Recent Events

May 11, 2024 - Congrats Thao for finishing up exams! The Water Quality Extension Lab wishes you the best in your new position at Exxon! 

May 10, 2024 - A big thanks to the Louisiana Meat Processors Association Board for inviting me to their meeting to discuss sustainability resources. Our team is excited to work with processors in your network! 

May 2, 2024 - The team was able to take a trip to an alligator processor and talk with them about sustainability recommendations. Hopefully, this is the start of a great partnership!

April 30, 2024 - Great day at the Sugar Research Station doing a demo for the Agricultural Career Day. Today's topic was implementing water quality technology in agriculture. A big thank you to Lanette Hebert and Dr. Kiki Fontenot for inviting me to career day and to YSI (for letting me borrow a demo since mine is deployed).

April 29, 2024 - Just a professor and his YSI EXO2 Sonde...We went and grabbed the next set of data from our wastewater treatment partners. This marks the first full month of data from our two deployable units. 

April 25, 2024 -  Lion Elastomers in Giesmar hosted our team for a sustainability assessment to end the week! Mysha was all able to see what able to tour the polymers facility and see where the water quality team could make recommendations. 

April 19th, 2024 - We are getting close to deployment!!! More images to come.

April 17, 2024 - The team spent the day with the Algiers Drink Water facility in New Orleans learning about the West Banks drinking water treatment process! Mason and Thao made the trip to see how Mississippi River Water is processed for clean drinking water. 

April 15, 2024 - Our first data set for the wastewater treatment partnership! The YSI Sondes survived 2 weeks in the ponds and gave us solid data sets. 50 more weeks to go! 

April 9, 2024 - I had a great opportunity to present LSU AgCenter's Water and Energy Conservation Program at the Louisiana Alligator Farmers and Ranchers Association meeting today!  A big thank you to Mark Shirley for inviting me down to speak. 

March 28, 2024 - Sensors have officially been deployed and Mason's project has begun! Thank you to both of our partners Gonzales Wastewater Treatment (Darren, Mark, and Jackie) and the Xylem Team (especially Megan and Lisa) for helping us get this project going. There should be a lot of great data opportunities in the near future. 

March 27, 2024 - The Water Quality Extension Lab hosted our first Onsite Wastewater Installers Workshop in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health for sanitarians to be certified and licensed. A big thanks to the Hammond Research Station for letting me host, Richard and Paula from LDH for support, and the workshop participants for their active participation throughout the workshop! 

March 26, 2024 - USDA announces renewable energy grant for rural parishes! Thank you to LSU Agcenter for hosting and USDA Rural Development Director Dr. Deidre Robert, Business Program Director Whew McGrew, and Business Cooperative Programs Specialist Chaston Price for making the trip down to help promote our program.

March 22, 2024 - The team traveled to Community Coffee today to see another unique manufacturing facility! Thank you to the entire Community Coffee team for taking the time to show students the process! 

March 18-19, 2024 - We are down in Crowley at the Rice Station to have our quarterly Sea Grant meeting this week! It's always great to see everyone and hear about what is going on around the state. 

March 15, 2024 - Pod Packs International in Baton Rouge hosted our team for a sustainability assessment to end the week! Mason, Mysha, and Shristi were all able to see what a packaging plant looks like and found some unique ways that water plays a role in ground coffee packaging. 

March 11, 2024 - A big thank you to Todd and Henry at Windmill Nursery for taking the time to show our team one of the most sustainable Ag operations in Louisiana. Our students had an amazing learning experience and look forward to the upcoming collaboration! 

March 7, 2024 - Blue Runner Beans in Gonzales was an awesome host for your team today! Mysha was able to see the processors to make and package local beans. 

March 6, 2024 - The team spent the morning with the Fluker's Farm team learning about insect farming in Port Allen! We want to thank Erik, Damian, and Tori for taking the time to discuss the process and insect farming operation. 

March 5, 2024 - A big thank you to Chris Smith for letting me come speak to his Urban Tree Physiology students today about research and extension opportunities with the LSU Water Quality Extension Lab. This could be a spark for some great student researchers in the near future! 

March 5, 2024 - Our team had a great trip to Bergerons Pecans in New Roads for a USDA water and energy conservation assessment! A big thanks to Andre and his team for educating us on a unique agricultural business. There will be many more collaborations to come from this partnership! 

March 4, 2024 - Another one installed! The Shimadzu Nexera HPLC has been officially moved into the lab. Our team will have a training session later this month and then...research begins! 

February 28, 2024 - The team visited Deltech Monomers today! Mason and Thao were able to experience a great example of sustainable wastewater processing at a chemical facility. There should be an interesting water recommendation in the works! 

February 27, 2024 - A big thank you to the entire Thermo Fisher Scientific team (AJ, Hannah, and Larry) for helping our team get the new Gallery Discrete Analyzer installed and operational! Also, shout out the Dr. Adbi and Ashely for making the trip over to see that training.  Plenty of great collaborations on the horizon!

February 22, 2024 - Another great day at the Hammond Research Station working with Dr. Abdi and the Landscape Pest Management Workshop. Today's water quality lecture topic was "Fate and Transport of Pesticide in Waterways". 

February 8, 2024 - Today is the day! The Thermo Scientific Galler Discrete Analyzer has been installed. Our team will have a training session later this month and then...research begins! 

February 7, 2024 - Mysha and Thao were able to visit USALCO plant in Port Allen for a sustainability assessment today!

February 1, 2024 - The team spent the day with the Sewage & Water Board in New Orleans learning about the drinking water treatment process! Shristi and Mysha made the trip to see the surface water processing for Orleans Parish.

January 31, 2024 - Mason, Thao, and Mysha had the opportunity to visit EMR Recycling today for a water conservation assessment. We would like to thank the EMR team, especially Winston and Tony for hosting our team and teaching us about day-to-day operations. 

January 24, 2024 - Our team had a great trip to Purdin Koi Farms for a USDA water and energy conservation assessment! A big thanks to Alyssa and Kyle for educating our team on such a unique agricultural business. We look forward to a continued partnership with the Purdin team.  

January 8th, 2024 - The LSU Water Quality Extension Lab had our first official team meeting yesterday. Be prepared for great research/extension work to come from the lab and these students in the next few semesters! 

December 18, 2023 - We took a trip to Gonzales to visit a waste stabilization pond and municipal facility to finalize the framework for 2024 projects! There is some great extension and research on the horizon! 

December 14-15, 2023 - We start our quarterly Sea Grant meeting today! It's always great for the team to get together and discuss recent events in our respective areas. Dr. Hayes will be giving a presentation tomorrow on sources of water quality for south Louisiana communities. 

December 4, 2023 - Today was our team's first USDA water and energy conservation assessment with Chris & Camille's Family Farm. A big thanks to Mike Veal and his family for hosting our team as we look for opportunities to help their microgreen and leafy vegetable farm continue to grow! 

December 1, 2023 - Great day at the Hammond Research Station working with the new ANR agents. Today's water quality lecture topic was "Identifying the sources of agricultural water quality for Louisiana communities".