News
October 2026: Full-scale CLmaster project begins at Pomona
The Water Research Foundation Project 5385, "Machine Learning Meets Disinfection: Full-Scale Wastewater Chloramination Control for Compliance and Cost Savings", began full-scale work in October 2026 at the Pomona Water Reclamation Plant of the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. Carollo Engineers leads the project. Ekster & Associates is co-principal investigator and leads the development of the machine-learning models and the controller, CLmaster, which adjusts sodium hypochlorite and aqueous ammonia doses continuously to hold the disinfection target (CT). Results will be published when they have been measured.
October 2026: Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts contract for BLANKETmaster
The Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts have awarded Ekster & Associates a contract for BLANKETmaster for the secondary clarifiers at the Pomona Water Reclamation Plant. BLANKETmaster sets the return sludge flow of each clarifier from its own measured sludge blanket depth, within the target and maximum depths set by operators.
September 2026: Metro Water Recovery, Denver, contract for DO/Nmaster
Ekster & Associates is under contract to Metro Water Recovery in Denver, Colorado, a utility treating more than 200 million gallons a day, for DO/Nmaster machine-learning based aeration control. Commissioning is planned to begin at the end of 2026.
September 2025: U.S. Department of Energy final report published
The final technical report of the U.S. Department of Energy funded demonstration at the Pomona Water Reclamation Plant, "Transforming Aeration Energy in Water Resource Recovery Facilities through Suboxic Nitrogen Removal" (DE-EE0009509, DOI 10.2172/2587564), was published on 4 September 2025. Dr. Alex Ekster is a co-author. Over the project, aeration energy fell from 1,300 to 550 kWh per million gallons: new blowers reduced blower energy by 34%, and lowering dissolved oxygen with DO/Nmaster and SRTmaster saved a further 30%.
August 2025: Pomona Low Dissolved Oxygen Project receives CASA award
The Low Dissolved Oxygen Project at the Pomona Water Reclamation Plant received the 2025 CASA (California Association of Sanitation Agencies) Excellence in Innovation and Resiliency Award, awarded to the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts and Carollo Engineers. DO/Nmaster and SRTmaster controlled aeration and sludge age in the project.
2020: Top Project of the Year for Automatic Ammonia Control
Water & Wastes Digest presented Ekster & Associates with its 2020 Top Project of the Year award for Automatic Ammonia Control, the City of Chico, California, project using DO/Nmaster and SRTmaster.
Operators can override Ekster & Associates' control systems at any time, and faulty instrument readings are not acted on.