- Email: [email protected]
Partnerships are key to water markets in South Africa
NEWS Contact: Sartorius Corporate Administration GmbH, 37070 Goettingen, Germany. Tel: +49 551 308 33244, www.sartorius.com
Seprotech expands water treatment services to include plant operations
S
eprotech Systems Inc, a water and wastewater treatment systems manufacturer based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is expanding its water treatment services to include plant operations. It says this will enable it to offer complete, fully-integrated systems for its clients. The announcement was made at the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC), which was held at the end of October in Chicago, USA. The company will operate water and wastewater treatment systems through a wholly owned subsidiary. Seprotech has agreed in principle to acquire an experienced water and wastewater treatment plant operations company, with revenues of approximately C$2 million, to provide an established client base for this subsidiary. ‘This strategic expansion will allow Seprotech to provide customers with integrated water treatment systems that include not only the manufacture and installation of equipment, but skilled technicians to operate and maintain the plants,’ commented Martin Hauschild, President and Chief Executive Officer of Seprotech. ‘The acquisition will provide us with experienced operators for a variety of water and wastewater treatment systems. It is expected to close before year end, subject to satisfactory completion of due diligence.’ ‘The addition of plant operations allows Seprotech to meet the growing demand for turnkey infrastructure models that include water treatment equipment, operations and financing. The company’s ability to meet all aspects of its clients’ water and wastewater treatment needs represents a clear competitive advantage,’ concluded Hauschild. Justin Connidis, Chairman of Seprotech, added: ‘Management of Seprotech has been proactive in expanding its base of energy-efficient products and services in order to foster strong, long-term relationships with its clients. Seprotech’s broad range of technologies targeting clients’ water needs provides the company with many revenue growth opportunities.’ Seprotech provides pre-engineered water and wastewater treatment plants to the land development, industrial and military market place, 4
Membrane Technology
including membrane-based water treatment systems and the Rotordisk biological wastewater treatment systems. Contact: Seprotech Systems Inc, 2378 Holly Lane, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 7P1, Canada. Tel: +1 613 523 1641, www.seprotech.com
Black & Veatch leads desalination research effort
B
lack & Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, announced recently that it is leading a research project that focuses on the unique challenges of desalinating brackish water in Florida, USA. When completed, the study will provide Florida utilities and other similar areas of the world with technology and application process recommendations to enable them to use additional water resources in order to meet growing consumer demand. The project is sponsored by the American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwaRF), a member-supported, international, non-profit organisation that sponsors research to enable water utilities, public health agencies and other professionals to provide safe and affordable drinking-water to the public. ‘There is growing need for affordable and environmentally responsible desalination in many regions of the world,’ commented Jennifer Warner, Project Manager for AwwaRF. ‘Florida is one such region that has access to brackish water sources, but many of these sources also contain high concentrations of natural matter, making desalination more challenging.’ The project builds on previous desalination studies lead by Black & Veatch for AwwaRF. The company has previously studied zero liquid discharge (ZLD) desalination applications for the south-western US, and has evaluated optimal desalination facility design and operation for improved energy efficiency. Dan McCarthy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Black & Veatch’s global water business, added: ‘Water scarcity is a growing global challenge that requires an approach tailored to the unique needs of each affected region. By working with industry leaders and drawing on our extensive expertise in both water treatment and energy-generating technologies, we can ensure that the people of Florida, and those in similar situations around the world, have access to a sustainable water supply.’ The study will evaluate ZLD desalination of brackish water with high concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM), a common
characteristic of brackish water supplies in Florida. Brackish water has a higher salinity than fresh water, but not as much as sea water. Water resources with high NOM concentrations create unique challenges because the compounds adversely affect the ZLD desalination treatment processes. ‘In east-central Florida alone, water demand is expected to increase 84% by 2025,’ warned Rick Bond, Black & Veatch Water Process Engineer and Principal Investigator for the project. ‘Available groundwater supplies will not meet the increasing demand. Desalination, along with conservation and recycling, is a key part of the solution to this problem, and ZLD treatment will allow for protection of surface and groundwater supplies.’ Bond adds that in addition to the high NOM concentration, that the humid climate in Florida also precludes the use of evaporation ponds, often used in the final concentrate management step in the ZLD process. To address this issue, the research team will also explore thermal desalination and enhanced evaporation technologies. The project will provide concentrate management guidance for communities where evaporation ponds are not feasible and will develop protocols that enable utilities to evaluate ZLD processes for their own source of water. The research team includes scientists and engineers from Black & Veatch, Texas A&M University, the University of Kansas, the University of North Carolina, the University of South Carolina and Orica Watercare Inc. Many members of the research team also assisted with the ZLD desalination study in the south-western US. The utility partners involved in this research effort are the Orlando Utilities Commission, Tampa Bay Water, the City of Ormond Beach, St Johns River Water Management District, South Florida Water Management District and Southwest Florida Water Management District. Contacts: Black & Veatch Holding Co, 8400 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64114, USA. Tel: +1 913 458 2000, www.bv.com AWWA Research Foundation, 6666 W. Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235-3098, USA. Tel: +1 303 347 6100, www.awwarf.org
Partnerships are key to water markets in South Africa
A
research study, available from Frost & Sullivan, finds that in South Africa the water treatment equipment
November 2008
NEWS market earned revenues of US$157.1 million in 2007 and estimates this will reach US$265.5 million by 2014. The analysis, entitled ‘Procurement Processes and Outsourcing in the South African Water and Wastewater Market’, also reports that the water and wastewater outsourcing market earned revenues of US$140.1 million in 2007 and estimates this will reach US$237.6 million by the same date. South Africa is a water-stressed nation and private sector participation in water management services will contribute significantly to the preservation of natural water resources. Improved water efficiency is becoming increasingly critical in South Africa, and public–private partnerships (PPPs) will be the linchpin in attaining this objective, says the company. ‘PPPs enable a synergy between the best that government and the private sectors have to offer. They harness the energies of both partners to achieve an unprecedented, and much desired, outcome,’ noted Frost & Sullivan industry analyst David Winter. The Durban Water Recycling Project is an outstanding example of a PPP that demonstrates an innovative approach to several challenges relating to water resource management, says Frost & Sullivan. The project has not only contributed to the effective management of industrial effluent, but has also helped reduce the demand for water by industries, thereby freeing potable water for about 300 000 people in the Durban metro area. Privatisation is a very sensitive issue within the South African labour market. Labour unions have a fundamental ideological opposition to PPPs, viewing them as a threat to job creation, which remains one of South Africa’s biggest challenges. ‘Official unemployment figures are estimated to be around 26%. Hence, labour unions, which have always been against privatisation, will view any PPP formation as a form of privatisation of state-owned assets and a serious threat to job creation,’ explained Winter. Competent employees are crucial for effective project implementation, especially in an environment where old and new technologies have to function in unison. Technical competence is central to high-class service delivery and industry players will need to demonstrate dedication to skills development with sound black economic empowerment credentials, says the study. Contacts: Frost & Sullivan, 4 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK. Tel: +44 20 7730 3438, www.environmental.frost.com Frost & Sullivan, 7550 West Interstate 10, Suite 400, San Antonio, TX 78229-5616, USA. Tel: +1 877 463 7678, www.frost.com
November 2008
Nitto Denko RO membrane helps win environmental award
A
reverse osmosis (RO) membrane supplied by Japan’s diversified materials manufacturer Nitto Denko Corporation and its US water treatment technology subsidiary Hydranautics, has helped the firms’ users in the US win a world-renowned environmental award for 2008 called the ‘Stockholm Industry Water Award’. As reported briefly in Membrane Technology October 2008 (page 3), the joint recipients of the award this time were the public sector entities Orange County Water District (OCWD) and the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), both based in California. Together they developed the Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) system, a water purification project providing a ‘drought-proof ’, locally controlled and reliable water supply meeting the needs of 500 000 of the district’s 2.3 million residents. Nitto Denko and Hydranautics together constitute a major player in the field of RO membranes, which are being widely adopted for water reuse, wastewater reclamation and sea-water desalination in water-stressed regions of the world. The replenishment system, thought to be the largest of its kind, takes highly treated sewer water (channelled pre-GWR into the Pacific Ocean) and purifies it using microfiltration, RO, ultraviolet disinfection and hydrogen peroxide. ESPA2 (energy-saving polyamide) membrane elements made by Hydranautics provide the RO step in this water reuse application. Commenting on winning the 2008 award, Bill Dunivin, Director of Water Production, OCWD, said: ‘Hydranautics has been involved with the OCWD effort to reclaim wastewater for many years. This included initial research through full-scale treatment projects. We have found Hydranautics is there to help, starting with the initial selection of the membrane product, through to initial operation, and a full range of support thereafter.’ The prestigious ‘Stockholm Industry Water Award’ honours and encourages business sector contributions to sustainable development in the water sector. It was established in 2000 by the Stockholm Water Foundation in Sweden, in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, an influential forum of CEOs from 200 global corporations promoting sustainable development.
In Brief Siemens names Matthew Knight as Senior Vice President of Sales Matthew Knight has been named Senior Vice President of Sales for Siemens Water Technologies, based in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, USA, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Solutions Division. Knight will manage the global sales operations for Water Technologies, to support the business unit’s continued expansion into the global market place. Most recently, Knight was Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Diagnostics Inc, an antibody technology and in vitro diagnostics company. H2O Innovation completes bank financing and streamlines fixed operating costs Canada’s H2O Innovation (2000) Inc, which makes systems for producing drinking water, wastewater treatment and industrial processes, has finalised a loan of C$3.5 million with a Canadian chartered bank. Also, following the recent acquisition of Itasca Systems Inc, the firm’s management has reviewed all of its operating processes and, in implementing the resulting synergies, plans to reduce its annual fixed charges for sales and administrative expenses by some C$750 000, on a consolidated basis. Because of the growth of its backlog, the firm deemed it appropriate to complete this financing in order to provide the required cash-flow for the execution of contracts over the next few months. The money will be allocated to H2O Innovation’s working capital fund. Dow systems certified for drinking-water applications Dow Water Solutions (DWS), a business unit of US-based Dow Chemical Co, reports that its ultrafiltration (UF) membrane modules can now be used for drinking-water applications. The approval certifies the Dow UF module as an alternative filtration technology for treating drinking water. They have been tested and certified under the California Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), as well as the federal Long Term 1 and Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rules (LT1ESWTR, LT2ESWTR). Hawaiian company receives GE award Grove Farm Co was recently honoured with an ‘Ecomagination Leadership Award’ from GE Water & Process Technologies for an innovative, environmentally responsible system that provides a sustainable, new water resource for as many as 15 000 residents and visitors on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i. By combining GE’s Ecomagination-certified membrane ultrafiltration technology and a century-old reservoir and irrigation system, Grove Farm is collecting, storing and treating rainwater to alleviate rising water scarcity.
Membrane Technology
5
Seprotech expands water treatment services to include plant operations
S
eprotech Systems Inc, a water and wastewater treatment systems manufacturer based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is expanding its water treatment services to include plant operations. It says this will enable it to offer complete, fully-integrated systems for its clients. The announcement was made at the Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC), which was held at the end of October in Chicago, USA. The company will operate water and wastewater treatment systems through a wholly owned subsidiary. Seprotech has agreed in principle to acquire an experienced water and wastewater treatment plant operations company, with revenues of approximately C$2 million, to provide an established client base for this subsidiary. ‘This strategic expansion will allow Seprotech to provide customers with integrated water treatment systems that include not only the manufacture and installation of equipment, but skilled technicians to operate and maintain the plants,’ commented Martin Hauschild, President and Chief Executive Officer of Seprotech. ‘The acquisition will provide us with experienced operators for a variety of water and wastewater treatment systems. It is expected to close before year end, subject to satisfactory completion of due diligence.’ ‘The addition of plant operations allows Seprotech to meet the growing demand for turnkey infrastructure models that include water treatment equipment, operations and financing. The company’s ability to meet all aspects of its clients’ water and wastewater treatment needs represents a clear competitive advantage,’ concluded Hauschild. Justin Connidis, Chairman of Seprotech, added: ‘Management of Seprotech has been proactive in expanding its base of energy-efficient products and services in order to foster strong, long-term relationships with its clients. Seprotech’s broad range of technologies targeting clients’ water needs provides the company with many revenue growth opportunities.’ Seprotech provides pre-engineered water and wastewater treatment plants to the land development, industrial and military market place, 4
Membrane Technology
including membrane-based water treatment systems and the Rotordisk biological wastewater treatment systems. Contact: Seprotech Systems Inc, 2378 Holly Lane, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 7P1, Canada. Tel: +1 613 523 1641, www.seprotech.com
Black & Veatch leads desalination research effort
B
lack & Veatch, a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company, announced recently that it is leading a research project that focuses on the unique challenges of desalinating brackish water in Florida, USA. When completed, the study will provide Florida utilities and other similar areas of the world with technology and application process recommendations to enable them to use additional water resources in order to meet growing consumer demand. The project is sponsored by the American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwaRF), a member-supported, international, non-profit organisation that sponsors research to enable water utilities, public health agencies and other professionals to provide safe and affordable drinking-water to the public. ‘There is growing need for affordable and environmentally responsible desalination in many regions of the world,’ commented Jennifer Warner, Project Manager for AwwaRF. ‘Florida is one such region that has access to brackish water sources, but many of these sources also contain high concentrations of natural matter, making desalination more challenging.’ The project builds on previous desalination studies lead by Black & Veatch for AwwaRF. The company has previously studied zero liquid discharge (ZLD) desalination applications for the south-western US, and has evaluated optimal desalination facility design and operation for improved energy efficiency. Dan McCarthy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Black & Veatch’s global water business, added: ‘Water scarcity is a growing global challenge that requires an approach tailored to the unique needs of each affected region. By working with industry leaders and drawing on our extensive expertise in both water treatment and energy-generating technologies, we can ensure that the people of Florida, and those in similar situations around the world, have access to a sustainable water supply.’ The study will evaluate ZLD desalination of brackish water with high concentrations of natural organic matter (NOM), a common
characteristic of brackish water supplies in Florida. Brackish water has a higher salinity than fresh water, but not as much as sea water. Water resources with high NOM concentrations create unique challenges because the compounds adversely affect the ZLD desalination treatment processes. ‘In east-central Florida alone, water demand is expected to increase 84% by 2025,’ warned Rick Bond, Black & Veatch Water Process Engineer and Principal Investigator for the project. ‘Available groundwater supplies will not meet the increasing demand. Desalination, along with conservation and recycling, is a key part of the solution to this problem, and ZLD treatment will allow for protection of surface and groundwater supplies.’ Bond adds that in addition to the high NOM concentration, that the humid climate in Florida also precludes the use of evaporation ponds, often used in the final concentrate management step in the ZLD process. To address this issue, the research team will also explore thermal desalination and enhanced evaporation technologies. The project will provide concentrate management guidance for communities where evaporation ponds are not feasible and will develop protocols that enable utilities to evaluate ZLD processes for their own source of water. The research team includes scientists and engineers from Black & Veatch, Texas A&M University, the University of Kansas, the University of North Carolina, the University of South Carolina and Orica Watercare Inc. Many members of the research team also assisted with the ZLD desalination study in the south-western US. The utility partners involved in this research effort are the Orlando Utilities Commission, Tampa Bay Water, the City of Ormond Beach, St Johns River Water Management District, South Florida Water Management District and Southwest Florida Water Management District. Contacts: Black & Veatch Holding Co, 8400 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, MO 64114, USA. Tel: +1 913 458 2000, www.bv.com AWWA Research Foundation, 6666 W. Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235-3098, USA. Tel: +1 303 347 6100, www.awwarf.org
Partnerships are key to water markets in South Africa
A
research study, available from Frost & Sullivan, finds that in South Africa the water treatment equipment
November 2008
NEWS market earned revenues of US$157.1 million in 2007 and estimates this will reach US$265.5 million by 2014. The analysis, entitled ‘Procurement Processes and Outsourcing in the South African Water and Wastewater Market’, also reports that the water and wastewater outsourcing market earned revenues of US$140.1 million in 2007 and estimates this will reach US$237.6 million by the same date. South Africa is a water-stressed nation and private sector participation in water management services will contribute significantly to the preservation of natural water resources. Improved water efficiency is becoming increasingly critical in South Africa, and public–private partnerships (PPPs) will be the linchpin in attaining this objective, says the company. ‘PPPs enable a synergy between the best that government and the private sectors have to offer. They harness the energies of both partners to achieve an unprecedented, and much desired, outcome,’ noted Frost & Sullivan industry analyst David Winter. The Durban Water Recycling Project is an outstanding example of a PPP that demonstrates an innovative approach to several challenges relating to water resource management, says Frost & Sullivan. The project has not only contributed to the effective management of industrial effluent, but has also helped reduce the demand for water by industries, thereby freeing potable water for about 300 000 people in the Durban metro area. Privatisation is a very sensitive issue within the South African labour market. Labour unions have a fundamental ideological opposition to PPPs, viewing them as a threat to job creation, which remains one of South Africa’s biggest challenges. ‘Official unemployment figures are estimated to be around 26%. Hence, labour unions, which have always been against privatisation, will view any PPP formation as a form of privatisation of state-owned assets and a serious threat to job creation,’ explained Winter. Competent employees are crucial for effective project implementation, especially in an environment where old and new technologies have to function in unison. Technical competence is central to high-class service delivery and industry players will need to demonstrate dedication to skills development with sound black economic empowerment credentials, says the study. Contacts: Frost & Sullivan, 4 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DH, UK. Tel: +44 20 7730 3438, www.environmental.frost.com Frost & Sullivan, 7550 West Interstate 10, Suite 400, San Antonio, TX 78229-5616, USA. Tel: +1 877 463 7678, www.frost.com
November 2008
Nitto Denko RO membrane helps win environmental award
A
reverse osmosis (RO) membrane supplied by Japan’s diversified materials manufacturer Nitto Denko Corporation and its US water treatment technology subsidiary Hydranautics, has helped the firms’ users in the US win a world-renowned environmental award for 2008 called the ‘Stockholm Industry Water Award’. As reported briefly in Membrane Technology October 2008 (page 3), the joint recipients of the award this time were the public sector entities Orange County Water District (OCWD) and the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD), both based in California. Together they developed the Groundwater Replenishment (GWR) system, a water purification project providing a ‘drought-proof ’, locally controlled and reliable water supply meeting the needs of 500 000 of the district’s 2.3 million residents. Nitto Denko and Hydranautics together constitute a major player in the field of RO membranes, which are being widely adopted for water reuse, wastewater reclamation and sea-water desalination in water-stressed regions of the world. The replenishment system, thought to be the largest of its kind, takes highly treated sewer water (channelled pre-GWR into the Pacific Ocean) and purifies it using microfiltration, RO, ultraviolet disinfection and hydrogen peroxide. ESPA2 (energy-saving polyamide) membrane elements made by Hydranautics provide the RO step in this water reuse application. Commenting on winning the 2008 award, Bill Dunivin, Director of Water Production, OCWD, said: ‘Hydranautics has been involved with the OCWD effort to reclaim wastewater for many years. This included initial research through full-scale treatment projects. We have found Hydranautics is there to help, starting with the initial selection of the membrane product, through to initial operation, and a full range of support thereafter.’ The prestigious ‘Stockholm Industry Water Award’ honours and encourages business sector contributions to sustainable development in the water sector. It was established in 2000 by the Stockholm Water Foundation in Sweden, in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, an influential forum of CEOs from 200 global corporations promoting sustainable development.
In Brief Siemens names Matthew Knight as Senior Vice President of Sales Matthew Knight has been named Senior Vice President of Sales for Siemens Water Technologies, based in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, USA, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Solutions Division. Knight will manage the global sales operations for Water Technologies, to support the business unit’s continued expansion into the global market place. Most recently, Knight was Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Diagnostics Inc, an antibody technology and in vitro diagnostics company. H2O Innovation completes bank financing and streamlines fixed operating costs Canada’s H2O Innovation (2000) Inc, which makes systems for producing drinking water, wastewater treatment and industrial processes, has finalised a loan of C$3.5 million with a Canadian chartered bank. Also, following the recent acquisition of Itasca Systems Inc, the firm’s management has reviewed all of its operating processes and, in implementing the resulting synergies, plans to reduce its annual fixed charges for sales and administrative expenses by some C$750 000, on a consolidated basis. Because of the growth of its backlog, the firm deemed it appropriate to complete this financing in order to provide the required cash-flow for the execution of contracts over the next few months. The money will be allocated to H2O Innovation’s working capital fund. Dow systems certified for drinking-water applications Dow Water Solutions (DWS), a business unit of US-based Dow Chemical Co, reports that its ultrafiltration (UF) membrane modules can now be used for drinking-water applications. The approval certifies the Dow UF module as an alternative filtration technology for treating drinking water. They have been tested and certified under the California Surface Water Treatment Rule (SWTR), as well as the federal Long Term 1 and Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rules (LT1ESWTR, LT2ESWTR). Hawaiian company receives GE award Grove Farm Co was recently honoured with an ‘Ecomagination Leadership Award’ from GE Water & Process Technologies for an innovative, environmentally responsible system that provides a sustainable, new water resource for as many as 15 000 residents and visitors on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i. By combining GE’s Ecomagination-certified membrane ultrafiltration technology and a century-old reservoir and irrigation system, Grove Farm is collecting, storing and treating rainwater to alleviate rising water scarcity.
Membrane Technology
5