News2 – Page 8 – Water Research laboratory

Special issue “Drinking Water Treatment and Removal of Natural Organic Matter”

Prof. Dr. Talis Juhna took a part in the Special issue “Drinking Water Treatment and Removal of Natural Organic Matter”

iWatermap experts participation in Cleantech Latvia General Meeting

On January 31, RTU iWatermap (https://www.interregeurope.eu/iwatermap/) experts Jānis Rubulis and Dāvids Štēbelis where involved in Cleantech Latvia General Meeting of Members. David presented some of the most important observations from the company interviews conducted in the iWatermap project and presented publicly available funding for collaboration with universities in the near future.

RTU experts together with RTU Design Factory (http://rtudf.rtu.lv/) Project Manager Liene Briede did presentations about iWatermap project concept, financial opportunities for Industry – Academia cooperation.

After the main event participants look around premises of RTU Design Factory and were introduced with technical opportunities and prototypes build for water industry.

Visit to Cēsu alus

At the end of the year 2018, WRL staff Janis Rubulis and Sandis Dejus visited JSC Cēsu alus. The purpose of the visit was to evaluate and analyze the risks of drinking water abstraction and water supply system at JSC Cēsu alus. JSC Cēsu alus was chosen as one of the pilot sites for testing the concept of Water Safety Plans in Latvia.

NOAH kick-off meeting in Tallin, 28-29.01.2019.

January 28-29, Tallinn University of Technology, Faculty of Construction and Architecture hosted a NOAH project kick-off meeting.

All partners gave a brief presentation of their experiences, challenges, and competencies.

Both “Jūrmala Water” Ltd and Liepaja City Municipality “Communal Authority” also presented potential pilot sites where the project will be carried out by testing of key ideas – modeling of precipitation loads in prepared and combined sewerage systems. The Ogre Municipality, on the other hand, presented the section of the Ogre River, which will simulate the flood hazards of populated areas caused by precipitation as well as the winter period.

In these pilot sites, water quality testing is planned for two years with the aim of determining the pollution load on the Baltic Sea, extreme weather conditions, as well as the impact on the environment from decentralized wastewater facilities.

Interesting experiences in the context of the use of online devices in infrastructure and modeling of different scenarios during the flood were presented by Gdansk University of Technology and Slupsk Water Supply. In turn, the municipality of Ogre, in the context of the floods caused by the river, will learn from the experience of the city of Pori.

At the meeting, RTU was represented by a senior researcher of Water Research Laboratory Jānis Rubulis and Associate Professor of Geodesy Department Maris Kalinka.

Partner meeting in IIT Delhi

From 02.12.2018. to 08.12.2018. 2nd B-LIQ Project partner meeting took place in IIT Delhi. The event was hosted by Prof. Atul Narang and Prof. Gopal P. Agarwal from Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology. During the meeting, all partners (Linda Mezule and Ieva Berzina from RTU; Timo Kikas and Vahur Rooni from EULS) discussed about the latest scientific achievements, visited IIT Delhi laboratories and agreed on future plans within B-LIQ project.

RTU practical experience in Indian Institute of Technology Delhi

From 19.11.2018. to 08.12.2018. Vahur Rooni from Estonian University of Life Sciences (EULS) and Ieva Berzina from Riga Technical University (RTU) visited Indian Institute of Technology Delhi to obtain practical experience in filtration-separation technologies of fermentable sugars, perform sugar analysis with HPLC and other techniques and learn about continuous fermentation. Part of the tests has been performed with pre-treated and hydrolyzed biomass that has been prepared in EULS and RTU in November 2018. The activities were part of INNO-INDIGO IPP3 project B-LIQ “Development of an Integrated Process for Conversion of Biomass to Affordable Liquid Biofuel”

Workshop for students in Jurmalas Udens Ltd.

On November 27^th the “Wastewater management and modernization of wastewater technologies” workshop for students took place in Jurmala, Latvia. The workshop was organized within the activities of framework project BEST – Better Efficiency for Industrial Sewage Treatment #R054, PVS ID 3315 and supported by municipal water and wastewater utility “Jurmalas udens” Ltd. and the Department of Water Engineering and Technology of RTU.

During the workshop series experts from RTU Water Research Laboratory, RTU Department of Water Engineering and Technology and “Jurmalas udens” Ltd. Kristina Tihomirova, Ksenija Golovko, Romans Neilands, and Guntis Klive gave the introduction regards the contemporary technologies of wastewater collection and treatment and presented the results of the various projects of modernization of wastewater collection and treatment systems implemented in Jurmala, the most popular resort town of Latvia.

Participants of the workshop had a discussion on the implementation and needs of modernization processes within the wastewater sector. They also had the opportunity to visit wastewater treatment plant Sloka in Jurmala and learn about its reconstruction history and future plans.

Meeting in Toila from 20 to 22 of November

From 20 to 22 of November 2018 scientists form Water Research Laboratory Kristina Tihomirova, Sandis Dejus and Tālis Juhna participated in the project BEST partner meeting that was held in Toila, Estonia.

Sandis Dejus presented the progress of WP2 regarding the assessment of the current situation in the field of industrial wastewater management which is led by the RTU.

During the second day, our team members had a great opportunity to participate in a workshop on hazardous substances, and also to visit industrial wastewater treatment plants at factories in the nearest municipalities where wastewater with high loads of hazardous substances is treated.

Next project meeting will be held in Riga!

More information about the project: BEST – Better Efficiency for Industrial Sewage Treatment

On October 16, in the framework project BEST – Better Efficiency for Industrial Sewage Treatment – a student workshop

On October 16, in the framework project, BEST – Better Efficiency for Industrial Sewage Treatment #R054, PVS ID 3315 (https://bestbalticproject.eu) a student workshop on the practice or water resource management and reduction of environmental pollution caused by industrial wastewater was organized.

The experts from RTU Water Research Laboratory Janis Zviedris and Kristina Tihomirova who are involved in the implementation of the project, shared the experience gained by the activities within the water sector towards the monitoring and control of the wastewater quality, cooperation between industrial organizations and municipalities and legislation on wastewater management. Also, practical tasks on wastewater management principles and the development of wastewater management plans for various industrial sectors were performed during the seminar. The results and wastewater management plans created by the students were presented at the end of the seminar.

We are thankful to the participants for the active work throughout the whole day!

The Latvian partners of the NOAH project met at the “warm-up” meeting

On November 26, the Latvian partners of the NOAH project met at the “warm-up” meeting. The guests were welcomed by Edgars Pārpucis and Liene Zilina, representatives of the Ogre Municipality. In the beginning, the guests were shown the current investments of the municipality in reducing the threat of flood. Participants visited the viewing area on Brivibas Street, which overlooks the part of the Ogre River where ice congestion occurs. Later we looked at the water level lats in the Ogre HPS and the new water level measuring point in Darzini Palienes Street.

Subsequently, the project participants reviewed the anticipated activities and potential readiness. Representatives of two commercial companies were invited to the meeting, who could potentially submit tenders for level measurement equipment within the project.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Liepaja Communal Administration, Jurmala Water Ltd. representatives, SIA LĢMC and RTU members under the leadership of Janis Rubulis.

NOAH project will start in 01.01.2019.