Collaboration clears the way to success
Two Scottish companies have taken their technology to the USA, successfully completing field trials of an advanced water treatment system.
Known as ‘Sapphire-Clear’, the system effectively destroys contaminants in low visibility water, using less energy than conventional methods. The system is the result of a collaboration between Robert Gordon University spin-out UVPS Environmental and Edinburgh-based Filter Clear.
With support from the Scottish Environmental Technology Network (SETN), the two companies took part in competitive trials in the USA for one of the largest environmental projects in the country. The project started after a regional water district in Florida received significant funding from the Federal Government to regenerate and restore the Everglades National Park.
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) began testing advanced water treatment technologies after conventional methods failed to adequately remove contaminants such as E.Coli from surface water intended for use in Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) schemes.
Following successful bench trials on samples of the surface water, UVPS was invited to take part in field trials. The Scottish company incorporated a pre-treatment filtration device – the patented ‘Spruce’ filter developed by Filter Clear – with its ‘Sapphire’ catalytic reactor, allowing it to operate at maximum efficiency.
One of the key advantages of the ‘Sapphire’, proven in the trial, is its ability to cope with water colourations far higher than tolerated by the traditional UV systems that are inadequate for the ASR project.
In the trials, the ‘Sapphire-Clear’ system effectively destroyed high levels of E.Coli present in the source water, demonstrating the capabilities of the novel technologies of the two Scottish companies. Additionally the system has lower operating costs and consumes less energy per cubic metre of water treated than conventional systems.
For further information, visit the UVPS Environmental website