WEF Member Achievements — James L. Barnard Receives Honorary Doctorate

Photo courtesy of Black & Veatch.

James L. Barnard, a member of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) since Jan. 1, 1972, and Black & Veatch (Overland Park, Kan.) Global Practice and Technology leader, has received an honorary doctorate from the Iowa State University (Ames) College of Engineering.

Barnard is known as the “father of biological nutrient removal” for inventing the biological nutrient removal process, which uses microorganisms instead of chemicals to remove nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater, according to a Singapore International Water Week news release. He began exploring the technology when he was faced with water quality challenges in his native South Africa in the 1970s. In 2011, he won the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize for creating the process, the news release says.

Barnard has spent his career researching, developing, and improving processes for treating water and wastewater. His research and accomplishments earned him his most recent honorary doctorate, according to a Black & Veatch news release. He also holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Johannesburg and earned a Ph.D. in water resources and environmental health engineering from Vanderbilt University (Nashville). He also holds a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Texas (Austin) and is a certified professional engineer.

With more than 40 years of experience, Barnard has helped create the process design for more than 100 nutrient removal projects around the world that provide the basis for many designs throughout the United States, according to a biographical sheet provided by Black & Veatch. He has provided technical advice for many projects, had much of his research published in journals and books, and has been featured as the keynote speaker at numerous conferences and events, the sheet says.

As an active WEF member, Barnard is a member of WEF’s Program–Research and Innovation Committee, Awards — WEF Fellows Committee, and the Sustainability Algae Technology Task Force. In addition, he has served on several Water Environment Research Foundation (Alexandria, Va.) subcommittees and is a member of the American Water Works Association (Denver).

In 1987, Barnard received WEF’s Thomas R. Camp Award. In 2011, he was named a WEF fellow. He has received numerous other industry awards, including the Koch/Imhoff Award from the International Water Association (London) in 1988 and the Clarke Prize from the National Water Research Institute (Fountain Valley, Calif.) in 2007.

— Jennifer Fulcher, WEF Highlights