Professor Jacques Harb, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering (FE) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU), joined the Sustainable Wastewater Treatment for Hospitals (SWaTH) mobility at the University of La Rochelle (LRU) in France, alongside representatives from the University of Balamand (UOB), Lebanese University (LU), Lebanese American University (LAU), and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK).
The project, funded by Erasmus+, aims at assisting Mediterranean countries in the installment of appropriate hospital wastewater treatment technology and their sustainable recycling, with the eventual goal of implementing this technology at Lebanese hospitals, the purchase and installation of laboratory equipment in Lebanese Universities, as well as the assessment and quantification of the environmental and social impacts of similar wastewater treatment processes.
The five aforementioned universities are cooperating to classify current methods of wastewater treatment in Lebanese hospitals according to their compliance with international and national standards. This endeavor will include statistically and scientifically evaluating the social and environmental damage via Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies, in addition to establishing a hospital wastewater analysis and treatment facilities in universities with the joint help of LRU, the University of Granada in Spain, University of Lleida in Spain, KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and University of Oulu in Finland.
Dr. Harb took part in the La Rochelle mobility from May 16 till May 21, wherein he and the other participants visited the La Rochelle Hospital waste facilities, the Port-Neuf Wastewater Treatment Plant, and multiple laboratories and research centers geared towards sustainable development. NDU’s plan includes sending one graduate student for a month of training at LRU in September, in addition to increasing capacity-building in this sector of sustainability.
“The coastal City of La Rochelle,” Dr. Harb shared, “is an example for the conservation of natural resources and joyful living with its advanced water management system.” His own take-away from this experience is pursuing the improvement of water-testing facilities at the FE, Faculty mobility and collaboration with both Lebanese and EU universities, and capacity-building in the environmental field.
NDU is proud to be at the frontline of sustainable wastewater treatment alongside SWaTH and the partnering institutions. Thank you to Professor Harb for your innovative goals for the University, and best of luck in achieving these objectives.