While there are a range of technology needs, probably some of the more important include:
- The ability to rapidly measure important water quality measurements, prioritizing nutrients and wastewater contamination indicators
- Develop cheaper methods to monitor nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and wastewater markers, such as enriched isotopic nitrogen or anthropogenic compounds in the field
- Set up integrative networks for monitoring that use autosamplers, cell phones, and drones
- To more efficiently remove nitrogen in the treatment process
- To efficiently remove or degrade pharmaceuticals and other contaminants of concern that are not currently included in treatment technologies
- To efficiently capture/generate resources such as water, nutrients, and fuel from wastewater
- To improve upon waterless technologies to avoid water pollution from the start
- To improve on urine-diversion technologies (as above)
- To increase efficiency of treatment plants to become carbon neutral or negative
- To increase efficiency of retrofitting and transitioning combined sewer overflows