The international water and wastewater technical exhibition and conference for 2024 again included the Innovation Showcase, where some of the newest technologies in the water sector were on display. Here is a summary:
AxNano offers the PFAS Effluent Treatment System, a mobile and modular wastewater treatment unit. The technology was invented by the Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center. The technology is used to reduce PFAS waste volumes up by to 10,000 times, minimizing waste transportation costs. The system is designed to use any sorption-based media to remove PFAS and achieving regulatory discharge limits. It is easily adapted to remove other constituents for co-mingled waste streams. www.axnano.com.
TeamSolve presents generative AI technology designed to enhance utility workflows. Its Lily operation and maintenance AI assistant ingests historical asset and incident data, along with expert notes, troubleshooting guides, and operating procedures. It uses machine learning to understand assets, processes, and individuals, uncovering both pitfalls and best practices. The technology learns from field staff actions and shared information like text, images, and audio. A human language interface is provided for all its system knowledge via text or speech. www.teamsolve.com.
Our Rainwater uses a software as a service (SaaS) analytics platform to optimize rainwater management through modeling, engagement and monitoring. Slowing the flow of rainwater into drainage systems helps reduce flooding and sewage spills. Systems, such as slow-release barriers, rain planters and rain gardens capture runoff from roofs and slow the flow into storm sewers. The Our Rainwater platform helps communities work together to maximize the benefits of rainwater capture. Rainwater management allows businesses, utilities and households to adapt and build resilience in the face of climate change. www.ourrainwater.com.
Pyrocal is an Australian engineering company that designs and manufactures industrial-scale biochar production systems using continuous carbonization technology. The company’s CCT system is optimized to transform waste biomass from agriculture, forestry and biosolids into biochar and energy. The process reduces waste volume and greenhouse gas emissions and creates a product with multiple uses. The core of the CCT system is a hearth with a modified updraft gasifier fitted with high-temperature components and controls. Feedstock is metered in, heated, dried and pyrolyzed (thermally decomposed). The feedstock is then transported through a number of chambers before dropping out into a screw conveyor, where it is quenched and discharged as biochar. www.pyrocal.com.au.
Enspired Solutions offers the PFASigator process, an energy-efficient method for PFAS destruction using photo-activated reductive defluorination coupled with UV light. The process stimulates a reaction that disassembles PFAS molecules into water, fluoride and simple carbon compounds. The technology includes scalable equipment, a reagent subscription, and an end-user license. The compact, mobile equipment can be used alone or plugged into existing water treatment systems to destroy PFAS and mitigate related risks at a cost comparable to existing capture and disposal options. The equipment is modular and fully automated and operates under atmospheric pressure and temperature. www.enspiredsolutions.com.
NALA Membranes has developed new-generation reverse osmosis membrane materials that are durable against chlorine to combat biofouling and keep systems running longer at lower pressure, reducing the total cost of ownership. A low level of chlorine eliminates biofouling and keeps pressure low without risk of membrane damage. The membranes are drop-in replacements for existing membranes. Polysulfone material does not break down, requires less maintenance, and enables high uptime with less risk of failure. www.naamembranes.com.
VAPAR introduces an AI platform for sewer pipe condition monitoring. It analyzes CCTV footage to help utilities target rehabilitation to the highest-risk sewer and stormwater pipes. A streamlined CCTV video review processes reduces the time needed to assess and prioritize repairs. To apply the technology, users upload CCTV footage to the VAPAR cloud platform from anywhere in the field, and then review the AI-powered condition results to create rehabilitation actions and priorities. www.vapar.co.
Capta Hydro provides specialized hardware and software to empower infrastructure managers to capture, analyze and manage surface water data. This enables improved water distribution and minimizes water losses. The company’s complete IoT solution consists of telemetry and automation equipment. It is applicable to all surface water users in a watershed, including water sources such as dams, water utilities, and water users such as agribusiness operations, hydropower produces and industries. www.captahydro.com.
CREW Carbon presents hardware and sensor technology designed to speed up naturally occurring weathering reactions to remove carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced in wastewater treatment, and thereby generate carbon removal credits. The company partners with wastewater facilities to introduce natural minerals into the treatment process that dissolve and permanently lock CO2 into a stable and environmentally inert ion. The process provides significant savings relative to conventional methods for neutralization, buffering capacity, and alkalinity, according to the vendor. The technology also stabilizes biological and nutrient treatment to help facilities meet stringent permit regulations. www.crewcarbon.com.
FTD Solutions enhances industrial wastewater management with an algorithm and customizable platform that visualizes and standardizes water system data while empowering multisite enterprises to develop and deploy water conservation measures. The company’s solution uses novel digital twin technology with embedded expert knowledge to model the present state of a facility. This helps managers identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks. Teams are then empowered to model scenarios and identify optimal courses of action to enhance sustainability performance. Users are enabled to reach water conservation goals, meet environmental commitments, tackle infrastructure capacity challenges, and drive sustainability goals while cutting costs, www.ftdsolutions.net.
Nucleic Sensing Systems introduces the Tracker automatic monitoring systems for environmental DNA and RNA. The field-deployable, web-connected monitoring droplet digital PCR instrument can report data in real time. It functions as a genetic “smoke alarm,” monitoring for species of concern. It connects autonomous, high-frequency sampling with geospatial data to closely monitor biological activity. The device is ruggedized for deployment wherever and whenever needed. www.ns2co.com.
OceanWell provides modular subsea water farm that use the natural hydrostatic pressure at depths of 400 meters below sea level to drive reverse osmosis. This reduces energy requirements by up to 40% compared to land-based desalination system. The system uses no chemicals. Unlimited free pressure means outfall salinity is low and environmentally benign; it is dispersed through risers into deep-water currents, ensuring that it rapidly diffuses to ambient salinity. Each Pod can produce 1 mgd of fresh water. Electricity usage is extremely low at 2 kWh per day per household served. The system also filters out bacteria, viruses, pesticides, and PFAS. www.oceanwellwater.com.
SampleServe streamlines environmental sampling and reporting. A platform with optimized scheduling, chain of custody and data management ties all users’ data into a central database, enabling creation of actionable reports in seconds. The company’s Sample ENV is designed for managing, scheduling and coordinating sampling during Phase II due diligence projects. Users can easily upload historical data, which then can be augmented by new data during field investigations and transactions. Digital chain of custody with three-part authentication gives users the who, where and when of every sample collected. Digital transfer of custody is simple, quick and accurate.www.sampleserve.com.
WASE offers electro-methanogenic reactor technology to treat wastewater and sludges on site and generate energy-dense biogas. It is being pioneered with med-sized food and beverage manufacturers. Wastewater and biomass are fed into reactors and undergo biological electrochemical conversion into methane. Inside the system biofilms of fast-growing electrically active bacteria are cultivated on electrodes. The biofilms accelerate the breakdown of organic compounds, releasing electrons. Electrons, hydrogen ions and carbon dioxide then flow to a cathode, where specialized bacteria generate biogas containing up to 80% methane for on-site renewable energy. www.wase.co.uk.
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