Prologue

    The Establishment of Hsinchu Science-Based Industrial Park has brought numerous domestic transformations for traditional industries as well as created many high-tech industries and development opportunities for Taiwan economy. However, the growing problems along with the development of science technology have severely impacted the environment. As the time required, the Institute of Environmental Engineering was founded at National Chiao Tung University in 1990. The Institute aims to improve the professional skills for students in preventing and ameliorating the environmental pollutions. Professor Chihpin Huang, as one of the early faculty members, has joined the Institute and set up the Water Research Laboratory after receiving his doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the University of Delaware, USA. This laboratory so far has not only assisted private enterprises in the Hsinchu Science Park and the government with numerous projects, but also consecutively trained many students who perform the outstanding in the fields of aqueous environmental engineering. This is an explicitly great contribution for the environment in Taiwan. 

History 

The first phase (1990 ~ 1999)--Embryonic Stage

    Water Research Laboratory was established in 1990 and led at Lab Building 1 in Boai campus by Professor Chihpin Huang. In embryonic stage, based on water environment interface chemistry as preliminary study, Prof. Huang developed both academic and applied research aspects by using physical, chemical and biological methods respectively. The main research topics in this stage are as follows:

    * Physical Group: Coagulant dosing control and the preparation of chitosan for application in water treatment
    *Chemical Group: adsorption and catalytic oxidation of Al-Fe oxides
    *Biological Group: Odor and volatile organic compounds treatment by biofilm reactor and protozoa detection in water

The second phase (2000 ~ 2009)--Boai Stage

In 1999, Prof. Jill, Ruhsing Pan, served as a visiting professor, joined the Water Research Laboratory. She brought her excellence in research by the knowledge in fields of biology and sludge. Nano technology and sustainable development were world tendencies; following the world tendencies, then the main research were transferred as follow:

• Physical Group: Coagulation mechanism, preparation and application of high purity nano-coagulant , sludge conditioning, dewatering and reuse
• Chemical Group: Fabrication and application of nano-composite catalysts
• Biological Group: Development of antifouling membrane bioreactor

The third phase (2010 ~Present)--Center Stage

    Since 2009, the Lab moved to Kuangfu campus, and cooperated with Disaster Prevention Engineering Research Center. The Center, established in 1998, was affiliated with College of Engineering. In 2009, The Center combined the research field of disaster prevention with water environment. At the same time, it was renamed as Disaster Prevention and Water Environment Research Center, and was also promoted to university level research center.

The main research topics have made some changes:

• Physical Group: Coagulation mechanism, preparation and application of high purity nano-coagulant , sludge conditioning, dewatering and reuse
• Chemical Group: Fabrication and application of p-type semiconductor electrode, development of photo-electro semiconductor membrane filtration system
• Biological Group: Biological toxicity test establishment and novel membrane bioreactor development

Current Stage (2015.3)

The lab so far has bred 15 PhDs and 137 masters (including 44 On-the-job training program). There are 12 PhD and 24 master current students (including 8 On-the-job training program students). Among them, five foreign exchange students are from Indonesia, Vietnam and Mainland China. We are undertaking projects from government and industrial circles, such as Taiwan Water Corporation, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Environmental Protection Administration, Executive Yuan, and Water Resource Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs. The total number of research projects that we had taken from 2010 is 28 projects, and the total budget is about one hundred and sixty millions (NT. Moreover, we help Environmental Professionals Training Institute to set up the training program for license of wastewater treatment specialists from 2000, which program provides a training place for nearly two thousand trainees advanced study and civil service examination. In addition, the lab has held many conferences for local, international and Taiwan-Mainland China symposium since 1997, including Cross-strait Conference on Water Safety Control Technology and Management (sponsored 9 years), Water Research Workshop (sponsored 4 years) and Southeast Asia International Training and Research Program (sponsored 11 years). In need of International and industry-university cooperation, we established the Center for Environmental Technology Smart System. The lab is the main body of the center which leads us a better future.