About Arizona Water Institute
Introduction
Arizona's three state universities - Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and The University of Arizona formed a partnership to position the state as a world leader in water resources management and technology. The primary driver for this initiative was sustaining Arizona's water supply, which is crucial to the state's economy, the health and well-being of its residents, and its natural environment.
The Arizona Water Institute (AWI) combined the expertise of Arizona's water managers with the resources of the three universities to support water resources management and technology development in real-world applications. This unique partnership - which also included three state agencies, Water Resources (ADWR), Environmental Quality (ADEQ), and Commerce (ADoC) - was formed to provide access to hydrologic information, support communities, and develop technologies to promote water sustainability. AWI founding partners also included Intel Corporation and the Salt River Project.
AWI Mission
- AWI served as the hub of research, community assistance and analytical support to ensure clean and sustainable water resources;
- AWI provided education, training, and professional capacity building to citizens and state, local, and tribal government decision makers about conserving and managing water in arid/semi-arid environments; and
- AWI served as a driver of economic opportunity by developing water products and services.
Collaborative Research
AWI initiative focus on broad areas of interest critical to governments, industries, and communities:- Web-based access to water information through the Arizona Hydrologic Information System (AHIS);
- Capacity building/watershed research and support;
- Climate change/drought/adaptation;
- Emerging contaminants and treatment technologies;
- Energy/water stability.
- Salinity management and technologies
Services
AWI provides services to stakeholders, industry, agencies, and communities:- Water-related data access and retrieval;
- Projects focused on real world solutions;
- Presentations for groups and events;
- Planning support and meeting facilitation for water-related applications;
- Workshops and research proposal development; and
- Technology development and commercialization
Collaborative teams of university researchers and stakeholders in government, industry, tribes, water companies, watershed alliances, agriculture, and other organizations work to solve the critical water issues facing Arizona and other semi-arid and arid environments.
Accomplishments
In its first year, AWI funded 17 collaborative projects, and 17 more in its second year. Unfortunately, due to the unexpected closure of AWI, we will not be able to move forward with many of our 2009 selected projects. A key focus is the Arizona Hydrologic Information System (AHIS). By working with partners such as ADWR, ADEQ, and the Salt River Project, AWI developed the tools to store, access, retrieve, and analyze water information to support water-related decisions. Other projects include:- Emerging Contaminants Workshop in 2007
- Proof of Concept Development: Sensor for Disinfection By-Products in Drinking Water (2007)
- Effectiveness of Sewage Treatment Plants in Removing Estrogenic Compounds From Treated Wastewater (2007)
- Collaborative Approach to Analyzing Emergent Contaminants in Arizona Water (2007)
- Evaluating Proposed Operational Practices for Control Over Naegleria fowleri in Arizona's Public Drinking Water Systems (2008)
- On-Site Microbial Monitoring of Water by Electrokinetic Lab-on-a-chip (2008)
- Operation of the Activated Sludge Process for Removal of Estrogenic Activity During Conventional Treatment (2008)
- Salinity Workshop in 2007
- Electrocoagulation Technology in Semiconductor Manufacturing (2007)
- Reverse Osmosis Pretreatment Using Ion Exchange Brine Recycle and Selective Precipitation (2008)
Emerging Contaminants & Salinity Management
- Approaches to Water Management by Tribes in Arizona (2007)
- Smart Irrigation Control for Landscape Irrigation (2007)
- Conservation of Water Using Acoustic Emission Technology (2007)
- Arizona's Agricultural Economy- Future Scenarios and Water Management Implications (2008)
- Hydroclimate Management Capacity Building and Watershed-Based Precipitation-Runoff Modeling in the Navajo Nation (2008)
- Status of Generation, Reuse, and Recharge of Treated Wastewater in Arizona: Evaluation of Sources and utilization Options (2008)
- Biosphere 2 Energy and Water Conservation Workshop (2008)
Capacity Building and Conservation
- Environmental Flow Requirements in the Verde River (2007)
- Smart Irrigation Control for Landscape Irrigation (2007)
- Identify and Characterize Arizona Heritage Waters (2007)
- Integrated Riparian Area Monitoring: Floods, Water Source, and Biological Response (2007)
- Impacts of Forest Thinning on Water Balance (2008)
- Verde River Flows Study Phase II: Integrated Research for Refining Flow-Ecology Response Models (2008)
- Developing a Process for Identifying and Prioritizing At-Risk Water Resources for the Coconino Plateau (2008)
Watershed Assistance and Facilitation
- Binational Institute for Water and Renewable Energy
- Linking Water and Energy: Water Quality and Yield from Fuel Cells (2007)
- Linking Water and Energy: White Paper on Water and Energy in Arizona (2007)
- Linking Water and Energy: White Paper on Life Cycle Costs and Water Implications of Alternative Technologies (2007)
- Water and Energy Sustainability with Rapid Growth in the Arizona-Sonora Border Region (2008)
- Best Practices Guide for Rural Water/Energy Usage in Arizona (2008)
- Enhancing Sustainable Water Reclamation Using Algae-Based Biotechnology (2008)
Water/Energy Sustainability
- Assessment of the Navajo nation Hydroclimate Network (2007)
- Improved Tools for Drought Planning and Management (2007)
- Drought Indicator and Trigger Tool for Community Water Systems (2007)
- Sensitivity Analysis of Arizona state Drought Status Determination (2008)
- Climate Change Adaptation for Water Managers Workshop at Biosphere 2 (2008)
Climate Change, Drought, and Adaptation