K-State engineering students benefit city of Manhattan, gain real-world experience

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Source: Alok Bhandari, 785-532-1578, bhandari@k-state.edu
Note to editors: Josh Howard is a graduate of Iola High School.
News release prepared by: Sara Shellenberger, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu

Friday, February 9, 2007

K-STATE ENGINEERING STUDENTS BENEFIT CITY OF MANHATTAN, GAIN REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE

MANHATTAN -- The city of Manhattan estimates the work by a group of Kansas State University graduate students performing a service-learning project on wastewater issues recently saved the city around $9,500.

During fall 2006, K-State graduate students from Alok Bhandari's wastewater engineering class consulted with Manhattan's department of public works to develop a management plan to improve the city's wastewater treatment plant.

The team conducted chemical characterizations at key locations in Manhattan's sewage collection system to test for growth of problematic bacteria in the aeration tank system. Because the presence of such bacterial activity could potentially prevent the city from meeting National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System standards, the team's findings were of utmost importance, according to Bhandari, an associate professor of civil engineering at K-State.

"This service-learning project benefited the city of Manhattan by providing valuable information that can help improve the performance of the city's wastewater treatment processes," he said.

Further, the project allowed students to step out of the classroom and gain engineering knowledge in a real-world context.

"Through this experience, students gained a scientific understanding of how the characteristics of raw wastewater impact the efficacy of wastewater treatment, and therefore, the quality of effluent discharged into surface waters," Bhandari said. "They also benefited from the teambuilding, networking and opportunity to develop innovative solutions for a real-world issue as they gained the value of service through meaningful engagement with the local community."

The project was funded by WaterLINK, a Kansas Campus Compact project that works with colleges and community colleges to support service-learning projects that improve or protect water resources, and was co-funded by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The project follows two previous service-learning opportunities by Bhandari's classes, including a spill response project with the city of Manhattan and a water capacity project for Fort Scott Lake.

Students involved in the project were Nagarmutt Ashwini Kamath, graduate student in civil engineering, Sankara Phani Kri Mellacheruvu, graduate student in civil engineering, and Sujatha Nagulapally, graduate student in civil engineering, all of Manhattan; and Josh Howard, December 2006 bachelor's and master's graduate in civil engineering, Gold River, Calif.