Cay-Yen Ang, Jordan Goddard, and Fabianna PalaciosEnvironmental engineering students Cay-Yen Ang, Jordan Goddard, and Fabianna Palacios will face 23 schools from the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica in the Water Environment Federation’s Student Design Competition on Oct. 17.

Environmental engineering students to compete on international stage

A trio of environmental engineering students will represent the University of Windsor as the sole Canadian team in an international wastewater treatment competition.

Cay-Yen Ang, Jordan Goddard, and Fabianna Palacios qualified to compete at the Water Environment Federation’s annual Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) after taking top honours against schools from across Ontario in a design competition held by the Water Environment Association of Ontario in March.

The Windsor team’s winning design eliminated overflow of wastewater from the treatment and collection system in Port Dalhousie with minimal cost, taking into consideration the effects of climate change. The submission recommended adding chemicals to improve the settling of solids during storm events, implementing fine bubble diffusers to increase the capacity of biological treatment and the use of tanks existing on the site to disinfect water with chlorine.

The team is tackling the same challenge at the 2021 WEFTEC Student Design Competition, held in Chicago on Oct. 17, however, this time, with an enhanced design.

“Since the last competition, we have been able to obtain a more detailed cost analysis and operating and maintenance strategy,” says Goddard, who will face 23 schools from the United States, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

“As this design was also our capstone project, the team was able to incorporate feedback obtained during our capstone presentation and final report.”

Goddard says the team was also tasked with adapting the report and presentation to a global audience that is most likely unfamiliar with Ontario wastewater guidelines and requirements.

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, the team has submitted its written report and presentation in advance and will compete virtually in a live question-and-answer session with the judging panel.

WEFTEC is the world’s largest annual water quality exhibition and is attended by professionals from around the globe.