Kennedy Water Lab

Routine flushing of dead-end water mains is completed to maintain drinking water quality and comply with regulations in some states. However, inconsistent water quality benefits and, in some cases, temporary deterioration in water quality following flushing operations has been observed. This project seeks to develop evidence-based flushing practices that maximize public health benefits while minimizing water loss, customer complaints, and costs for utilities in arid regions. This project is funded by the Water Research Foundation (WRF 5393) and El Paso Water.

Advanced-treated wastewater can be used as a source of drinking water through direct potable reuse. WBE can help ensure ingestion of recycled water does not result in increased enteric diseases in the contributing community. The goal of this project is to quantify and compare pathogen occurrence in the engineered water cycle for communities with direct, indirect, and de facto potable reuse, and inform monitoring strategies for potable reuse.

Enteric viruses in the engineered water cycle are generally quantified via culture methods or molecular methods. While culture methods are ideal for quantifying infectious viruses, molecular methods are still commonly used because they tend to have higher sensitivity and faster turnaround times and not all viruses are easily culturable. The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate molecular methods to assess enteric virus inactivation mechanisms and persistence in the engineered water cycle.

Enhanced methods of microbial assessment include methods for microbial abundance (e.g., flow cytometry-based cell counts), microbial community composition (e.g., DNA sequencing), and specific microbial targets (e.g., qPCR). The goal of this project is to combine high resolution enhanced microbial assessment data along with physicochemical water quality data and machine learning could aid in early identification of common issues in water systems.

Dr. Kennedy is an assistant professor in the department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at UTEP. She earned her B.S. in Environmental and Ecological Engineering at Purdue University and her M.S. as well as her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She continued her training as a postdoc at Stanford University, where she joined the Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network (SCAN) and wastewaterSCAN teams. The Kennedy Water Lab aims to characterize microbial community dynamics, occurrence, and persistence in the engineered water cycle and apply these data to protect public health and wellbeing as well as the environment.

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Mya is a PhD student and researcher in Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at UTEP, specializing in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). With a deep passion for research, Mya is dedicated to advancing knowledge that can contribute to creating more sustainable communities. Outside of academic pursuits, Mya enjoys staying active through outdoor activities and exploring new destinations through travel.

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Catriana is a PhD student in Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at UTEP. Catriana earned her BSME with a Mathematics minor and a certificate in East Asian Cultural Studies from Central Michigan University in May 2023, and completed her Master of Science in Engineering in August 2025. Catriana's Master’s research focused on developing molecularly imprinted polymers for targeted removal of arsenate from water. Outside of academia, Catriana enjoys hiking, camping, training with her dog, and exploring new languages.

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Stephanie Romero is an undergraduate student majoring in Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, with an associate degree in Architecture. Her current research focuses on analyzing the effects of drinking water source shifts using flow cytometry. After her studies, Stephanie plans to specialize in Water and Environmental Engineering. She is actively engaged as the President of the student chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). In her free time, Stephanie enjoys drawing, crocheting, gaming, listening to music, and writing.

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Gabriel Alderete is an undergraduate student in Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at UTEP. His current research focuses on evaluating the effects of routine flushing on drinking water quality by monitoring parameters such as free chlorine, pH, conductivity, temperature, and intracellular ATP (iATP). After completing his undergraduate studies, Gabriel plans to specialize in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, with the goal of developing sustainable solutions that improve the safety and reliability of public water systems. In his free time, Gabriel enjoys fishing, strength training, reading, and spending time outdoors.

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