Innovations in water treatment technology can keep people safer while improving internal operations. What are some examples of improvements that could change the industry and all who need reliable access to clean water?

1. Disposing of PFAS Chemicals Safely With Reagents

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are chemicals used in many household products, including nonstick cookware. Unfortunately, growing evidence links them to life-threatening health concerns, leaving more consumers eager to reduce the amounts of PFAS in their water.

Wastewater treatment professionals generally use granular activated carbon, ion exchange resins and high-pressure membrane systems to reduce PFAS. Although each option is expensive, disposal difficulties complement the costliness. The current method of eliminating PFAS after removing them from water is to destroy them with high temperatures or pressures. However, those processes are energy-intensive. Conversely, a recently developed possibility relies on low temperatures and common reagents, potentially making it easier to deploy.

A team heated the PFAS in dimethyl sulfoxide — a solvent that destroyed them — with sodium hydroxide, a readily available reagent. This process destroyed the strong carbon-fluorine bonds within the chemicals. While working on this project, researchers also used computational models to determine that the bond severing happened differently than previously thought. Although they believed the PFAS would fall apart one carbon at a time, the models indicated that two or three carbons break simultaneously.

The group says these discoveries could inform other attempts to make PFAS easier to dispose of, creating new methods that wastewater infrastructure managers or other decision-makers can apply in industrial environments. Future work will centre on using this new approach with additional types of PFAS, which could increase people’s interest even more.

PFAS make headlines in many mainstream outlets, and everyday individuals want assurances that modern water treatment measures will reduce their prevalence. This technology shows what is possible when dedicated experts address the problem in new ways.

2. Curbing Emissions From Water Treatment Plants

Besides ensuring that a chosen water treatment technology effectively removes contaminants, leaders face increasing pressure to select options that minimize harmful environmental impacts. Fortunately, people have pursued numerous ongoing eco-friendly options. Some are exceptionally creative. For example, projects to turn wastewater into fertilizer by harvesting nutrients from it could make the agricultural industry more sustainable.

Many people believe increased visibility is essential for long-term success. After all, individuals will only know which changes to make once they can see which treatment steps are most emissions-intensive or wasteful. Developing a digital twin to provide more oversight over wastewater treatment operations will show people where room for improvement exists and how they are already doing well.

One collaboration between a university’s engineering department and a city’s environmental services authority resulted in a digital twin that allows users to control and optimize processes at wastewater treatment plants, with one of the goals being to cut emissions where possible.

The tool contains a process model that connects to a local wastewater treatment facility and gives people various predictive simulations to guide their choices. Operators can see the likely impacts of different changes before implementing them. Then, they use that information to select the most appropriate one based on the associated effluent quality, carbon footprint and energy consumed.

Besides guiding experienced wastewater plant workers, the team that created this digital resource said the tool could be used to train those new to the field or who need extra support. Additionally, all users can become more familiar with what they can proactively do to achieve carbon-balanced daily operations.

3. Building Water Treatment Technology to Work With Greener Energy

People in the wastewater treatment industry are also interested in developing systems that complement renewable energy. For example, some plants have hundreds of solar panels on-site, generating clean power. Hydropower solutions present additional opportunities. Adoption rates are still relatively low, as only 7% of the United States’ energy generation comes from that source. However, because hydropower does not burn fuels or release direct emissions into the atmosphere, it is a greener choice than many alternatives.

Additionally, utilization could rise among water professionals, especially if more companies provide targeted products to encourage industrial implementation. One example is from a Japanese company that built a microhydropower system for sewage plants. The developers intended people to use it alongside ground-mounted or floating solar panels.

This system has a proprietary water turbine, along with two generators attached to a single unit. Its design also allows inserting a waterwheel in the existing waterway rather than creating a new one before installing this technology.

Those involved with this hydropower offering tested it at a Japanese wastewater treatment plant while collaborating with the country’s government. The results indicated it could address many current challenges limiting the use of conventional hydropower systems, including high upfront costs and low efficiency.

Representatives also clarified that treatment plant executives could use the generated energy to provide backup power during emergencies. They suggested relying on the hydropower system with solar panels and a battery backup system to ensure facilities keep operating efficiently despite grid-related disruptions. Such resilience would benefit everyone who depends on their local infrastructure for clean water.

Water Treatment Technology Improvements Will Continue

Those in the water treatment industry face numerous obstacles as they explore the most feasible ways to meet stated goals. These technologies and others should give people hope that progress is possible and happening frequently.