Mohammad Haghighipodeh Expands Freese and Nichols’ Water Reuse Expertise
Freese and Nichols is excited to welcome water treatment and potable reuse expert Mohammad Haghighipodeh to our Frisco, Texas, office as a National Technical Specialist for water and wastewater treatment. He will expand Freese and Nichols’ advanced treatment and water reuse capabilities, reflecting our firm’s continued investment in growing this key area of our business and meeting the evolving needs of our clients.
“The demand for water reuse continues to grow, and our clients need partners who can help them navigate the full lifecycle from planning and treatment through implementation and long-term operations,” said Water and Wastewater Treatment Practice Leader David Jackson.
Mohammad brings more than 24 years of experience in potable water recovery and reuse, wastewater treatment, water quality management and regulatory compliance. His technical background spans many advanced treatment technologies, including membrane bioreactors, reverse osmosis, granular activated carbon and UV disinfection systems.
“Mohammad strengthens our national reuse expertise with decades of hands-on design and operational experience,” David said. “He has a practical understanding of what it takes to make these systems work over the long term. That perspective will help us deliver reuse solutions that are not only technically sound, but practical, reliable and sustainable for our clients and their communities.”
In his new role, Mohammad will focus on expanding our advanced treatment and water reuse service offerings and addressing client needs in this growing area. He wants clients to know that as water supplies become more constrained and regulatory expectations evolve, the path forward on water reuse is well within reach.
“Communities are facing real pressure on their water supplies, and many do not know where to start,” Mohammad said. “My goal is to help them understand their options, cut through the complexity and deliver innovative solutions that make water reuse achievable.”
Prior to joining Freese and Nichols, Mohammad spent more than two decades in senior technical and sustainability leadership roles in the food and beverage industry where he led corporate water and wastewater programs across North America. One of his most significant projects involved designing and overseeing the start-up of a full-scale water recovery and reuse facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, which converted industrial food process water into drinking-quality water for direct reuse. The system operated successfully for more than 11 years and was presented as a model for what large-scale industrial water reuse can achieve at the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) and at Columbia University’s Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Science Institute.
Mohammad has been an invited speaker at WEFTEC, the Water Shortage Conference at Columbia University and the Annual Water Resources Association Conference. He has published 31 conference and technical journal papers and has received the U.S. Water Prize Award, the International Water Intelligence Award and the Arizona Water Reuse Association Award, among other honors.
He holds a doctorate in environmental engineering from Tulane University, a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of New Orleans and a bachelor’s degree in engineering science from the University of Louisiana.