Instead of connecting to sewer lines, residents in rural areas must treat their wastewater another way: using on-site septic systems that drain into the soil. However, if polluted water doesn’t filter through enough layers of soil before reaching groundwater, pathogens could enter water that people drink.
Thanks to Ohio’s poor-draining landscape and high water table, it’s integral for septic tank designers to consider the state’s unique drainage requirements. To make it easier for these engineers, Dr. Vinayak Shedekar, assistant professor of agricultural water management, wanted to create an online, interactive version of a complex drainage model he’s spent years studying.
While the state specialist for agricultural water management is an expert on the role of water quality as it relates to sustainable agriculture, he needed a team to help build this accessible tool.
“With Knowledge Exchange, I saw that ideal partner,” Shedekar said.
After meeting with Dr. Shedekar, Knowledge Exchange’s technology team got to work creating a framework for the tool. Once the tool launches, a user will be able to zoom in on any site in Ohio, access information about its soil type and historical weather conditions, and run a hydrologic simulation model themselves. The tool will then list parameters on drain spacing and depth, helping designers create the optimum septic system.
“We’re taking the expert out of the equation by providing access to that model for designers and common users to run,” he said.
Dr. Shedekar notes that KX’s unique team and capabilities have been essential in creating the tool. Instead of manually collecting data from public sources on the 400 types of soil in Ohio and 80 years of past weather data, KX’s team was able to automatically pull in this information.
“They have helped us build a weather database and a workflow that will give my users automated, long-term weather records going back to the 1950s,” Shedekar said.
Interacting with team members with diverse scientific and technical backgrounds who can translate complex drainage topics to the developers has also been key.
“The best part are the people; that’s where the magic happens,” he said. “And you have an entire spectrum of developers who can help build not just the back-end that’s processing the raw data, but the front end that is a user interface that makes things easy.”
Besides their technical expertise, the KX team has been committed to tackling the project as efficiently as possible.
“The best thing is that KX has done an outstanding job of staying on track with the timeline for deliverables,” he said. “In fact, they go one step further. Going that extra mile for your client has really helped me.”
Dr. Shedekar can’t wait to see how the project continues to progress. He thinks the tool could one day help both urban and agricultural drainage designers limit harm to the environment.
“It’s a pretty big impact to be a starting faculty member and have a project that’s going very well and ahead of schedule, and knowing that you’re working with a partner that you can rely on for anything that you need done,” he said. “Knowledge Exchange is the place to go.”
This project is funded by the Ohio Department of Higher Education Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative. Dr. Ryan Winston is a co-PI on the project, and collaborators include North Carolina State University and Michigan State University.