NAWI Workshop – Advancing Water Treatment Science
NAWI Workshop attendees (left to right): Bianca Chaves, Mervin Lim, Andrea Achilli, and Mukta Hardikar
On March 26, 2026, Andrea Achilli, Mervin Lim, and Bianca Chaves -- all part of the University of Arizona Water Resiliency Program -- attended a National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) workshop. Held in Tempe, Arizona, the event was centered around “Advancing Water Treatment Science to Support Regional Water and Energy Management."
The workshop brought together leading researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss advancements in desalination, water reuse, and the energy-water nexus, as well as their implications for regional water supply and energy demand. The program featured plenary presentations from leadership at the U.S. Department of Energy and the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona, along with panel discussions from experts across the field.
A key highlight of the event was the discussion of the Water treatment Technoeconomic Assessment Platform (WaterTAP), an open-source Python-based software package developed by NAWI that supports the technoeconomic assessment of full water treatment trains. The WEST Center previously hosted a WaterTAP workshop in May 2024, reflecting its ongoing engagement with NAWI as a stakeholder in advancing water treatment innovation.