Water Sector Green Practices
This page contains website links and articles that present case examples of green practices for the water sector.
Israeli Company Atlantium Develops Pathogen Water Purification System Without Chemicals
Written by Amiel Blajchman
Published on August 1st, 2009
Have you noticed how all sorts of high end resorts and hotels have started converting their chlorine pools to salt water? And it’s not just the health and hospitality industry that wants to figure out a way to purify their water without resorting to chemicals. Other industries, including the food and beverage, dairy, aquaculture and municipal drinking water providers need to ensure that the water they use contain no micro-organisms or pathogens of any kind. A company based in Israel, Atlantium has developed what may be one of the first industrial-grade solutions to water micro-organism purification without chemicals.
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Using their proprietary Hydro-Optic Disinfection system, Atlantium is able to achieve a uniform distribution of a high intensity ultra-violet light throughout a water sample.
In other words, it is not possible for any micro-organisms to avoid being dosed and destroyed. This is done through two methods:
- Using quartz crystals to ensure that UV rays are lengthened and bounced back and forth repeatedly
- Engineering the hydraulic flow to make sure that water flows in a controlled pattern which can be synchronized to match the UV light distribution.
According to Atlantium, their technology is in use in Europe, in the USA, Asia, the Middle East, and Australia. The Hydro-Optic Disinfection is being adopted by various industries for more than just cost savings (though, not having to use chemicals results in significant cost savings as well as protecting the health and safety of plant staff).
As readers can well imagine, the industries mentioned at the beginning of this post have a lot at stake in controlling for micro-organisms. In the beverage and dairy industries, even the pathogens that don’t have serious health consequences will affect taste, flavour and colour.
Beyond municipal drinking water, the food and beverage and dairy industries, the aquaculture industry is interested in pathogen-free water because high water quality means healthier fish, higher survival and growth rates and a reduction in the use of antibiotics.
Photo CC-Licensed by Flickr user Luza
Ecosmarte Planet Friendly
Manufacturer of zero salt, zero chemical water purification technology that has no brine discharge.
1600 E 78th St
Minneapolis, MN 55423
612-866-1200
Reviews
5 star rating April 28, 2008
Allison G.
2 reviews
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Stop Poisoning the Earth with Chlorides from your Water Softener - Pure water from every faucet
We have had an Ecosmarte Water whole house filtration system for 2 years now. Our water is really hard - 20 grains of hardness. We live in the country and have a septic tank. Our water source is a mutually owned well.
We researched the impact of water softeners on the environment and discovered some important information that would affect our choice of water system. Salt and potassium softeners put chlorides into the environment, and wastewater treatment plants cannot remove them. There are many cities that have banned the use of these softeners (one quite near us) because the chloride levels in the rivers and ground water are too high, affecting sensitive crops and upsetting the ecological balance (chloride resistant non-native plants thrive, native species suffer).
Ecosmarte Water eliminated our need for a softener - AND eliminated our hard water scaling! The minerals stay in the water using copper ionization to change the structure of the minerals so they are no longer a problem. We are so satisfied with our system! My hair is softer, skin isn't dried out, no chlorine smelly showers and soaps work just as well as with softened water. Plus, no monthly service and endless bills like at our last house - yay! I love being able to drink from any faucet and have even taken a drink during my shower knowing it's clean water. The healthy minerals stay in the water - not like reverse osmosis, which we discovered wastes 3-4 gallons for every gallon produced. There is no wasted water with this system - we even use the backwash for extra irrigation. It's completely safe for septic, too.
The maintenance is practically non-existent - we clean a chamber once a year, takes about 1/2 hour. All of the rest of the maintenance is 4-7 years down the line. I am honestly amazed and thrilled to have found a eco-friendly solution to water filtration. We cannot recommend this system highly enough - we love it. Wish we would have found it 10 years ago.
Allison's keywords: water filtration whole house water filtration water softener point of entry water filtration
business review of Ecosmarte Planet Friendly : 5 stars
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5 star rating April 26, 2008
Luanna G.
1 review
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Chemical free spa
About eight years ago I became aware of a natural oxygen technology that allowed me to enjoy a spa without the nasty chemicals-- in fact the hot water felt like it had lotion in it instead of the normal dry out my skin effect from the bromine or chlorine. It is a great product and the spa can be drained right to my rose garden.
Luanna's keywords: chlorine-free CO2 control system Automated Non-Chemical Pool
Ultra Clean Water: New Technology for Cleaner Industry
Posted on July 3, 2009
by WorldChanging - Premier Partner SustainLane Premier Content Partners are part of a growing network of publishers bringing you the very best green content from across the web.
To read more articles by this Premier Partner, follow the link at the end of this post.
Industrial cleaning has long been a dirty business. Degreasers and solvents, which are used to clean manufacturing equipment, can cause long-term contamination of water and soil, and can potentially lead to severe problems of ecological and public health.
Part of moving towards a sustainable society means asking whether using these harmful chemicals is even necessary—and developing substitute products to make sure that it is not. In the case of industrial cleaning, promising new research from a Swedish university suggests an alternative may soon be available: 'ultra-clean' water.
Ultra-clean water is produced using an advanced filtering system that removes salt, minerals, lime, heavy metals, and other byproducts. After filtration, high surface tension at the molecular level gives the water the ability to powerfully dissolve dirt. After being used to clean greasy parts, the water can be refiltered and then used to clean again, in a closed cycle. Manufacturers could also choose to filter the water and emit it into the sewage system without the usual discharge of hazardous chemicals. The process uses cold rather than hot water, increasing its energy efficiency.
The Swedish company Servicestaden already uses ultra-clean water to clean building exteriors and road tunnels. After seeing the potential opportunity for the product in the manufacturing industry—which already faces increased regulation of chemical use--Servicestaden began working with researchers at Linköping University to speed technological development.
Although the technique is effective in cleaning, it is not yet ready for full implementation. One challenge is time: the process of using ultra-clean water is currently much more time-intensive than conventional techniques, making the product impractical for widespread use in most manufacturing plants. Scientists are working on ways to improve performance. Research is currently in the prototyping phase, and the product should be commercially available to manufacturers by the end of 2009.
Posted November 4, 2008
Posted to WorldChanging by Adele Peters
WorldChanging covers the world's most intelligent solutions to today's problems. Our online magazine and books continue to inspire audiences around the world with stories of important and innovative new tools, models and ideas.
Solar Water Distillation – Water Purification Using Solar Power
September 23rd, 2008 · No Comments
Using the energy from the sun to generate electricity is, thankfully, getting a lot more press lately. But there are many other applications for solar power. One of the most important is for treating water.
Many countries around the world have impure water that causes diarrhea, typhus and other medical problems. The same is true of certain areas of the U.S. and other developed countries. Building small devices that can eliminate the problem is cost effective using current technology. Individuals can even build their own.
Solar disinfection, or SODIS as it’s sometimes known, uses a very simple principle. It’s essentially the same as that used to pasteurize milk. Microorganisms that cause health problems can only function in liquids up to a certain temperature. Beyond that, even when they’re not killed, they are deactivated. Amoebas, bacteria and many other small disease-causing organisms can be rendered harmless by this method.
And, implementing the method can be ultra simple. A gallon of water in a plastic jug can be treated in a few hours. Simply place the water in a clear, plastic bottle, preferably on a black background to ensure good absorption, and place it in the sun. On a sunny day the process may take less than three hours if the water is moderately clear to begin with. River water, obtained while hiking for example, can be treated this way.
PET plastic is preferable to PVC plastic for this application. PVC, polyvinyl chloride, type plastics have a slightly bluish cast. They block more UV, which is a more energetic form of light, and hence reduce the effectiveness of this method of water treatment.
There are other methods of solar-powered water treatment, too.
A solar water still can be bought or built for a few hundred dollars or less that will treat considerably more water than jugs. They’re usually made in the form of a rectangular container a few inches deep with a glass panel up the side and a siphon hose. The container is often covered with plastic. Glass blocks much of the UV.
As the sunlight heats the water, the moisture evaporates up and condenses on the relatively cooler glass above. The siphon hose draws off some of the water, which is not only freer of organisms, but contains fewer minerals and other compounds, such as chlorine.
The principle is basically the same as that used in desalination plants around the world.
Many locales have little drinkable water but large amounts of salt water readily available. Transforming the salt water into potable water employs the same evaporation technique, but generally on a much larger scale in desalination plants. Only a small amount of salt water can be consumed before it does damage to the kidneys. That’s one major reason that seawater has killed more than one sailor who found himself in the ocean trying to survive.
Solar radiation can kill pathogens in water and it can provide drinkable water in specialized applications. In short, solar power can generate clean water, just as it can generate pollution-free electricity.
High-Tech Water Purification Firm Grows in Colorado
March 24th, 2009 by Sundance Channel
PUEBLO, Colorado, March 23, 2009 (ENS) - Colorado Governor Bill Ritter today praised the decision of a high-tech water purification firm to expand and add more than 100 new jobs in Pueblo.
Known simply as The Water Company, LLC, the company has about 30 employees and operates in a small industrial building near the Pueblo airport. With today’s announcement, the company will be moving to a larger facility and growing its workforce to at least 140 by 2012.
“These are clearly difficult economic times around the world, around the country and around Colorado. Pueblo itself is no stranger to tough times,” Governor Ritter said at a news conference with officials from The Water Company, LLC; the Pueblo Economic Development Corp., the Pueblo City Council and the County Board of Commissioners.
“But even now, even as people are struggling, something exciting is happening here in Pueblo,” he said.
“The Water Company is part of a clean-tech industry of the future,” the governor said. “It’s part of the knowledge-based economy we’re building all across Colorado. The new jobs and the expansion being announced today are another example of how we are leading Colorado forward by re-positioning and re-tooling Colorado’s economy for long-term sustainable growth."
“I’m very pleased that this home-grown company is growing even more right here in Pueblo.”
The Water Company uses an electrical separation system for reducing contaminants and impurities from water known as capacitive deionization, that does not require chemicals and generates no secondary waste stream.
Capacitive deionization involves the use of porous electrodes to remove dissolved ions through application of an electrostatic field.
In the electrostatic removal system, a contaminated water stream flows between pairs of high surface area carbon electrodes. Ions and other charged particles, such as microorganisms, are attracted to and held on the electrode of opposite charge.
The negative electrode attracts positively charged ions such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium, while the positively charged electrode attracts negative ions such as chloride, nitrate, and silica.
Eventually, the electrodes become saturated with contaminants and must be regenerated. The voltage is removed, and the ions are released and flushed from the system, leaving purified water.
Capacitive deionization is adaptable for use in a wide variety of commercial applications, including domestic water softening, industrial water softening, waste water purification, sea water desalination, treatment of nuclear and aqueous wastes, treatment of boiler water in nuclear and fossil power plants, production of high-purity water for semiconductor processing, and removal of salt from water for agricultural irrigation.
The Water Company aims to sell its technology to oil refineries and other industrial facilities that must decontaminate their discharged water to meet federal regulations.
The Pueblo City Council is considering giving the company an existing but unfinished building, a $1.4 million grant and a no-interest $1.4 million loan for five years.
Officials say the company would have to return the building and repay the grant if it fails to meet job targets.
A city of about 100,000, Pueblo is one of the largest steel-producing cities in the United States. The economic hub of southeastern Colorado, the city hosts a number of electronics and aviation companies and also is becoming the region’s renewable and nuclear energy capital.
The Danish company Vestas announced last August that it will build the world’s largest wind tower manufacturing plant in Pueblo.
In September, Alternate Energy Holdings, Inc., along with other companies, signed an agreement to build a 21,000 acre $10 billion energy park east of Pueblo that would be the largest of its kind in the United States. It will include multiple large advanced nuclear reactors, solar, natural gas, wind turbines and hydroelectric power plants as well as manufacturing companies that want to be located next to major sources of power.
Researchers Harness Power of Osmosis for Water Purification
Written by Ariel Schwartz
Published on January 30th, 2009
As the world approaches peak water, technology to harvest freshwater from non-potable sources becomes increasingly important. Researchers at Yale University have recently developed such desalination technology using the power of osmosis.
While desalination systems have been around for years, Yale doctoral student Robert McGinnis and his advisor Menachem Elimelech have taken a novel approach that requires only one-tenth the electric energy used in traditional systems.
The researchers use “forward osmosis” (natural water diffusion) to draw pure water from contaminants to a concentrated salt solution. The desalinated water can easily be removed with a low heat treatment that requires minimal energy input.
Yale University will market the innovative technology through a new company called Oasys. We’ll post more information as it becomes available.
Bottled Water vs Filtered Water
Posted on July 25, 2008
by Tammy C.
Getting informed about the water you're really drinking.
Water. We drink it, bathe with it, and use it in a lot of different ways....but do we really know anything about the water we're using? Most people don't realize that there is a real difference in quality between the many brands of bottled water.
In an article entitled "Bottled Water vs Filtered Water" that can be found here http://www.bottledwaterblues.com/Bottled_Water_vs_Filtered_Water.cfm it states that the healthiest water doesn't come in a bottle. Basic home water filtration is more convenient, produces higher quality water and costs a fraction of what bottled water costs. "10 times the quality, 1/10th the cost and no pollution!"
In this article it states that "Bottled water causes over 60,000,000 plastic bottles to be produced, filled, transported and disposed of "every day" in America. It is an environmental nightmare."
Some of the facts about about water bottles.
- It takes 3 times as much water to produce the bottle as it does to fill it.
- Use of fossil fuels and the related emissions from transporting dense, heavy containers of water throughout America make it even worse.
- Plastic takes over 300 years to degrade in nature.
Like Oprah always says, "If you know better, you do better" and now that I know better, I intend to not only do better, but get the word out to others who don't.
Unfortunately there will always be those who will try to sell you less for more, and skimp out on quality. Consumers beware and take action by sharing what you've learned with others who would appreciate the heads up!
Water filtration is the best way to go. Get yourself a water pitcher and some water filters as your least expensive option. You won't have to worry about how to dispose of the water bottles and your conscious will be clear about your own personal impact on the environment.
You can also purchase a water filtration system that connects to your kitchen sink or even a whole house system for those who are interested. Use the internet as a tool for information and do your homework before making a purchase. Forums and website reviews are tools you can use to gain more knowledge about sites or companies selling products.
If you want to get more facts about water you can check out the Excel Water Technologes website, a site that dedicates a whole section to articles of interest about water - http://www.excelwater.com/eng/b2c/about.php. Here you'll find information about water and disease, water pollutants, and purification methods.
Be eco-friendly and make the choice to stop purchasing bottled water! If you could actually see how much plastic dominates the landfills you would have done so already.
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Reviews
5 star rating July 28, 2008
Adam W.
202 reviews
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The Bottled Water Scam
This is a great opinion piece - you really spell out perfectly the reasons why wee need to get off of the bottled water wagon.
The thing that really blows my mind is that people just don't know about this yet. Just this weekend I went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival and brought my Klean Kanteen to fill up with since it was supposed to be close to 100 degrees out in the sun. I went up to one of the information booths and asked where I could go fill mine up and was told "We don't have anywhere you can fill up your water bottle, but we do sell water." I told her I didn't want to but water but thanks, to which she replied "But It's only $2!"
Needless to say, I was flabbergasted I know i live in this amazing bubble called San Francisco where everyone, even if they still buy and drink bottled water knows about the downsides and environmental concerns. Here was a woman who, in this day and age, thought my only problem with buying a bottle is that it would set me back $2! How can we spread the word?