Remotely Sensed Data To Map The Impervious Surfaces Of Growing Cities Of Punjab, Pakistan, Binita Shrestha

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Urban population is expected to exceed 70% of the world’s total by the middle of the 21st century. Thus, growth in number as well as the sizes of the cities are certain in the near future. The urbanization rates will be much higher in the developing countries than the developed. Such phenomena are accompanied by conversion of land cover from its natural use to built up environment to accommodation growing population. Built up surfaces include road networks, buildings, parking lots and pathways. They are permanently impervious and hydrologically active surfaces. Large volume and discharges of runoff characterize impervious surfaces with …

Recent Advancements In The Removal Of Cyanotoxins From Water Using Conventional And Modified Adsorbents—A Contemporary Review, Tauqeer Abbas, George William Kajjumba, Meena Ejjada, Sayeda Ummeh Masrura, Erica J. Marti, Eakalak Khan, Tammy L. Jones-Lepp

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

The prevalence of cyanobacteria is increasing in freshwaters due to climate change, eutrophication, and their ability to adapt and thrive in changing environmental conditions. In response to various environmental pressures, they produce toxins known as cyanotoxins, which impair water quality significantly. Prolonged human exposure to cyanotoxins, such as microcystins, cylindrospermopsin, saxitoxins, and anatoxin through drinking water can cause severe health effects. Conventional water treatment processes are not effective in removing these cyanotoxins in water and advanced water treatment processes are often used instead. Among the advanced water treatment methods, adsorption is advantageous compared to other methods because of its affordability …

Design Aspects, Energy Consumption Evaluation, And Offset For Drinking Water Treatment Operation, Saria Bukhary, Jacimaria Batista, Sajjad Ahmad

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Drinking water treatment, wastewater treatment, and water distribution are energy-intensive processes. The goal of this study was to design the unit processes of an existing drinking water treatment plant (DWTP), evaluate the associated energy consumption, and then offset it using solar photovoltaics (PVs) to reduce carbon emissions. The selected DWTP, situated in the southwestern United States, utilizes coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and chlorination to treat 3.94 m3 of local river water per second. Based on the energy consumption determined for each unit process (validated using the plant’s data) and the plant’s available landholding, the DWTP was sized for solar PV …

Techno-Economic Analysis Of Electrocoagulation On Water Reclamation And Bacterial/Viral Indicator Reductions Of A High-Strength Organic Wastewater—Anaerobic Digestion Effluent, Sibel Uludag-Demirer, Nathan Olson, Rebecca Ives, Jean Pierre Nshimyimana, Cory A. Rusinek, Joan B. Rose, Wei Liao

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Research

This study investigated the use of iron and aluminum and their combinations as electrodes to determine the technically sound and economically feasible electrochemical approach for the treatment of anaerobic digestion effluent. The results indicated that the use of iron as anode and cathode is the most suitable solution among different electrode combinations. The reduction of turbidity, total chemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococci, and phages in the reclaimed water were 99%, 91%, 100%, 1.5 log, 1.7 log, 1.0 log, and 2.0 log, respectively. The economic assessment further concluded that the average treatment cost is $3 per …

The Impact Of Advanced Treatment Technologies On The Engery Use In Satellite Water Reuse Plants, Jonathan R. Bailey, Sajjad Ahmad, Jacimaria Batista

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

With an ever-increasing world population and the resulting increase in industrialization and agricultural practices, depletion of one of the world’s most important natural resources, water, is inevitable. Water reclamation and reuse is the key to protecting this natural resource. Water reclamation using smaller decentralized wastewater treatment plants, known as satellite water reuse plants (WRP), has become popular in the last decade. Reuse plants have stricter standards for effluent quality and require a smaller land footprint (i.e., real estate area). They also require additional treatment processes and advanced treatment technologies. This greatly increases the energy consumption of an already energy intensive …

Carbon Management And Volatile Fatty Acid Production In Primary Clarifiers At A Wastewater Treatment Plant, Brittany Nicole Radke

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An increasing number of treatment plants are required to remove nutrients from domestic wastewater to lessen the impact of nutrient loading to water bodies. Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) is one of the processes commonly used to remove phosphorus from domestic wastewater. The presence of an adequate quantity of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the wastewater influent to EBPR is important for process efficiency and stability. The objective of this research was to investigate the production of VFAs through fermentation of sludge in primary clarifiers as it related to improving nutrient removal, primarily targeting phosphorus.

The research tested, in full-scale, …