University of Massachusetts Amherst
Water and Energy Technology Center

Our Services

We serve any and all stakeholders in the water-energy nexus!


The University of Massachusetts Amherst Water and Energy Technology Center offers technical assistance to early-stage product developers, consultants, government agencies, municipalities, and non-profit organizations.

  • Municipal water and wastewater
  • Industrial water and wastewater treatment
  • Academia
  • Private industry R&D
  • Energy production, cooling towers, boiler makeup water
  • Water Reuse
  • Membrane, desalination,
  • Sensor development

Physical and Chemical Treatment Processes

We help stakeholders in the water-energy nexus solve complex problems. With access to state of the art environmental testing equipment,
analytical laboratories, and a maker-space style workplace, we are able to tailor-fit potential solutions to your problem or product development needs.
Our expertise in water treatment processes, equipment testing, and analytical environmental analysis allows us to provide a full suite of in-house services.
Examples include:

  • Jar testing (coagulants, oxidation, catalysts, sorbents)
  • Column testing (i.e., rapid small scale column testing)
  • Electrochemical oxidation treatment
  • Programmable logic controller (PLC) design and build
  • Analytical analysis of most water samples, including PFAS (see table below for full details)

Experimental Design and Execution

We are here to help you design appropriate, and objective based experiments to ensure meaningful results. We understand that R&D is time and
resource intensive and want to make sure that working with UMass provides meaningful input to your product or company. Our expertise in design
of experiments, and projection of potential outcomes can help minimize the amount of work needed to achieve your goal.

Proof of Concept and Technology Validation

We have helped dozens of companies and researchers bring ideas from paper to proof-of-concept. Using our maker-space style laboratory,
we are able to build and test early-stage prototypes that can demonstrate meaningful data for your product. With this we are able to provide
various product details, performance data, needs assessment and industry projections.

We have worked closely with companies R&D teams to optimize treatment processes, automate systems through programmable logic controllers (PLC), and understand risk and marketing analysis for their application.

Our team of engineers includes environmental, civil, mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering professionals. Working with professional research staff, who are often supported by engineering and STEM students, we have the capacity to bring your product to the next level. Our facility follows the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) assessment used by NASA and any other entities.

Small and Large Scale (0-100gpm)

The WET Center is able to provide continuous flow piloting of your product or containerized treatment skid.
We have three sources of wastewater, surface water, and the ability to conduct batch testing using wastewater sludge.

Our team of research engineers can commission, calibrate, operate, and repair most equipment in-house.
With access to an equipped workshop, machine shop, and numerous vendors who provide same day delivery,
your equipment will have minimized downtime when challenges arise.

Interior of trailer
Area for container storage
Oxyfusion

Data Analysis and Technical Reporting

We are happy to provide professional quality technical reports and marketing material (i.e. figures, tables)
for the work that we conduct for your product or company.

Client Engagement

Our staff and faculty interact closely with our clients!

Often that means explaining technical concepts or use-cases to our client’s clients. We are happy to work with you to share your technology
with others, and can assist in developing appropriate material to showcase your progress through product and process development.

  • Raw Municipal Wastewater
  • Primary Treated Municipal; Wastewater
  • Secondary Treated Municipal Wastewater
  • Local Surface Water (Mill River)
  • Local Potable Water (Amherst MA tap Water

Other standard utilities include wastewater disposal, electric power (110, 220, 440 V; single and triple phase), lighting, heat, compressed air, and vacuum. The interior bays are served by a 1-ton gantry crane and hoist, and garage door access. External bays are also available, and these include the same utilities, except heat, lighting and shelter.

  • Hach Spectrophotometer and test kits
  • Ovens and filtration setups for TSS and VSS analysis
  • pH meter and electrode
  • Microscope and Autoclave
  • Organic Carbon Analyzer
  • Many other general lab supplies

Rental of piloting space includes full use of laboratory. Options exist for assistance with piloting and testing by UMass research engineers, faculty and students. Certain types of remote or off-site testing is available through the UMass Mobile Testing Facility.
There is also an opportunity to make use of the sensor testing program that is associated with the Mill River Monitoring Facility.

Drinking Waters, Surface Waters, and Groundwaters


Treatments
Oxidation/Disinfection
– Chlorination, chloramination, chlorine dioxide, ozonation, ferrate, permanganate, AOP
Coagulation & flocculation
Clarification Gravity
– Settling, DAF
Filtration
Jar Testing
– Inert and reactive media
Membrane Treatment
GAC adsorption
Rapid Scale Small Column Testing (RSSCT)
Generic MethodTypical Analytes
Acid Ext LC/MS (ESI+)Most PPCPs
Acid Ext LC/MS (ESI-)Steroids
Acid Ext LC/MS (ESI+ & ESI-) 
Base Ext LC/MS (ESI+)Basic PPCPs
GC/MSFragrances
TreatmentNotes
Chlorination 
Chloramination 
Chlorine Dioxide 
Ozonation (batch) 
Ozonation (semi-cont) 
Dual NOM FractionationRotary evap. & preparative scale UF, XAD (20L volume)
Full Resin Fractionation (meso)6 fractions: phobic&philic, acid,base,neutral (20L volume)
Aerobic Incubation7 days, controlled temperature
Concentration by RErotavap