The Fakhreddine Lab

Our research seeks to understand and improve the resilience of water systems. We study how climate variability, human water use, and biogeochemical processes interact to shape water availability and water quality. We use this understanding to develop engineering solutions and inform water management.

Our work spans scales from fundamental processes in soils and water to regional water infrastructure systems. We combine field observations, laboratory experiments, data analysis, and computational modeling to understand how water systems respond to environmental change and management decisions. Working with researchers across disciplines and with water managers, we aim to translate scientific understanding into practical strategies for addressing water management challenges.

Research Themes

Managed Aquifer Recharge

Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) offers a promising strategy to capture and store water underground for later use during periods of scarcity, but its feasibility depends on the availability of source water, suitability of subsurface storage, and protection of groundwater quality.

Our research examines MAR from site-specific fundamental processes to large-scale opportunities for implementation. We lead a collaborative, multi-institutional effort to identify opportunities and constraints for MAR across the United States, including the availability of high flows and treated wastewater for recharge, subsurface storage feasibility, and geochemical compatibility between recharge water and aquifer materials. At the process scale, we investigate how recharge alters subsurface geochemistry and can mobilize naturally occurring metals and metalloids, including arsenic, uranium, and manganese. We translate this science into practical resources for MAR implementation, including tools and guidance that help states, water managers, and practitioners evaluate and develop MAR projects.

This work is supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program and National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award.

Agricultural Water Management

Agriculture is the largest user of freshwater globally, making sustainable agricultural water management critical to meeting water demand and protecting water quality. Our research examines how agricultural water and land management practices influence water quality and contaminant transport.

Specific projects investigate the water quality impacts of using treated wastewater for agricultural irrigation, including the fate and transport of emerging contaminants and their potential uptake into crops. We also evaluate how agricultural best management practices, including cover crops, vegetated buffers, and no-till practices, perform under changing precipitation and temperature regimes to reduce nutrient and sediment losses. Together, this research aims to inform agricultural practices that conserve water, protect water quality, and ensure the resilience of these systems.

Funding sources include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Chesapeake Bay Program Office.

Drinking Water Resilience

Drinking water systems face growing pressures from extreme weather, changing water demands, aging infrastructure, and socioeconomic disparities. Our research seeks to understand what makes water systems vulnerable and how utilities and communities can better anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to future challenges.

We combine data analysis and statistical modeling to examine how severe weather affects drinking water systems, what drives drinking water failures, and how social vulnerability intersects with water-system performance. We also develop forecasts of municipal water demand to evaluate how climate variability and changing demand may affect future management decisions. Together, this work aims to identify vulnerabilities and provide actionable information for building more reliable and resilient drinking water systems.

Funding sources include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP) Program / National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the Texas Water Development Board

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Faculty

Sarah Fakhreddine

Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Sarah Fakhreddine is an environmental engineer focused on developing solutions to enhance the resilience of water systems, considering both water quantity and quality. Her group’s research spans areas including improving water storage, diversifying water supplies, and understanding climate-driven impacts on water quality and management. She received her Ph.D. in Environmental Earth System Science and M.S. in Environmental Engineering and Science from Stanford University. Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, she was a postdoctoral fellow in the Sustainable Water Resources group at the University of Texas at Austin and a fellow with the Climate Resilient Water Systems group at the Environmental Defense Fund.

Email: sfakhred@andrew.cmu.edu

Our team

Marlee Shaffer

Post-Doctorate

Research interests: Marlee is an Environmental Engineer specializing in water quality and public health. Her previous research focused primarily on viral pathogen detection and persistence in the lab setting with implications for wastewater based surveillance. During her postdoctoral appointment, her research has expanded to focus on managed aquifer recharge. Current research topics include modeling techniques for evaluating ambient groundwater conditions and violations to the Clean Water Act. Marlee earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from SUNY University at Buffalo and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. In addition to her research, Marlee is actively involved in scientific outreach in the community where she aims to make science accessible for all ages. Outside of academia, she enjoys the outdoors, running, and watching sports.
Email: marlees@andrew.cmu.edu

Fiza Jalees

Doctorate

Research interests: Fiza is an Environmental Engineer specializing in sustainable water resources and advanced environmental systems analysis. Her research focuses on evaluating the feasibility of using treated municipal wastewater for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) across the US, with particular emphasis on both water quantity and quality. She integrates computational approaches, including data analytics, geospatial analysis, and modeling, to assess large-scale water reuse potential and inform sustainable groundwater management strategies. Fiza earned her B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering, with a minor in Mathematics, from Youngstown State University in 2022, followed by an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2023. In addition to her academic work, Fiza is actively involved in the Environment & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Graduate Student Chapter at CMU. Outside of research, she enjoys traveling and watching documentaries.
Email: fjalees@andrew.cmu.edu

Marcus Morris

Doctorate

Research interests: Marcus is an Environmental Engineering PhD student, looking to specialize in contaminant transport and fate in aquatic systems. His research will involve understanding the fate and geochemical transformations metals undergo during artificial aquifer recharge, under the direction of Drs. Sarah Fakhreddine and Gregory Lowry. He previously earned his B.S. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from Georgia Institute of Technology and a M.S. in Geosciences from Georgia State University. Here, his past research projects involved assessing methane emissions from salt marshes and analyzing the geochemical dynamics of rare earth element and heavy metal transport in urban streams. Outside of research, Marcus enjoys reading, baking, taking walks, and hanging out with friends.
Email: mamorris@andrew.cmu.edu

Keerat Singh

Doctorate

Research interests: Keerat graduated from the University of Virginia in 2023 with a B.S. in Computer Science. He wanted to focus his computational skills specifically on environmental problems given the urgency of climate change. Keerat started working with Dr. Fakhreddine as an MS research student in 2024 and is now a PhD student working on developing and integrating forecast products into reservoir operations. His broader research interests currently revolve around applying statistical techniques for predictive modeling, inference, and simulation to water supply problems. Keerat spends his free time reading in coffee shops, meandering around western Pennsylvania, playing ice hockey, and exploring music.
Email: keeratsi@andrew.cmu.edu

Maya Struzak

Doctorate

Research interests: Maya is interested in climate change adaptation and resilient water resources management, with a focus on how nature-based solutions can protect both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Her work integrates physically-based hydrological modeling, data analytics, and remote sensing to study environmental systems under change. Currently, she is examining how climate change will impact agricultural pollutant loading into the Chesapeake Bay and the effectiveness of different management strategies. Maya received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from University of Portland in 2024. Outside of research, Maya enjoys traveling, making things, and spending time outdoors–especially in or around water :)
Email: mstruzak@andrew.cmu.edu

Yizjuo Zhang

Doctorate

Research interests: Yizhuo is an Environmental Engineer specializing in environmental fate of emerging contaminants. His research evaluates the long-term distribution of PFAS in agricultural systems irrigated with treated wastewater, tracking the compounds that remain in soil or accumulate in the crops. His work combines LC-MS/MS and LC-QTOF method development with field and lab-based studies. Yizhuo earned his B.S. in Water Science and Engineering from Chongqing University in China in 2022, followed by an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cornell University in 2024. He is co-advised by Dr. Sarah Fakhreddine and Dr. Gregory Lowry. Outside of research, he enjoys outdoor recreation and watching live sports.
Email: yizhuozh@andrew.cmu.edu

Alec Hoopes

Masters

Research interests: Alec is an Environmental Engineer specializing in sustainable water resources management, focusing on the impacts of applying emerging technologies and strategies to enhance the resilience of water systems. His work uses computer-based hydrologic modeling and data analytics to evaluate reservoir operating strategies. Currently, he is modeling the impact of managed aquifer recharge on basin-level water systems. Alec earned his B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Virginia Military Institute and is currently pursuing a research-based M.S. in the CEE department. Outside of academia, Alec enjoys outdoor recreation, including hiking, biking, skiing, boating, and climbing.
Email: ahoopes@andrew.cmu.edu

Zeltzin Reyes Trejo

Masters

Research interests: Zeltzin is an Environmental Engineer working at the intersection of water availability, policy, and technology, particularly in the context of climate change. Her work is focused on informing policy makers about the impacts emerging technologies have on local hydrological budgets and how those impacts evolve under climate change. Currently, she is modeling data center water and energy use effectiveness for different cooling technologies and analyzing how effectiveness varies under different climate conditions. Zeltzin earned her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Midwestern State University and her M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from The Ohio State University. Outside of work, Zeltzin enjoys rock climbing, kayaking, and keeping thousands of houseplants.
Email: zreyestr@andrew.cmu.edu

Johnathan Subramanian

Undergraduate

Research interests: Johnathan is an undergraduate student at Carnegie Mellon University pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Engineering with an additional major in Engineering and Public Policy. Johnathan’s research interests include the impacts of climate change on water quality and accessibility and possible solutions to future water challenges.
Email: jsubram2@andrew.cmu.edu

Past students

Nora Awad (MS)
Jimmy Hayes (MS)
Victoria Kurker (MS)
Stephanie Perez (MS)

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Join us

We are always looking for motivated group members. For more information, interested applicants can email Dr. Fakhreddine. Please include your CV and a brief statement of interest.

We also welcome undergraduate research participation. No prior research experience is required. Just reach out to learn more about opportunities to get involved. ▲ Back to the top

Media mentions

CMU Engineering

Fakhreddine, Grande Gutierrez, and Srimani receive NSF CAREER awards

Sarah Fakhreddine, Noelia Grande Gutiérrez, and Tathagata Srimani were awarded the NSF’s prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.

CMU Engineering

Green infrastructure for Pittsburgh and beyond

Civil and environmental engineering researchers are partnering with local communities across Allegheny County to develop practical strategies for deploying green infrastructure and strengthening the region’s resilience against extreme weather.

American Academy of Environmental Engineers & Scientists

Fakhreddine named rising star in engineering and science

CEE’s Sarah Fakhreddine was named one of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists 40 under 40 Rising Stars in Engineering and Science for her research on water management.

CMU Engineering

Enhancing aquifer systems

New knowledge of enhanced aquifer recharge—the replenishing of groundwater reserves with water from other sources—could provide water to communities affected by extreme heat and drought.

See More Mentions

Civil and Environmental Engineering

CEE Professor Fakhreddine leads path to Enhanced Aquifer Recharge across the US

CEE Professor Sarah Fakhreddine is leading a research initiative to enhance aquifer recharge methods and safeguard water quality across the US. Their work focuses on advancing Enhanced Aquifer Recharge (EAR) adoption by addressing potential contaminant mobilization in vital aquifers, including geogenic and anthropogenic contaminants.

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