Our Vision

Our CLEARWaSH vision is water and wastewater infrastructure that is sustainable, resilient, and inclusive, meeting the needs of all U.S. communities, especially those that are underserved. This infrastructure will be designed and managed by a diverse domestic engineering workforce with the skills to collaborate across disciplines and cultural contexts to address emerging priorities.

Our Goal

Together with the University South Florida (USF), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T), and San Diego State University (SDSU), NC State is building a sustainable and scalable innovation ecosystem based on active partnership and engagement with underserved communities, policymakers, and industry to address drinking water, sanitation, stormwater and resilience to water events.

CLEARWaSH will demonstrate how to achieve Goal 75:50 by 2050: a 75% reduction in water use achieved through decentralized/distributed systems, water reuse, and conservation; a 50% reduction in energy due to reduced transport and improved treatment; and a similar reduction in greenhouse gas emissions if using the same energy mix as current centralized systems.

Making A Difference

We’re making significant impacts on the quality of life of underserved communities, by:

• Advancing fundamental knowledge in basic science and engineering in innovative decentralized water and sanitation technologies
• Developing distributed WaSH solutions for underserved communities
• Developing a novel virtual testing platform for communities and stakeholders to input their specific data and constraints and identify solutions
• Advancing a new engineering paradigm that serves the needs of communities
• Decreasing current inequities in access and benefits from technological advancement and contributing to a more equitable, fair, and sustainable society
• Building a WaSH workforce that represents our Nation’s great diversity and releases the vast potential of those with roots in underserved communities