eClean environmental clean water

eClean Water Treatment Unit – just in time to solve pollution problem for farmers, councils and government

Farmers are under pressure to cut nitrogen-based effluent leaching into waterways, under strict new laws. With no practical solution up till now, they have been faced with the prospect of lower productivity and fiancial loss by having to reduce fertiliser use and stock numbers. There are stiff financial penalties for non-compliance.

The eClean Bioreactor System is the answer

This new biochemical water filtration system effectively removes nitrates, phosphates, E.coli, and other contaminants from water. It is a cost-effective solution which is able to process over 100,000 litres of water a day to transform the health of waterways. Lab testing is underway, with field trials starting in late September. Real-time data will be gathered from two sites being set up in Canterbury.

Unique practical technology

The unit is compact, reliable, and robust technology, consisting of a tank, bioreactor chamber, pump, and monitoring sensor. It has low energy requirements and can be solar-powered, making it suitable for off-grid applications. The unit can run for four months continuously before servicing is required.

Recycling to improve farm production

Apart from clean water output, the unit produces an environmentally friendly bio-sludge which can be dried and reused on farms as a highly concentrated NPK fertilizer.

Real-time monitoring to ensure compliance

The eClean unit may incorporate a monitoring system to accurately and continuously report on performance. This would include contaminant levels, compliance targets, and equipment status – accessible via a mobile phone app in future.

Diverse applications beyond farming

The eClean water treatment unit can purify farm drains, rivers, streams, creeks, aquifers, bores/ wells, and dams – in fact any aqueous environment. It has exciting potential for horticulture, aquaculture, industrial, and mining sectors.

Award winning innovation

At the heart of the water filtration system is a highly developed bioreactor containing a precise blend of microbes housed in a specialised material that provides optimal conditions. Water is cycled through it repeatedly for progressive purification.

Ngarie Scartozzi, the inventor, has been working for 15 years on the system, which was the overall winner in the University of Canterbury Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE) Summer Startup award.

No other technologies are able to actively remove nitrates and bacteria at such high throughput, preventing contamination of downstream waterways, while providing real-time monitoring.

Ngarie Scartozzi’s start up company, Waiora Research Ltd, is working with Hugo Plastics (a division of TPE Ltd) to finalise tank design and manufacturing for introduction to the market.