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Abstract
Ecological Engineering of Process Waters, Wastewaters and Stormwaters
A systems approach to the analysis and design of urban and industrial processes, facilities and
landscapes promotes the use of ecosystem services to optimize water, energy, and material use, to
minimize the production of waste and pollution and to maximize the recycling and reuse of
materials.
A natural watershed processes the flow of rainwater, solar energy, and minerals through its
physical, chemical, and biotic communities to produce nutrients, raw materials, and products that
sustain ecosystems as well as human and economic activity. Wastes do not accumulate because
they are continuously reused and recycled.
An urban or industrial watershed processes the flow of water, energy, and materials to produce
products that support human and economic activity. However they frequently deposit waste into
the surrounding landscape and ecosystem because these watersheds are only rarely designed to
optimize the recycling and reuse of water flows.
By enhancing communication among related disciplines the objective of ecological engineering
will be to promote greater integration of process water, stormwater, and wastewater flows within
urban watersheds as a means to improve material, energy, and economic efficiency while
reducing environmental impacts. Mr. Del Portos presentation examines the proposition that such
designs are more durable, more economical and more efficient to own and manage, while they
offer healthier, more productive, and more comfortable environments to workers, tenants and
neighbors.
Disciplines
Mr. Del Portos presentation will be meaningful to professionals in academia, industry and
government in the following disciplines:
Civil , Environmental, and Process Engineering
Ecological Engineering and Industrial Ecology
Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Real Estate, Infrastructure and Economic Development
Urban and Regional Planning
Business Management and Natural Resource Economics
Environmental Policy and Planning
Public Health
Topics
Mr. Del Porto will illuminate the need for more information regarding methodological
contributions and empirical case studies that promote integrated solutions to the treatment and
reuse of process water, wastewater, and stormwater. Cost and performance comparisons between
established engineering solutions and ecologically based approaches will be discussed.
Topics covered will include
Physical, chemical, biological and ecological methods for industrial wastewater
treatment, e.g. membranes, adsorption, bioreactors, treatment wetlands/phytoremediation.
Process redesign for pollution prevention and zero-emission systems
Low impact development and stormwater management
Soil bioengineering and remediation
Ecosystem and landscape restoration
Brownfield redevelopment
Material, energy-flow and life-cycle analysis
Industrial symbiosis, eco-industrial park design and development
Discharge permitting and compliance
Tools for valuing natural capital and ecosystem services (e.g. net-environmental-benefit-
and least-cost-solution analysis)
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Sustainable
Resources 2004 > Talks
and Workshops
