News2 – Page 10 – Water Research laboratory

The iWatermap Water Technology Innovation Roadmaps project

On 29th of May the iWatermap Water Technology Innovation Roadmaps project was held in Brussels, bringing together all the partners involved in the project, including the Water Research Laboratory. The meeting sought answers to various questions. Do the university and the manufacturing companies fully cooperate? Are manufacturing companies willing to invest in R & D? Is the university looking for new talents purposefully? Does the university have anything to offer to companies? Do water companies start projects with public funding? Is there enough critical mass to make water technology in Latvia RIS3? One of the main objectives of the project is to look for answers to these and similar issues and improve the innovation ecosystem in the water sector.

The project partners also participated in the ERRIN conference «Water Technology & Circular Economy» on 30th of May.

The iWatermap project launch meeting will take place from 24 to 27 September in the framework of the European Water Tech Week (EWTW; http://www.watercampus.nl/ewtw2018/).

Find out more about each project partner here:

https://www.wetsus.nl/; https://www.fryslan.frl/; http://www.creacz.com/en/; http://www.agrofoodmurcia.com/; http://www.adrnordest.ro/; https://www.ceb.uminho.pt/; https://www.crete.gov.gr/; http://izm.gov.lv/en/

The Water Management Conference of the Baltic States

On 23th of May Water Research Laboratory senior researcher Janis Rubulis and researcher Sandis Dejus, was attended the Water Management Conference of the Baltic States, which strengthened contacts with the representatives of the entire Baltic States. During the event, the topical issues of the water supply companies and the necessary research solutions were discussed, as well as about possible cooperation models for the improvement of the technical base of the Riga Technical University. Jānis Rubulis shared his experience with the need for water safety plans and the potential implementation of the lecture «Implementation of water safety plans in Latvia», while Sandis Dejus presented the audience with current issues in the treatment of industrial wastewater with a presentation «The challenges and success stories of industrial wastewater treatment».

Latvian Television program «Izziņas Impulss»

On 17th of May Latvian Television program «Izziņas Impulss» was devoted to how to turn waste into resources. Also our Water Research Laboratory scientists, lead researcher Linda Mezule and scientific assistant Martins Strods, talked and showed how to get biofuels from straw.

You can watch more here (starting at 18:58):

https://ltv.lsm.lv/…/17.05.2018-izzinas-impulss./6.serija…./

Nature Day 2018

On 9^th of May for the third time Jaunmoku Palace Museum organized Nature Day for Educational Activities for students from 4th till 9th classes. This year water was selected as a theme for the Nature Day and that’s why the Water Research Laboratory was also invited to participate in the event. Our doctoral students Aigars Lavrinovics and Marta Frolova, as well as scientific assistant Martins Strods and exchange student Lina Marcela Castañeda from Columbia, shared their knowledge of the waterway from the natural reservoirs to the water trough. The biggest satisfaction of the day is the student’s perception that we have made them smarter in matters related to drinking water.

The 10th Eastern European Young Water Professionals Conference

From the 7th to 11th of May, the 10th Eastern European Young Water Professionals Conference, organized by the IWA (International Water Association), convened in the Croatian capital, Zagreb, bringing together new researchers from the water and wastewater sector, students and engineers from all over the world.

The conference was attended by our Water Research Laboratory PhD students and researchers Sandis Dejus and Brigita Dalecka. During the conference, Sandis gave an insight into his study entitled «Evaluation of the Affected Area after the Contamination Event in the Drinking Water Distribution System», while Brigita participated in a poster session with a presentation «Simple Screening of Fungal Strains to Determine Potential Applicatin for the Wastewater Treatment Process» demonstrating mushroom potential wastewater from hazardous substances. During the conference, our specialists also upgraded the training workshops «Water Safety Planning & Crisis Management» and «WaterCad Technology».

The project Waterchain workshop

On 26^th of April a workshop organized by the project Pilot watersheds as a practical tool to reduce the harmful inflows into the Baltic Sea – WATERCHAIN CB50 (http://waterchain.samk.fi/) took place at RTU Sports and Recreation Base «Ronisi» on technologies used to reduce environmental pollution. The project partners from Latvia, the Water Research Laboratory and the Environmental Solutions Institute, shared with the participants of the seminar experience in working with environmental objects and pilot-tested pilot projects. The participants of the seminar went on a hike, carried out practical tasks connected with environmental observations, including the determination of biodiversity in the region, development of environmental waste and wastewater management plans, assessment of the water quality of the water bodies in the surrounding area in rural conditions, and presented the results of the work.

We thank all the participants of the seminar for their active work this day!

The seminar for specialists in milk and milk product testing in laboratories

On 24th of April the institute «BIOR» hosted a seminar for specialists in milk and milk product testing in laboratories. During the seminar, the Water Research Laboratory specialists – leading researcher Janis Rubulis and researcher Sandis Dejus – presented all the attendees with presentations on water safety plans, monitoring of water quality and risk assessment systems in Latvia, and informed about existing formwork of the BIOR website for these activities.

The seminar about intelligent biotechnology for industry representatives

On 18^th of April was held the project Pilot watersheds as a practical tool to reduce the harmful inflows into the Baltic Sea – WATERCHAIN CB50 (http://waterchain.samk.fi/) seminar at RTU Scientific Library about intelligent biotechnology for industry representatives. The morning session of the seminar was attended by guests from WETSUS to discuss opportunities for future cooperation with the Riga Technical University scientists and academic staff, as well as representatives of the Latvian Water Industry. In the second part of the seminar, experts from the Water Research Laboratory and Water Engineering and Technology Department spoke about the latest biotechnologies used for wastewater treatment and the experimental results of the biological filter system developed within the WATERCHAIN project. Water Research Laboratory thank you for the support during the project «Adazi Water» Ltd! The participants of the seminar also had the opportunity to find out about the current projects of the Water Research Laboratory: BEST, POMACEA , Hi-Water and B-LIQ, and took part in a discussion of new collaborative opportunities. For all participants, the Water Engineering and Technology Department prepared and issued RTU certificates, which launched the planned cycle of educational activities with the aim of presenting all interested parties with the latest water technologies and refreshing knowledge of professionals.

Conference IWA Biofilms: Granular Sludge Conference 2018

From 18th to 21st of March 2018 Water Research Laboratory scientists Kristina Tihomirova and Viktorija Denisova participated in an international scientific conference IWA Biofilms: Granular Sludge Conference 2018 that was held in Delft, The Netherlands. The aim of the conference was to bring together researchers that work to understand these small biofilm ecosystems: engineers, biotechnologists, microbiologists, chemists, physicists, mathematical modelers, and innovation technologists.

Granular sludge is a relatively new biological wastewater treatment technology usually applied in sequencing batch reactor (SBR) systems. Viktorija Deņisova presented a poster presentation about laboratory studies obtained within project «Pilot watersheds as a practical tool to reduce the harmful inflows into the Baltic Sea» (WATERCHAIN) CB50.

Our team members had a great opportunity to meet other scientists of this research sector, and also to visit wastewater treatment plants using the mentioned technology: Aerobic granular sludge Nereda plant in Epe (Epe) and Anammox granular sludge plant in Olburgen (Olburgen).

Thanks to all the conference organizers for these valuable days in Delft.

More information can be found on GSC 2018 conference web page:

http://www.granularsludgeconference.org/

The Waterchain project partner meeting in Cesis

From 13th to 14th March Kristīna Tihomirova, Linda Mežule, Viktorija Deņisova, Kamila Gruškevica, Aigars Lavrinovičs and Brigita Daļecka visited Cēsis to participate in the Waterchain project partner meeting. During meeting our project colleagues discussed the progress of project activities, the Waterchain handbook and other important topics. Viktorija had a presentation about current work and planned activities in the final project period.

After meeting, the Institute of Environmental Solutions for all participants (http://www.videsinstituts.lv) organized an unforgettable evening trip to Cesis castle.

WATERCHAIN project final seminar will be held in Tallin on May 23. Project participants invite everyone that has interest in scientific research in the areas of Baltic Sea protection and improvement of the ecological situation.