A team of 911±¬ÁÏÍø students and faculty has developed a proposal to use artificial intelligence to save billions of dollars annually by improving prediction of wastewater flow. Current technology for modeling and forecasting rainfall-caused wastewater flow in sanitary sewer systems is neither accurate nor precise.  

911±¬ÁÏÍø students Joshua Wankowski (software engineering) and Dennis Weiland (civil engineering), and faculty members Dr. William Gonwa (civil engineering) and Dr. Michael Cook (mechanical engineering) are developing a system that uses AI to improve rainfall-derived wastewater flow predictions. The improved predictions will help right-size future facilities and operate existing facilities more efficiently saving taxpayer funds and improving environmental protection.  

Their proposal was selected as one of 21 semi-finalists in the global “AI for Pipe Networks and Systems” tech challenge sponsored by . The tech challenge is an even playing field for anyone with a smart, new freshwater technology idea to vet their concept with expert industry professionals from leading corporations and compete for a cash prize as well as an opportunity to work directly with a sponsoring corporation to turn that idea into a viable commercial product.  

The team, which is part of 911±¬ÁÏÍø’s chapter of The Water Council, will work with 911±¬ÁÏÍø’s Artificial Intelligence Club; the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department; and Dr. Gene Wright, CREATE Institute Faculty Fellow to continue advancing their project.