ONGOING PROJECTS

(Page is under construction!!)

Characterization of Point-of-Use Tap Water in Polancos Across Eastern Coachella Valley
Project led by Miranda Vega-Redeaux

In partnership with a community-based organization, Pueblo Unido CDC, we are conducting a point-of-use tap water sampling project in mobile home parks (locally known as polancos). Polancos in the Eastern Coachella Valley are reliant on groundwater supplied through state small water systems and domestic wells. These water systems do not provide water treatment. Arsenic is a pervasive, naturally occurring groundwater contaminant in this region. We are interested in understanding the spatial distribution of arsenic in the Indio Subbasin aquifer that these state small water systems draw from. We are collecting water samples from four different locations in the mobile home units and measuring trace metal concentrations, nitrate, and other water quality parameters. 

​Safe Expansion of Groundwater Recharge: Practical MAR Water Quality Guidance and Point-of-Use Diagnostics
​Project led by Andrea Barajas

More information to come! 

Land Application of Biosolids and Recycled Water Irrigation: Limited Contaminant Accumulation in Vegetables and Fruits and Implications for Dietary Intake
Project led by Audrey Braun

​At the South Coast Research and Extension Center (SCREC), we are investigating the sustainable reuse of wastewater byproducts in agricultural systems. Our project evaluates the application of Class A biosolids to agricultural soils combined with recycled water irrigation for vegetable crops and fruit trees. Following a full growing season, fruits, vegetables, soils, and other relevant plant tissues are collected and analyzed to determine the uptake, accumulation, and distribution of organic contaminants originating from these amendments and irrigation sources. We then estimate human dietary exposure to these contaminants through consumption of the harvested crops and assess whether the resulting exposures pose potential health concerns. This research aims to better understand the environmental and human health implications of using recycled water and biosolids as sustainable agricultural resources.

Technical Validation and Field Feasibility of the OtterSampler for High-Frequency Point-of-Use Tap-Water Chemistry 
Project led by Miranda Vega-Redeaux

In partnership with Pueblo Unido CDC and Professor Will Grover from the Bioengineering Department at UCR, we are developing an automated point-of-use water sampler. The OtterSampler is a low-cost, easy-to-use water-sample collector that enables anyone to collect frequent water samples for analysis. It sits beside the kitchen sink. When the screen flashes, the resident is guided through the 10-second-long process of loading a water sample into the unit at predetermined intervals. We are currently analyzing our data from a field pilot deployment and conducting in-lab technical validation tests. We plan to deploy more OtterSamplers in different communities served by community water systems, public water systems, domestic well users, and state small water systems.