How Regulation is Shaping Semiconductor Facilities

Water story starts in an unknowing fashion from Klamath Falls, Oregon. Drought led to irrigation shutoff, which had far reaching socioeconomic, political, environmental, and interpersonal fallout. In an unintended way that moment led later created a strong desire for being part of the water community. Starting with energy efficiency consulting as pare of the Industrial Assessment Center at Oregon State University. Then moving to Samsung Austin Semiconductor as a wastewater engineer over copper precipitation that developed into leading conversion of the system to ion exchange from initial water quality concept to pilot and system iterations. Experiences at Tesla’s Austin GigaFactory and Wolfspeed further cemented a desire to continue working in microelectronics wastewater and water treatment. Next chapter of the career is as an industrial technical consultation for microelectronics at Nalco Water, an Ecolab Company, and collaborating with fellow water champions to advocate for improved private and public water stewardship that drives resiliency, outreach, conservation, reuse, reclaim, recycle, etc.

Dora Chiang has more than 25 years of experience in contaminated site investigation and remediation, with deep expertise in PFAS from its early emergence. She supports clients in developing strategies that respond to evolving science, regulation and stakeholder expectations, helping them navigate uncertainty and manage risk. With a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, Dora combines strong technical knowledge with a practical, solutions-focused approach. At Jacobs, Dora helps translate complex scientific understanding into clear, actionable strategies. She supports investigation, risk assessment and remediation planning, enabling clients to move projects forward with confidence while addressing regulatory requirements and long-term environmental outcomes.

Kiran Thota is a principal engineering leader specializing in water and wastewater systems for semiconductor manufacturing. He leads the water infrastructure strategy for semiconductor manufacturing at Micron Technology's New York expansion. He has deep expertise in ultra-pure water systems, zero liquid discharge, and advanced industrial wastewater treatment technologies. He drives technical innovation while navigating complex regulatory requirements. He bridges engineering, operations, and executive leadership by translating sophisticated water management challenges into actionable insights that support sustainable, high-performance manufacturing at scale.