Wastewater is Cool is the brainchild of third-year environmental engineering Ph.D. student, Kylie Boenisch-Oakes. During her undergraduate degree at Oregon State University, Kylie had the opportunity to intern at the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant in Portland, Oregon. This experience changed the path of their life. Before working at the treatment plant, Kylie had not thought about what happens to our water after it leaves our showers, toilets, and sinks. Working at the treatment plant illuminated the complexities of wastewater treatment, the opportunities for resource recovery, and how cool it was!
Of course, when you think wastewater, the word cool probably isn't the first that comes to mind. She is here to help change that.
Beyond just wastewater, she is passionate about all types of water treatment and hopes to enable greater engagement with the systems and processes that provide one of the most vital and precious resources in our lives, water.