Grand Rapids
Michigan, USA
In Grand Rapids, the Urban Collaboratory focuses on water and social issues.
About Grand Rapids
Following Detroit, Grand Rapids is the largest city in Michigan.
Located in Kent County, Grand Rapids is about 30 miles East of the shores of Lake Michigan.
- Population: 198,829
- Area: 44.40 square miles
- Median Household Income: $42,019
- Poverty Rate: 25.1%
“As part of Michigan’s Water Strategy it is critical that the entire sector work together to innovate and address emerging concerns. University of Michigan’s Urban Collaboratory project provides a bridge between academics and practitioners. Grand Rapids is a leader in real time controls and data analysis and when the opportunity from the Urban Collaboratory presented itself to look at the data using AI, it was embraced. As a Utilities Director and Innovator this bridge is a prime example of where the future is headed.”
Michael Lunn
Utilities Director, Grand Rapids Environmental Services Department
Related Projects
in Grand Rapids
Principal Investigators in Grand Rapids
Glen Daigger PhD, MSCE, PE
Principal Investigator
Co-Founder
Professor, Environmental and Water Resources
Dr. Daigger is currently Professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Michigan and President and Founder of One Water Solutions, LLC, a water engineering and innovation firm. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for CH2M HILL where he was employed for 35 years, as well as Professor and Chair of Environmental Systems Engineering at Clemson University. Actively engaged in the water profession through major projects, and as author or co-author of more than 100 technical papers, four books, and several technical manuals, he contributes to significantly advance practice within the water profession. He has advised many of the major cites of the world, including New York, Los Angles, San Francisco, Singapore, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and Beijing, and is currently a member of the Asian Development Bank Water Advisory Group. Deeply involved in professional activities, he is currently co-Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation (WE&RF), and a Past President of the International Water Association (IWA). The recipient of numerous awards, including the Kappe, Freese, and Feng lectures and the Harrison Prescott Eddy, Morgan, and the Gascoigne Awards, he is a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a Distinguished Fellow of IWA, and a Fellow of the Water Environment Federation (WEF). A member of a number of professional societies, Dr. Daigger is also a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineers.
Recent Projects
+ Optimizing Phosphorus Removal at Detroit’s Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF)
+ Protecting Public Health with Improved Water Service
+ Use of Artificial Intelligence in Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF)