AquaFit4Use

Period:	2008-2012
Client:	European Commission

assignment/short description

AquaFit4Use is an EU FP7 project aimed at reducing fresh drinking water usage and promoting water reuse in industry. Within AquaFit4Use 37 project partners work together to develop new technologies and methods for sustainable production, use and discharge of water within the most important water-consuming paper, chemical, food and textile industries.

In AquaFit4Use Deltares develops the “Denutritor”, which is a biofilter able to reduce biofouling in industrial water systems. Biofouling is the undesirable growth of microorganisms, plants, algae and animals, or on wet surfaces. To counteract damage by biofouling industry now uses chemicals that can cause problems in the (surface) water. Denutritor reduces biofouling by removing dissolved nutrients and substrates, which are the source of microbial growth in water systems. Thus, the (re)use possibilities of process and wastewater are expanded and less fresh water needs to be spent. Deltares has tested the Denutritor on laboratory and pilot scale.

At the chemical factory "Perstorp" in Sweden Denutritor pilot tests were conducted to investigate whether the wastewater from the plant can be purified for reuse as process or cooling water. Denutritor reduced the biofouling potential of the effluent of the wastewater treatment system of Perstorp up to 90%. Through additional treatment of the wastewater by reversed osmosis, for removal of salts, water of reuse quality was produced.

Unilever's ice-cream factory "Ben & Jerry's" in Hellendoorn wants to use rainwater collected on the roof for cleaning and sanitation purposes. However, rainwater contains nutrients and substrates for growth of pathogenic microorganisms and biofouling. In tests in the laboratory and on a practical scale at Ben & Jerry's, Deltares has shown that Denutritor can reduce the growth of microorganisms and biofouling in a rainwater storage system. In combination with UV treatment, Denutritor produced water of sufficient microbial and chemical quality for cleaning purposes in the factory.

More information: AquaFit4Use website