Reusing Waste Water

It takes the mind of an engineer to imagine how to build a living, breathing machine to remove contaminants from our water supply. Dr. Rachel Brennan's research team built the newest Penn State Eco-machine--constructed of duckweed, plants, and fungi.

The water cycle in communities across Utah is pretty straightforward. Water comes out of creeks and reservoirs, serves some purpose, and is put back into the chain further downstream. But as the state’s population continues to rise, what we put back into the chain often comes with more than just water.