Wastewater treatment consumes up to 3 per cent of all electrical energy of urban communities. The industry standard to date has relied on large-scale centralized treatment systems that require significant energy and expense to move and process wastewater. Next generation, solar powered wastewater treatment solutions offer the potential to drastically reduce the energetic footprint of wastewater treatment and service rapidly developing, urban and remote population clusters.
To address this issue, Island Water Technologies Inc. has developed the REGEN: Renewably Powered Wastewater Treatment System. This modular treatment technology leverages advances in Fixed Film and bio-sensors with a renewable power management system to provide stand-alone, self-powered wastewater treatment. By combining this low-energy, high efficiency technology with a power management system integrating renewable power and energy storage we can provide stand-alone treatment capability.
To watch the presentation in full click on the image below:
The system holds certain unique characteristics over conventional technology that includes:
- Self-powered operation
- Very low energetic footprint (0.38-0.76 kWh / m3 wastewater treated)
- Rapid start-up, easily deployable
- Bio-sensors allowing for remote control and automation
Modular, solar powered wastewater treatment can be an enabling technology that allows for cost effective on-site processing of wastewater for both rural and rapidly developing urban communities.
To see a video of the system testing with the Canadian Military click on the image below:
This self-powered, decentralized approach is focused on delivering
- key CapEx savings by eliminating costing piping and pumping associated with centralized wastewater treatment
- key OpEx savings by operating / powering the installed infrastructure by using solar (photo voltaic) arrays.
- Key infrastructure resiliency where the wastewater infrastructure can be powered independent of grid electrical connection.
This technology is primed for application in remote rural communities and more importantly in rapidly growing urban centers where decentralized, on-site processing of wastewater can be implemented.
Presenter
Dr. Patrick Kiely is the co-founder of Island Water Technologies. Patrick is an environmental microbiologist with over 15 years experience in the fields of molecular microbiology, microbial ecology and next generation wastewater and bio-energy applications. His industry research has led to the commercialization of new solutions for industry (winery, brewery, aquaculture) and domestic wastewater treatment. Patrick’s goal is to provide a technology development ecosystem that is focused on continuing to identify needs and provide solutions for customers that are both economically and environmentally sustainable.
Organization
Island Water Technologies (IWT) is a Canadian wastewater technology company specializing in modular, solar powered treatment solutions. Island Water Technologies provides robust, low-complexity self-powered wastewater treatment solutions. IWT is an organization that prides itself on being a catalyst for water technology innovation by identifying and validating next generation solutions at the intersection of renewable energy and wastewater treatment.
