A Vital Resource

As a child growing up in Baghdad, Iraq, Bashar Al-Daomi saw the devastating effects of pollution in the Diyala River. The untreated water was unhealthy. The smell was impossible to ignore. Residents suffered because businesses wouldn’t locate there. Al-Daomi made it his personal mission to solve the problem — for his people and for others across the globe.

“Wastewater treatment is a massive problem worldwide, but especially in developing countries like Iraq where communities cannot afford to build expensive municipal water systems,” he said. “No child should have to live with wastewater in their backyard.”

Al-Daomi, now a Ph.D. candidate in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, attended college in Iraq and worked at a wastewater treatment facility there. He came to PSU for the opportunity to conduct research and gain access to technology and connections that could help him save lives back home.

I had to leave to make my path,” he said.

At PSU, Al-Daomi didn’t just learn about existing water purification technologies — he built his own. He developed the Bio CleanTech Reactors System, a low-cost wastewater treatment device that uses bacteria, rather than harsh chemicals, for purification. Compared to other commercial systems, the device was inexpensive to develop. And because it uses an iPad or cellphone to monitor and adjust wastewater quality, it also will be efficient in the long term. Al-Daomi believes it can be the perfect solution for use in remote communities.

Now comes the even harder part of his work: the complex process of attracting attention and funding. With the industry mentorship and expertise of his former roommate Mohammad Osman (MEng 2016, civil and environmental engineering), the system Al-Daomi designed, built and operated took first place at PSU's 2018 Cleantech Challenge. The $8,000 in prize money was a mere drop in the bucket toward the costs of purchasing the tools he needs, maintaining his lab and running his equipment eight to ten hours a day. Without a graduate assistantship, Al-Daomi also must earn or raise money to cover his living expenses and tuition.

"I didn't come 6,929 miles away from home just to analyze data... I came here to put my ideas into action."

"Necessity is the mother of invention," he said. "Because of my needs, I am learning to be a good leader and mentor, and to understand the research culture in America."

Recently, Al-Daomi was one of four finalists — and the only one in Oregon — for a prestigious $100,000 fellowship. Though he wasn’t chosen, he keeps his eye on the prize. His passion attracts people who want him to succeed.

"The goal gives me hope, and the hope gives me energy," he said. “I didn’t come 6,929 miles from home just to analyze data and publish papers on theoretical modeling,” he said. “I came here to put my ideas into action.”