Scott Summers

Professor Summers’ current focus in teaching, advising and research is on water reuse and sustainability and he is the co-Director of the University of Colorado’s Water Reuse Program. He has been evaluating the treatment of alternative water sources (stormwater, greywater, wastewater effluent and combined sewer overflow) with the use of coagulation, biofiltration and biochar / activated carbon adsorption for the control of specific organic micropollutants, including disinfection by-products (DBPs), and bulk organic matter including DBP precursors. Historically, his areas of expertise are adsorption and biological treatment technologies as applied to natural organic matter, DBPs, trace organic contaminants and taste & odor. For the last 10 years he has researched water treatment technologies for small communities, both domestic and international. Over the last 25 years, Dr. Summers has served as a principal technical consultant to USEPA's regulatory development and review process including; Microbial/Disinfection Byproduct Rule cluster, National Drinking Water Advisory Council Arsenic Cost Working Group, Lead and Cooper Rule and Total Coliform Rule/Distribution System Advisory Committee. He has served on several other national and international advisory panels. In 2016 he presented to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology - Science and Technology of Alternative Water Sources, Washington, DC.  

Professor Summers was Director of the Environmental Engineering Program (EVEN) from 2013 to 2019 and was the coordinator of the graduate Environmental Engineering track in Civil Engineering from 2000 to 2014.

Courses Taught

EVEN 1000 Intro to Environmental Engineering
CVEN 3424 Water and Wastewater Treatment
CVEN 5464 Environmental Engineering Processes
CVEN 5524 Water Treatment
EVEN 6504 Advanced Physical Chemical Treatment 

Education

Ph.D., Stanford University 
Bachelor's & Master's, University of Cincinnati 

Honors & Awards

• Charles R. O'Melia Distinguished Educator Award, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, 2020
• A.P. Black Award, American Water Works Association, 2013
• University of Colorado CEAE Department
  • Research Award, 2007;
  • Teaching Award, 2009;
  • Student's Favorite Professor Award, 2010;
  • Service Award, 2011;
• Journal of the American Water Works Association
  • Best Paper Awards, 1990, 1996, 1997, 2016, 2018 (2) 

Recent Publications

** denotes work done in collaboration with graduate students
* denotes work done in collaboration with undergraduate students

• **Peterson E, **Shiokari ST, **Johnson S, Yu Y, Cook S., Summers RS, “Impacts of carbon-based advanced treatment processes on disinfection byproduct formation and speciation for potable reuse,” Water Research, 199, 117180 (2022).
• **Bentley MJ, Kearns, JP, **Murphy BM, Summers RS, “Pre-pyrolysis metal and base addition catalyzes pore development and improves organic micropollutant adsorption to pine biochar,” Chemosphere 286, 131949 (2022)
• Kempisty DM, E Arevalo, AM Spinelli, V Edeback, ERV Dickenson, C Husted, CP Higgins, RS Summers, DRU Knappe, “Granular activated carbon adsorption of perfluoroalkyl acids from ground and surface water” AWWA Water Science, 4(1)e1269, (2022).
• **Peterson, E, Summers, R.S., “Removal of effluent organic matter with biofiltration for potable reuse: A review and meta-analysis,” Water Research, 199, 117180 (2021).
• Kennedy AM, Arias-Paic M, **Bentley MJ, Summers RS. "Experimental and Modeling Comparisons of Ash-Treated Pine Biochar and Activated Carbon for the Adsorption of Dissolved Organic Matter and Organic Micropollutants." Journal of Environmental Engineering, 147 (9) (2021).
• Fisher RP, Lewandowski A, Yacob TW, Ward BJ, Hafford LM, Mahoney RB, Oversby CJ, Mejic D, Hauschulz DH, Summers RS, Linden KG, Weimer AW. "Solar Thermal Processing to Disinfect Human Waste." Sustainability, 13 (9) (2021).
• Kennedy AM, **Hausmann J, Corwin C, Summers RS. "DOM removal is more important than the specific DOM removal pretreatment process for GAC adsorption of TrOCs." Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 7, 1707 (2021).
• **Kearns J, Dickenson E, Aung MT, Joseph SM, Summers RS, Knappe D. "Biochar Water Treatment for Control of Organic Micropollutants with UVA Surrogate Monitoring." Environmental Engineering Science, 38 (5) (2021).
• Khan AL, Sokol ER, McKnight DM, Saunders JF, Hohner AK, Summers RS. "Phytoplankton Drivers of Dissolved Organic Material Production in Colorado Reservoirs and the Formation of Disinfection By-Products." Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9, 259 (2021).
• **Meyer, J., Seidel, C., Summers, R.S., Evaluation of Population-Weighted Risk Reduction for Several Disinfection By-product Control Strategies, ASCE Journal Environmental Engineering, 146 (3) ARTN 04019131(2020).
• Raseman WJ, Kasprzyk JR, Summers RS, Hohner AK, Rosario-Ortiz FL. "Multi-objective optimization of water treatment operations for disinfection byproduct control." Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 6 (3): 702-714 (2020).
• Cuthbertson AA, Kimura SY, Liberatore HK, Knappe DRU, Stanford B, Summers RS, Dickenson ER, Maness JC, Glover C, Selbes M, "GAC to BAC: Does it make chloraminated drinking water safer?" Water Research, 172: ARTN 115432. (2020). 
• **Bentley MJ, Summers RS. "Ash pretreatment of pine and biosolids produces biochars with enhanced capacity for organic micropollutant removal from surface water, wastewater, and stormwater." Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 6 (3): 635-644 (2020).
• **Thompson KA, *Valencia EW, Summers RS, Cook SM. "Sorption, coagulation, and biodegradation for graywater treatment." Water Science & Technology, 81 (10): 2152-2162 (2020).
• Verdugo EM, Gifford M, Glover C, Cuthbertson AA, Trenholm RA, Kimura SY, Liberatore HK, Richardson SD, Stanford BD, Summers RS, "Controlling disinfection byproducts from treated wastewater using adsorption with granular activated carbon: Impact of pre-ozonation and pre-chlorination." Water Research X, 9 (2020).
• Summers RS, **Shiokari ST, **Johnson S, **Peterson E, Yu Y, Cook S. "Reuse treatment with ozonation, biofiltration, and activated carbon adsorption for total organic carbon control and disinfection byproduct regulation compliance." AWWA Water Science. 2 (5) e1190 (2020).
• Tolofari DL, Masters SV, Bartrand T, Hamilton KA, Haas CN, Olson M, Summers RS, Rasheduzzaman M, **Young A, Singh R, et. al. "Full factorial study of pipe characteristics, stagnation times, and water quality." AWWA Water Science. 2 (5) e1204 (2020).