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February 23, 2015

Off the water grid: energy efficient and sustainable


This University of Miami residence hall may look typical, but students in one of the apartments are participating in research involving one of the planet's most precious commodities--water. With support from the National Science Foundation, environmental engineer James Englehardt and his team created this "net zero" water system, which serves most of the residents' daily needs, including dish washing, showering and laundry. All of their water is treated just outside their building, and reused in a sustainable loop. This system even removes common household chemicals such as cleaning solutions and pharmaceuticals.

Credit: National Science Foundation


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