Dr. Joel Ducoste
2026 Kappe Distinguished Lecture - AAEES
Distinguished University Professor
North Carolina State University

Hunting the FOG Whales: A Roadmap to Eliminating Sewer Fat Oils and Grease Deposits

Abstract:

“Call me Ishmael.” In this lecture, I invite you aboard a subterranean voyage to hunt the most destructive monsters threatening modern urban infrastructure: “FOG Whales.” This presentation exposes how these giants (known as Fats Oils and Grease Deposits) form and how to eliminate them. Also known colloquially to the public in Europe as “fatbergs” such as London’s 130-tonne FOG deposit discovered in 2017 and its recent 100-tonne sibling found blocking Whitechapel sewers in December 2025, these massive FOG deposits can trigger sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). 
Our journey begins by first identifying that these hardened FOG deposits are metallic salts formed via saponification reactions between free fatty acids and calcium ions.  Our expedition further explores how varying environmental conditions (specifically pH, temperature, and calcium solubility) help accelerate saponification kinetics, and how pipe construction materials dictate the attachment and structural integrity of these FOG solids. Traditional concrete pipes actively feed these beasts; calcium hydroxide leaching elevates surface pH, creating ideal  nucleation sites for strongly adhered FOG layers. To counter this, I will share how we introduce material-focused mitigation strategies, including High Volume Fly Ash (HVFA) concrete, which can significantly reduce calcium leaching and weaken FOG adhesion. Finally, I will unveil our ultimate navigational chart called the FOG Sewer Waste Management System (FOG-SWMS) to predict where these monsters may lurk. By modifying the source code to embed mass-action based mechanistic kinetics directly into the EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) domain, FOG-SWMS is a scalable platform capable of simulating full-scale networks. This presentation will deliver a comprehensive overview of the pioneering science, engineered solutions, and scalable modeling frameworks developed over two decades to systematically reduce the occurrence of these FOG deposits. Ultimately, this lecture equips engineers and municipalities with the chemical, material, and predictive strategies (or harpoons) required to permanently rid our wastewater collection systems of FOG deposit Whales.

Bio:

Joel Ducoste, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Department at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Success. As the Associate Dean, Dr. Ducoste provides leadership in faculty reappointment, promotion and tenure, the post-tenure review process, workshop and coaching opportunities, and the recognition of awards to support faculty success in the different realms of faculty responsibilities.

Dr. Ducoste is a board-certified environmental engineering member with the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists and is a recognized expert in modeling water and wastewater treatment processes using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). With over 200 peer reviewed publications and research reports, Dr. Ducoste current research interests include physico-chemical processes in water treatment, computational fluid dynamics modeling, water/wastewater process optimization, wastewater sewer collection system sustainability, renewable energy, plant biosystems engineering, solid waste process modeling, and disinfection of pathogenic aerosols.

Dr. Ducoste has received a number of awards including an NSF Career Award, a Fulbright fellowship, National Academy of Engineering Frontier of Engineering participant, Visiting Professorships at Ghent University, Southeast University, and Yangzhou University, NC State mentoring awards, elected Fellow of both the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP), and received the WEF Fair Distinguished Engineering Educator Medal.

He has served on EPA Science Advisory Boards (2009-2018) and the EPA Board of Scientific Counselors Safe and Sustainable Water Resources committee (2018-2022). He was elected to serve on the Board of AEESP (2017-2020) and was also the 2020-2021 President of AEESP. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. He received a BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, and a PhD in Environmental Engineering at University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign.

After 5 years in industry at CH2M Hill as a senior process engineer and as an advance-manufacturing engineer at GE Aircraft Engines he joined NC State.