Can AI Fix How We Treat Wastewater?

Stantec and partners win $150,000 Water Research Foundation grant to deploy AI tools at two US wastewater facilities over 31 months

16 Jun 2026

A $150,000 research grant is about to bring machine learning into daily wastewater operations at two major US facilities. Awarded by the Water Research Foundation on March 26, 2026, the 31-month project will develop tools that turn live plant data into real-time guidance for treatment staff. Stantec leads the effort alongside WSSC Water and EAOS.

The core idea is straightforward. Continuous sensor readings, flow measurements, and water quality indicators get processed by AI tools that surface actionable recommendations for operators on the floor, replacing reliance on periodic manual analysis with something closer to a constant, attentive co-pilot. Targeted outcomes include flagging inefficiencies, optimizing chemical dosing, and cutting energy use across treatment processes.

WSSC Water, one of the country's largest water and wastewater utilities serving the Washington, DC metro area, will serve as a primary test site alongside a second facility. Two sites matter here. Running the tools across distinct plant configurations, flow regimes, and regulatory environments lets the team assess how well the AI generalizes before anyone draws broader conclusions.

EAOS brings specialized expertise in environmental data systems to round out the partnership alongside Stantec's engineering depth. Together, they plan to publish open findings and documented methodologies, giving other utilities a reference point when weighing similar adoptions.

By the project's close, researchers expect to deliver a framework other municipalities can actually use, not just study. If the tools hold up across both sites, the initiative could offer a replicable path for utilities looking to modernize without tearing out existing infrastructure to do it.