New water laboratory added for research
A new water laboratory has been added to the 50,000-square-foot Utah Water Research Laboratory near First Dam.
The Water Dynamics Laboratory will be used as a tool for transferring discoveries concerning water research to the public. Richard Peralta will be its director.
“This is an opportunity to develop another major unit within the Research Foundation that complements and strengthens USU’s research activities,” said David Norton, CEO of the university’s Research Foundation, in a news release.
The not-for-profit Water Dynamics Laboratory will mirror the organizational structure of the Space Dynamics Laboratory. It will not use state or university funds, but will operate under government and commercial contracts. Its revenues are projected to reach $10 million in three years, according to the news release.
Because of its recognition in research, USU was in a position to compete for contracts like this one, Norton said.
Thirty percent of the laboratory’s employees are students, providing job opportunities, as well as hands-on experience.
The Water Dynamics Laboratory will use water research from the UWRL, the department of civil and environmental engineering, the colleges of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Science to develop new products and services, according to the news release.
The new lab will address problems like water contamination and pollution “encountered by the state, the nation or other countries in the world,” Norton said.
The lab will move the discoveries made through research to the market.
A new building is not yet needed, but as the research areas grow, one will be considered.
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