Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID OK_2024_Sadler

Artificial Intelligence to Assist Small Water Treatment Plant Operations

Institute: Oklahoma
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $24,121 Total Non-Federal Funds: $25,122

Principal Investigators: Jeff Sadler

Project Summary: Small water and wastewater treatment plants across the US, including Oklahoma, are faced with significant staffing challenges. These facilities, constituting over 90% of the state's plants, struggle to deliver clean water with limited resources. The retirement of experienced operators compounds the issue, as retirees take with them valuable expertise. Consequently, newer staff face the difficult task of managing aging plants amidst small operating budgets and stricter regulations. We propose using artificial intelligence (AI) to assist operators. AI's capacity to analyze extensive datasets can offer valuable insights into plant management. Our hypothesis suggests that AI can synthesize historical plant data to provide effective recommendations. To validate this, we plan to develop a pilot ML model for the Oklahoma State Water Treatment plant. We will also conduct a survey among small plant operators statewide to gauge their receptiveness toward using AI in their operations.