bIo-mimetic and phyto-techNologies DesIgned for low-cost purificAtion and recycling of water
INDIA-HշO
The overall aim of India-H2O is to develop, design and demonstrate high-recovery, low-cost water treatment systems for saline groundwater and for domestic and industrial wastewaters. The focus for developments will be in the arid state of Gujarat, where surface water resources are very scarce. Cost-effective technologies and systems are proposed with the aim of lowering energy costs through dramatic improvements in energy efficiency, new bio-based approaches to water recycling, and use of renewable energy. Reject waste streams will be minimised or reduced to zero, thus protecting the environment.
Specific Project Objectives
Develop and introduce novel batch-reverse osmosis technology for a 4-fold reduction in specific energy consumption with high, 80%, recovery ratios
Develop forward osmosis based on revolutionary biomimetic membrane technology, for use in wastewater recovery application including hybrid arrangements with reverse osmosis for further reduction in energy consumption, resulting in an order of magnitude overall reduction in SEC
Develop phyto-technology solutions for a) rural domestic wastewater treatment to remove emerging pollutants (e.g. agricultural products), manage rejected brines, and recover energy from the resulting biomass and b) the utilisation of brines, the product of brackish water desalination for drinking water, used for edible halophyte production
Develop and facilitate the evolution of business models to exploit the developed solutions to mutual EC/India economic advantage.
Develop and demonstrate cost-effective high-efficiency FO/BRO systems with complementary hybrid technologies for industrial desalination, wastewater treatment and recycling with minimum liquid discharge (up to 80% water recovery)
Create a Centre of Excellence in water treatment membrane technologies design, operation, piloting, demonstration, training and dissemination in India.
Pilot small-scale (5-50 m3/day) rurally-relevant low-cost systems for brackish groundwater treatment to provide safe drinking water at costs below 0.35/m3 euro (<30 rupees/m3).
Brief and influence policymakers on economic models and governance arrangements for groundwater management and viable adoption of these technologies in India