Shaping the future of water technology

Amid the harmful effects of climate change, it is more than important to find innovative and sustainable solutions for a more resilient future. Organized by WaterCampus Leeuwarden, the European Water Tech Week is a meeting point for scientists and companies in the water technology sector. The 4-day congress starts this Monday, 23 September, and aims to address global water challenges through several sessions, showcasing strategies and successful projects. Here are some of them.

Monitoring water quality

In the Netherlands, water quality is constantly monitored during its distribution process to households. However, maintaining high-quality water can be quite expensive due to the demand and price of lab tests. As an alternative, a study developed by Wetsus aims to utilize indigenous bacteria, present in drinking water, as natural indicators of water quality. These bacteria function as microbial sensors, recognizing and indicating the presence of impurities. This method can be used in the existing infrastructure, offering a novel approach to water monitoring that is less costly and more effective in preserving biological stability for consumers.

Optimizing drinking water systems

Enabling a healthy distribution of drinking water is a challenging task. Due to the old infrastructure of distribution systems, the proliferation of bacteria inside functional pipes can threaten the quality of water for consumption. During the event's sessions, innovative solutions aiming to tackle this issue will be highlighted.

At the University Medical Center Groningen, an alternative strategy to prevent biofilm formation in drinking water has recently been investigated. Biofilm is a layer of bacteria and microbes that proliferates and sticks on pipe walls, hence it can contaminate the water. Led by Prof. dr. Henny van der Mei, a study showed how nano-gel coating can be applied on pipe walls, reducing biofilm adhesion inside water pipes by up to 98% in comparison to non-coated surfaces.

Water treatment technologies

Among the myriad of water contaminants, pharmaceutical residues and PFAS are particularly difficult to be eliminated in wastewater treatment plants. Besides the impacts on the production of drinking water, these contaminants also harm aquatic flora and fauna.

1. Dexsorb

A product called DEXSORB, an absorbent made from corn, offers a sustainable and innovative alternative for micro-contaminant removal. As a means of comparison, other technologies currently used for water treatment deploy fossil fuels while requiring high energy consumption. The product has been tested in a municipal wastewater treatment in the Netherlands as a pilot. The Dutch consultancy and engineering firm Witteveen+Bos, together with other partners, was responsible for leading the pilot in Lelystad. Additional research is still needed, but the company said that DEXSORB is promising, presenting a new and improved technique for water authorities.

1. Plasma vortex

Another promising way to destroy pharmaceutical residues, PFAS, and other micropollutants is by mixing water and electricity. Plasma vortex technology functions similarly to nature, replicating lightning strikes and vortices to remove contaminants. Recently, research by students at Wetsus and the Eindhoven University of Technology showed that this treatment can even degrade the most persistent PFAS. Further, it significantly deploys less energy than other methods which makes it more sustainable.