The Équipe de Traitement des EAux de l’Université Laval (ÉTEAUL): A team of young ecological visionaries

Équipe de Traitement des EAux de l’Université Laval (ÉTEAUL)

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Each year, Cascades sponsors innovative and environmentally responsible projects that inspire Cascaders. This week, we chose to shine the spotlight on a team of University Laval students from undergraduate hydrological and chemical engineering programs. Here’s a portrait of this team of young ecological visionaries.

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The goal of the Équipe de Traitement des EAux de l’Université Laval (Laval University Water Treatment Team, or ÉTEAUL for short) is to acquire practical experience designing and building a water treatment system by taking part in an inter-university competition.

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The Mid-Pacific Student Water Treatment Competition is a water treatment competition managed by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) which will be held in California during Easter weekend. “This competition will allow us to independently initiate a comprehensive, multidisciplinary engineering project,” said Mariève Boulanger, a chemical engineering student and ÉTEAUL team captain.

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ÉTEAUL’s mission

ÉTEAUL’s mission is to take part in a hydrology-related design, drafting and communication project and show off the latest hydrological expertise in Quebec. “This is a one-of-a-kind experience. It will let us discover a fascinating field and get involved with a topic that is sure to become a growing priority with time,” said Mariève Boulanger enthusiastically.

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Here’s how the competition works

A few months before the meet, the teams receive a scenario. This year, it’s about treating effluent from a river that’s strongly contaminated with organic particles and residues due to agricultural runoff. The treatment objective is to get drinking-quality water to wash a shipment of fresh lettuce that will be eaten shortly after shipping. On the day of the competition, the emergency water treatment system must be built and be able to treat effluent in less than 30 minutes, using only the materials provided by organizers. Teams are judged on several criteria related to filter design, quality and amount of recovered water, the technical report and the presentation of their design.

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Interested in how the project’s going? Want to cheer on ÉTEAUL’s mission? Visit them at www.eteaul.com or follow them on Facebook.

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