AWWA Water Science Author Spotlight: Pooja Oberoi

Abstract

Having recently published an article in AWWA Water Science, Pooja Oberoi answered questions from the publication's editor-in-chief, Kenneth L. Mercer, about the research.

Aligning Monitoring of Virus Barriers in Potable Reuse With Unit Process Treatment Mechanisms and Time Scales: A Critical Review and Research Needs

Michael J. Adelman, Pooja Oberoi, Joan Oppenheimer, Laith Furatian, Sara Arabi, Caitlin M. Glover, and Joseph G. Jacangelo

I am an environmental engineer at Stantec Consulting Inc., with more than seven years of experience in wastewater and water reuse–related projects. My technical expertise has been primarily focused on wastewater residuals, energy recovery, management of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and water reuse.

Pooja Oberoi has been an environmental engineer at Stantec Consulting since 2017.

Experiencing Beaver Falls on the Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona.

Treating wastewater for potable reuse that meets safe drinking water standards is the need of the hour, as it can help communities be more resilient to drought and other global climate-change impacts. A multi-barrier configuration using a series of treatment systems plays an important role in removing physical, biological, and chemical contaminants.

Pathogen treatment is crucial because of the acute risk to public health during short-term treatment system failures. Enteric viruses are particularly concerning and drive treatment performance objectives because of their relatively high occurrence in source waters. They are highly infective, small in size, potentially resistant to treatment, and practical methods for routine analysis are lacking. This research paper critically assesses enteric virus treatment mechanisms, efficacies, and performance. It also examines time scales associated with each process, the current monitoring framework for viruses, emerging monitoring technologies, and future research needs.

Stantec's water team at the San Fernando Water Treatment Facility.

As a hiker and scuba diver, I enjoy exploring nature and the deep blue world. This influenced me to focus on what I do every day. As an environmental engineer, my goal is to come up with solutions to reduce pollution in the oceans and create a sustainable environment. In the end, we all will conserve and protect what we love, what we understand, and what we are taught, creating a better place for generations to live and enjoy this beautiful planet.

Dream work is truly a team effort. Our water industry is working diligently every day to give back safe and clean water to our community. I am thankful for the opportunities that are available to collaborate and work with talented water professionals at Stantec and other nonprofit organizations (such as AWWA).

It has been a great learning experience working with some of the pioneers in the environmental industry and providing solutions for mark-key projects such as the San Fernando water treatment project, intended to remediate the groundwater source from one of the largest aquifers in Southern California and restore and protect a local drinking water source. Stantec teamed up with Kiewit to design and construct two treatment facilities: the 25-mgd North Hollywood Central Facility and the 50-mgd Tujunga Well Field. I was mainly responsible for developing process–mechanical design for chemical facilities, including hydrogen peroxide, liquid ammonium sulfate, hydrofluorosilicic acid, and chlorine.

To learn more about Pooja's research, visit the article, available online at https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1368.