is a Japanese-born environmental engineer and a professor emeritus at the University of California, Asano has more than 40 years of academic and professional experience in environmental and water resources engineering, specializing in

water reclamation Water reclamation is the process of converting municipal wastewater or sewage and industrial wastewater into water that can be reused for a variety of purposes. It is also called wastewater reuse, water reuse or water recycling. There are many ty ...

, recycling, and reuse. During 1978–1992, he served as the water reclamation specialist for the

California State Water Resources Control Board The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is one of six branches of the California Environmental Protection Agency. History This regulatory program has had the status of an official government department since the 1950s. The ...

(SWRCB) in Sacramento, during the formative years of water reclamation, recycling, and reuse. Asano has conducted water reclamation and reuse studies at the SWRCB and the

University of California at Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university in Davis, California, United States. It is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institution was ...

, many of which contributed to the scientific and technical basis for State of California's Title 22 regulations (State of California Water Recycling Criteria). Previously, Asano taught at Montana State University, Bozeman, 1971–75, and Washington State University, Pullman, 1975–78. He has continued to lecture widely and publish on topics current and ancient. Asano co-authored with Franklin L. Burton, Harold L. Leverenz, Ryujiro Tsuchihashi, and George Tchobanoglous the widely used textbook entitled ''Water Reuse: Issues, Technologies, and Applications'' by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., New York, NY.

Awards and honors

For his research on quantitative microbial risk analysis and

groundwater recharge Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a hydrologic process, where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer. This process usually occurs in ...

, Asano was awarded the 1999 Jack Edward McKee Medal by the

Water Environment Federation The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of more than 34,000 individual members and 75 Member Associations (MAs) representing water quality professionals around the world. WEF, which was form ...

(WEF), which was shared by Hiroaki Tanaka (Kyoto University, Japan) as well as Asano's colleagues, Edward D. Schroeder and

George Tchobanoglous George Tchobanoglous (born May 24, 1935) is an American civil and environmental engineer, writer and professor. Biography George Tchobanoglous was born in the United States to Greek immigrant parents.George Tchobanoglous (2003)The Importance ...

at the University of California at Davis. Asano was awarded the

Stockholm Water Prize The Stockholm Water Prize is an annual award that recognizes outstanding achievements in water related activities. Over the past three decades, Stockholm Water Prize Laureates have come from across the world and represented a wide range of profes ...

in August 2001. That same year, Asano was elected a member of the

European Academy of Sciences and Arts The European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA, ) is a transnational and interdisciplinary network, connecting about 2,000 recommended scientists and artists worldwide, including 38 Nobel Prize laureates. The European Academy of Sciences and ...

. In 2004, Asano was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree from his alma mater,

Hokkaido University , or , is a public research university in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Founded in 1918, it is the fifth-oldest government-authorised university in Japan and one of the former Imperial Universities. The university finds its roots in Sapporo A ...

in Sapporo, Japan. The Government of Japan honored him with the

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese Order (distinction), order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six c ...

, Gold and Silver Star, in Spring 2009. In addition, in 2008, he was awarded the ''Doctor Honoris Causa'' distinction by the University of Cádiz, Spain for his contributions in

water reuse Water reclamation is the process of converting municipal wastewater or sewage and industrial wastewater into water that can be reused for a variety of purposes. It is also called wastewater reuse, water reuse or water recycling. There are many ty ...

studies in the Mediterranean region.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asano, Takashi 1937 births Living people Japanese civil engineers Environmental engineers University of California, Davis faculty UC Berkeley College of Engineering alumni University of Michigan College of Engineering alumni People from Sapporo Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts American academics of Japanese descent Japanese emigrants to the United States