NJIT’s Waste Water Management Expert Can Discuss Treatment of Infected Flood Water in Hurricane’s Wake
“The flood waters in New Orleans are potentially infectious. Removal and treatment will be slow and difficult, and even after the water is pumped out, the infection hazard will remain for some time to come,” Hsin-Neng Hsieh, PhD, PE, professor of civil and environmental engineering at NJIT.
Hsieh’s current research includes analyzing the low-cost treatment of municipal wastewater; treatment of industrial sludge and the impact of combined sewer overflow on water quality. Combined sewer overflow relates to older cities, whose pipes handle both storm water and residential wastewater. The two kinds of water eventually discharge from the pipes and into estuaries, streams and rivers. When the combined pipe system was designed, Hsieh says, engineers assumed it was safe. But current engineers no longer assume that: Hsieh is thus studying the effect of a combined pipe system on water quality and drinking water. He received his bachelor’s degree from Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, his master’s degree from University of Iowa, and his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh.
Hsieh can be reached at 732-257-5665 (home) or 973-596-5859 (office).