A Practical Guide to Machine Learning Adoption for Water Reuse: Academic, Consulting, and Utility Perspectives

Workshop Presenters

Emily Clements [Facilitator]
Carollo Engineers

Emily Clements has over 8 years of experience in water infrastructure research and innovation. Her expertise spans quantitative microbial risk assessment, applying machine learning to predict water reuse, drinking water quality modeling, and membrane aerated biofilm reactors for nutrient removal. She has published ten first-author, peer-reviewed papers and presented at 20+ national and international conferences, establishing herself as a thought leader in microbial water safety. With a proven record of research impact and a collaborative style, Emily brings both rigor and clarity to solving water challenges.

Yoko Koyama [Facilitator]
ML Innovation Lead
Carollo Engineers

Yoko is Carollo's ML innovation lead and an expert in modeling and data analytics using coding languages such as Python, R and C++ for water and an experienced science communicator who has spoken at many national and regional conferences on ML in the water sector. Yoko has developed RShiny dashboards for interactive machine learning tools for membrane bioreactors and granular activated carbon (GAC). Yoko attended North Carolina State University for her MS and conducted research with Dr.Knappe on ML and GAC PFAS treatment.

Cora LeMar, PE [Facilitator]
Carollo Engineers

Cora LeMar is an environmental engineer with specialized expertise in water supply engineering and remediation projects. With 10 years of experience spanning environmental consulting and civil engineering, she excels in field investigations, groundwater monitoring, and soil sampling for complex environmental projects. Her technical proficiency in AutoCAD and QGIS enables her to deliver comprehensive engineering solutions that integrate geospatial analysis with traditional design methodologies. She has contributed to several high-profile water reuse and planning projects in California. Her responsibilities have included technical evaluation, alternative development, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to advance water reuse solutions.

John Rehring, PE [Facilitator]
Vice President and Senior Project Manager
Carollo Engineers

John Rehring is a Vice President and Senior Project Manager with Carollo Engineers in Denver.  For over 30 years, he has focused on water supply and reuse planning and implementation across the Southwest US. In recent years, he led the development of the Denver One Water Plan and managed two direct potable reuse demonstration projects in Colorado.  He is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association and a past president of WateReuse Colorado, and serves on the WateReuse Association's Board of Directors.

Kyle Thompson [Facilitator]
Carollo Engineers

Kyle Thompson has over 11 years of experience working on wastewater, drinking water, and reuse projects. Kyle has a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder and a Professional Certificate in Data Science from Harvard. As Reuse Advanced Process Control and AI Lead, Kyle has overseen over $2 million dollars of federally funded R&D for novel machine learning applications for water monitoring and purification. Kyle has been an author on five published and two forthcoming WRF final reports. Kyle led the development of the WRF 5082 deliver-able Guidebook for Mitigating PFAS From Entering Drinking Water Supplies and Wastewater. Kyle has also contributed to utility guidance manuals about PFAS treatment testing and indicator selection for direct potable reuse. On the topic of machine learning, Kyle has published four peer-reviewed papers and given seven-teen conference presentations.

Jorge Pesantez
Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering
California State University Fresno

Dr. Pesantez joined the California State University Fresno Department of Civil and Geomatics Engineering in 2022. He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Cuenca, Ecuador (2010), and obtained a Master's in Construction Management at the University of the Armed Forces (ESPE), Ecuador (2014). He holds an M.S. (2017) and a Ph.D. (2021) in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University. Before joining Fresno State, Dr. Pesantez worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Dr. Pesantez teaches computational methods, water resources engineering, and construction engineering courses, including Computer Applications in CE, Hydraulics, Hydraulics Lab, and Construction Engineering. His scientific contributions have been recognized as the Editor's Choice of the Month by the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management.

Steven James Poe
Digital Water Engineer
Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD)

Steven James Poe is a licensed Professional Civil Engineer with over 18 years of experience specializing in hydraulic and hydrologic modeling, as well as data science applications in the water sector. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Technology and a Master of Engineering in Modeling and Simulation, both from Old Dominion University. At the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), Steven serves as a Digital Water Engineer, where he integrates advanced analytics and machine learning into utility operations. His recent work includes developing predictive models to identify saltwater inflow and infiltration (I&I) hotspots and forecasting sewer flow rates based on weather conditions. He is also contributing to the implementation of a pilot interceptor system digital twin, which uses forecasted flows as inputs to real-time hydraulic simulations to support operational optimization.

Co-Authors

Kyle Thompson
Carollo Engineers

Jeffrey Sparks
Hampton Roads Sanitation District

Deena Hannoun
Southern Nevada Water Authority

Jorge Pesantez
California State University Fresno