August 9, 2007 A new waste water treatment system may soon be available for commercial and governmental use which would reduce the costs associated with treating water, produce higher quality water than currently available systems and significantly reduce the size of land needed to house treatment plants.
This innovative new system was developed by a team of researchers from the University of Grenada in the Caribbean, headed by Professor José Manuel Poyatos Capilla. The team has utilized new technology based on membrane bioreactor systems making it possible to shorten the water clarification process and add an extra clarification stage.
Current water treatment plants comprise of four key stages: pre-treatment, primary decanting, biological reactor and secondary decanting. The team from University of Grenada has included a biological processes section to their concept which could make it possible to separate water from active mud by a membrane filtration process.
The system makes it possible to treat larger quantities of water in a much smaller purifier adding the convenience of space saving in addition to the advanced purification component. Prof Poyatos said “its building would involve a less expensive construction” and installation costs would be reduced.
Being home to rainforests and lush green land, Grenada seems like an unlikely candidate to be responsible for this type of development. The research was in response to the recognition of a global water crisis and addressing the lack of space many municipalities have available for treatment plants. As the population grows, more water will be required for treatment to supply citizens however the increased population will also result in a lack of adequate space.
