Water & Wastewater Asia May/Jun 2021

MAY / JUNE 2021 

www.waterwastewaterasia.com 

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CONTENTS WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

14 

04 Editor’s Note 

06 News 

53 SWA Newsletter 

63 What’s Next? 

64 Advertisers’ Index 

24 

5 MINUTES WITH 

14 The global leader in variable speed 

control of electric motors 

18 Global Water Awards: Recognising 

and rewarding initiatives in water 

CONTENTS 

21 The water treatment solutions 

provider 

IN THE FIELD 

24 Don’t sleep with a leak 

26 From peat water to drinking water: 

Development of drinking water 

supply for Dumai City 

30 WEHRLE ensures a wastewaterfree 

production for a cosmetic 

manufacturer 

FOCUS 

33 Future-proofing the present 

37 How Beijing CSRE membrane 

distillation works 

VIEWPOINT 

41 Changing the way we think to meet 

the water challenge 

44 Ready or not, here ICS comes 

HOTSEAT 

48 The game-changing technology 

52 Flying high with Crowcon 

48 

ON OUR RADAR 

57 DuPont’S B-Free pretreatment 

technology for reverse osmosis 

installations 

58 The new Tsurumi Avant: Premium 

grade products with IE3 premium 

efficiency motor 

59 ANDRITZ service level agreements: 

Securing the availability of customers’ 

processes 

60 KSB Australia invests in a modern test 

bay at its Hope Valley Facility, Perth 

2

RADAR 

IS THE BETTER 

ULTRASONIC 

Compact 

80 GHz level sensor 

with in-head display 

VEGA Instruments (SEA) Pte Ltd 

sales.sg@vega.com 

All advantages of the radar technology: 

www.vega.com/vegapuls

FROM THE EDITOR WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

We’ve hit the mid issue for year 2021! 

In this issue, we spoke with Krisada Phetsuksiri, head of Asia Pacific and India Regions 

for Danfoss Drives, who shares how Danfoss Drives (it’s AC drives) are able to help 

professionals to optimise their engineering tasks in the most demanding installations (p.14). 

In celebration of World Water Day 2021, His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, 

chairman of the Board of Trustees of the UAE Water Aid shares the importance of 

acknowledging the achievements as well as his views on the solutions to tackle water 

scarcity (p.18). This is in addition to speaking with Michael (Miki) Tramer, vice president, 

Sales and Marketing of IDE Technologies who believes that the world needs to turn to 

sustainable water treatment solutions such as desalination and reuse in order to address 

water scarcity issues (p.21). 

Another interesting alternative that we explored in this issue is Solar Water Plc’s 

technology which mirrors the natural hydrological cycle process: evaporation, 

condensation and precipitation, with only the sun as the energy source. This ensures 

fresh water is supplied in a carbon neutral, cost effective manner (p.48). 

On digitalising the water network, according to Manish Sharma, industry marketing leader 

for Energy and Water for Emerson’s PACSystems portfolio, achieving “smart water” 

must be viewed as a transformational journey. He expanded on the process of using the 

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to digitally transform water distribution and treatment 

processes (p.33). 

So sit back, relax and read through these interesting stories. 

We had fun putting them together too. 

Cheers, 

Pang Yan Rong 

CELEBRATING 

WORLD 

WATER DAY 

PABLO SINGAPORE 

William Pang • Publisher 

williampang@pabloasia.com 

Pang Yanrong • Senior Editor 

yanrong@pabloasia.com 

Josephine Tan • Editor 

josephine@pabloasia.com 

Natalie Chew • Assistant Editor 

natalie@pabloasia.com 

YanJun Pang • Business Development Manager 

yanjun@pabloasia.com 

let's connect! 

Goh Meng Yong • Graphic Designer 

mengyong@pabloasia.com 

Shu Ai LIng • Circulation Manager 

circulation@pabloasia.com 

PABLO BEIJING 

Ellen Gao • General Manager 

pablobeijing@163.com 

PABLO SHANGHAI 

Sharon Wu • Editor 

pabloshanghai@163.net 

Published by 

PABLO PUBLISHING & EXHIBITION PTE LTD 

3 Ang Mo Kio Street 62, 

#01-23 Link@AMK Singapore 569139 

Tel: (65) 6266 5512 

E-mail: info@pabloasia.com 

Company Registration No: 200001473N 

Singapore MICA (P) No: 073/09/2020 

REGIONAL OFFICES (CHINA) 

PABLO BEIJING 

Tel: +86 10 6509 7728 

Email: pablobeijing@163.com 

PABLO SHANGHAI 

Tel: +86 21 5238 9737 

Email: pabloshanghai@163.net 

@waterwastewaterasia 

All rights reserved. Views of writers do not necessarily reflect the views 

of the Publisher and the Singapore Water Association. No part of this 

publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, without prior 

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4

NEWS 

KWR WATER RESEARCH CONFERS 

HONORARY FELLOWSHIP TO HARRY SEAH 

KWR Water 

Research Institute 

has conferred 

its Honorary 

Fellowship to Mr 

Harry Seah, deputy 

chief executive 

(Operations) of PUB, 

Singapore’s national 

water agency, 

for his contribution in driving international 

collaboration in water science and 

management. The Honorary Fellowship Award 

was officially conferred to Mr Seah by Prof 

Dragan Savić, CEO of KWR Water Research 

Institute, in a virtual award ceremony held on 

4 Mar 2021. 

INSPIRING CONTRIBUTION TO THE 

INTERNATIONAL WATER SCIENCE AND 

INNOVATION COMMUNITY 

“Over the years, Mr Seah has been an 

inspirational leader and driving force for 

setting up international research and 

innovation programmes. His ability to connect 

research stakeholders from various countries 

has been instrumental in developing 

international collaborations. 

“With his knowledge of the water sector, 

he has been able to build bridges between 

science and practical application, together 

with research to achieve broad societal 

goals. Under Mr Seah’s direction, PUB has 

also played an important role in nurturing 

strategic partnerships involving KWR, such 

as the Global Water Research Coalition 

and Watershare. As an early adopter of 

Watershare’s vision, Mr Seah opened the 

doors of the Singapore water hub to other 

Asian countries. With his constructive 

attitude and engagement, he is a source of 

energy and motivation for all water science 

enthusiasts and particularly supportive of 

early and mid-career professionals,” said 

Prof Savić. 

“I am deeply honoured to accept this 

appointment as the KWR Honorary Fellow 2019 

and grateful for the privilege to work alongside 

like-minded world-renowned institutions in 

water science and innovation. We look forward 

to continued collaborations with KWR and the 

international water science community to share 

best practices and exchange knowledge in 

water research so as to serve the water needs 

of society,” said Mr Seah. 

KWR HONORARY FELLOWSHIP 

Since 2015, KWR has been awarding an 

Honorary Fellowship annually to individuals 

who provide an outstanding contribution to 

the research community and society. These 

individuals include managers, scientists 

or proprietors within KWR’s national and 

international network. 

Mr Seah is the fifth recipient of the Honorary 

Fellow award, following Martien den Blanken, 

Joan Rose, Willy Verstraete and Ad van Wijk. An 

Honorary Fellow is appointed for life. Together 

with the other Honorary Fellows, an Honorary 

Fellow constitutes a source of knowledge, 

expertise, and experience that supports the 

ambition and collective values that KWR 

upholds. 

GRUNDFOS DELIVERS STRONG FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN 2020 

After having been significantly impacted 

by COVID-19 during the first half of 2020, 

Grundfos returned to stronger sales traction 

in the second half of 2020 with sales only 1% 

below 2019. Return on sales reached 9.9% and 

in a challenging year, Grundfos maintained a 

high customer satisfaction score and continued 

to deliver on its sustainability ambitions. 

Return on sales (EBIT/Net turnover) reached 

9.9% for the full year corresponding to 

Earnings before Interest and Tax (EBIT) of 

2,606m DKK. Profitability was impacted 

by restructuring costs and other nonperformance 

items. Adjusted for these nonperformance 

items Grundfos’ return on sales 

reached 11.1%, which is the second highest in 

the company’s history. 

Full year net turnover ended at 26.3bn 

DKK, corresponding to a decline in sales 

versus 2019 of 4.4% when measured in 

local currencies. A cash flow from operating 

activities of 3.5bn DKK and an equity ratio of 

68.9% secures financial strength. 

This is a result to be proud of, says Poul Due 

Jensen, CEO and group president, Grundfos. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 a 

challenging year for everyone and our main 

priority has been ensuring a safe working 

environment and to continue to serve our 

customers in the best possible way. We are 

therefore very satisfied with our result. Our 

financial strength allows us to invest further 

in our strategic ambitions and in innovation to 

fulfill our purpose of solving the world´s water 

and climate challenges and improve quality of 

life for people.” 

Grundfos also continued to deliver on its 

sustainability ambitions by once again 

reducing the company’s own water 

6

WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

AF-E 400: NEW ULTRA- 

COMPACT FLOWMETER 

KROHNE introduces the AF-E 400 ultra-compact 

electromagnetic flowmeter for utilities and industrial automation 

applications. It is specially designed to fit in applications with 

little installation space available, e.g. in cooling lines of welding 

equipment, bending machines and robots, or on chemical 

dosing skids. AF-E 400 matches the requirements of application 

areas in heating and cooling/temperature control, machine 

building of washing or dosing equipment, HVAC, and utilities 

and industrial automation applications in all process industries. 

The AF-E 400 features a stainless-steel housing and is suitable 

for continuous use at +90°C/+194°F liquid temperature, 

allowing for operation in very demanding cooling and hot water 

applications. The round bore reduction of the sensor makes 

the flowmeter more resilient in terms of increased pressure, 

ensuring high accuracy over a wide pressure and temperature 

range, and a high turndown ratio without risk of cavitation. In 

addition, the integrated temperature measurement eliminates 

the need for an additional sensor, minimising the intrusion 

points in the pipe and providing more data from the process. 

AF-E frontal application 

messages according to NAMUR NE107 alert the user via the rotatable full 

colour display or the communication outputs. 

Due to the special design of its magnetic circuit, field strength and 

electronics, AF-E 400 is immune to crosstalk caused by magnetic field 

overlap of adjacent devices, and can be installed in series or in parallel up to 

a distance of 2mm/ 0.08” from device to device without interference. 

Nominal sensor sizes reach from DN6...25/ ¼...1¨ for flow rates up to 150l/ 

min/ 40 US gpm as standard, up to 500l/min/ 132 US gpm on request. Output 

options include 4...20 mA, pulse, frequency, switch, IO–link or Modbus to 

provide operators with multiple sensor and application data for smarter 

factory automation. AF-E 400 is sold from stock and shipped within 48 hours. 

AF-E 400 also features extensive self-diagnostics: the meter 

continuously monitors several critical aspects including 

low supply voltage, incorrect parametrisation, flow range 

exceedance, or short circuit on any of its outputs. Warning 

withdrawal by 51% and CO 2 

emissions by 36% compared 

to the 2008 baseline. The annual employee motivation 

survey, conducted in September, also showed an increase 

in employee motivation to a record high level. 

“Grundfos is its people, and I am proud to see that we 

despite a global pandemic, deliver very strong financial 

results, an increase in our employees’ motivation and our 

customers’ satisfaction score. We also continued to deliver 

positive climate impact by significantly reducing our own 

energy consumption and enabling our customers to reduce 

their energy use as well. Furthermore, we have successfully 

gone live with our new customer-centric organisation. 

Grundfos is in really good shape and ready for the future,” 

added Due Jensen. 

Financial highlights full-year 2020: 

• Net turnover 26.3bn DKK 

• Sales growth (in local currencies) versus last year of -4.4% 

• Return on sales of 9.9% 

WATER REUSE 

Industrial wastewater treatment with benefits 

Smart Water Reuse, balanced between 

ecology and economy 

High process water quality and 

complete water recycling (ZLD) 

Modular plant design: available as standalone 

solution or upgrade of existing plant 

A firm grip on the production factor water 

ng@wehrle.asia • www.wehrle.asia 

7

NEWS 

SUEZ AND VEOLIA TO MERGE 

The two groups have agreed on a price of 

€20.50 per SUEZ share, conditional upon 

the signature of the Combination Agreement. 

The agreement would allow: 

• the creation of a new SUEZ made up of 

assets forming a coherent and sustainable 

group from an industrial and social 

standpoint, with real growth potential, 

with revenues of around €7bn. 

• the implementation of Veolia’s plan to 

create a global champion of ecological 

transformation, with revenues of around 

€37bn, through the SUEZ takeover bid, in 

which all the strategic assets identified by 

Veolia will remain. 

• the reiteration of Veolia’s social 

commitments for a period of four years 

after the signature of the offer. 

• with a view to the integration and mix 

of teams, commitments to be made by 

Veolia regarding the composition of the 

management teams at headquarters and 

in the countries. 

• The two groups propose that the new 

SUEZ resulting from this agreement 

should be owned by a group of 

shareholders including financial partners 

from both groups and by employees. The 

majority of the shareholders of the new 

SUEZ will be French. 

In order to guarantee the conditions for the 

long-term development of the new SUEZ : 

• Its shareholders will have to subscribe to 

the social commitments for four years from 

the closing of the takeover bid; 

• Its shareholders will have to undertake to 

maintain their positions over the long term. 

• Its scope will be the municipal water and 

solid waste activities of SUEZ in France 

(including CIRSEE, the main research 

center in France), as well as the activities 

of SUEZ in particular in water and in the 

following geographies : Italy (including 

the stake in Acea), the Czech Republic, 

Africa (including Lydec), Central Asia, 

India, China, Australia, and the global 

digital and environmental activities 

(SES). 

This agreement in principle also provides for: 

• The termination of the agreements with 

Cleanaway in accordance with their terms 

concerning the disposal of the assets in 

Australia (subject to the Sydney assets) 

and the suspension of any other significant 

disposal, which allows Veolia to acquire 

in particular all the assets designated as 

strategic in its draft offer document filed on 

February 8 with the Autorité des marchés 

financiers; 

• The deactivation of the Dutch foundation in 

relation with the SUEZ announcements; 

• The suspension of ongoing legal 

proceedings and, upon signature of the 

final agreements, the withdrawal of SUEZ 

and Veolia from all ongoing litigation 

and the absence of any new proceedings 

between them; 

• The full cooperation of SUEZ, Veolia and 

the shareholders of the new SUEZ in 

obtaining all necessary authorizations 

(competition, foreign investments, etc.) 

as quickly as possible and under the best 

possible conditions. 

Philippe Varin, chairman of the Board of 

Directors, SUEZ, stated, “We have been 

calling for a negotiated solution for many 

weeks and today we have reached an 

agreement in principle that recognizes 

the value of SUEZ. We will be vigilant to 

ensure that the conditions are met to reach 

a final agreement that will put an end to the 

conflict between our two companies and 

offer development prospects”. 

Bertrand Camus, CEO of SUEZ, stated, 

“This agreement in principle gives us every 

chance of obtaining a global solution that 

would offer the essential social guarantees 

for all employees and prospects.” 

Antoine Frérot, chairman and chief 

executive officer of Veolia, said, “This 

agreement is beneficial for everyone: it 

guarantees the long-term future of SUEZ in 

France in a way that preserves competition, 

and it guarantees jobs. All stakeholders 

in both groups are therefore winners. The 

time for confrontation is over, the time for 

combination has begun”. 

The two groups have agreed to enter into 

definitive merger agreements by May 14. 

REGISTRATION FOR SIWW 2021 OPENS 

The Singapore International Water 

Week (SIWW) 2021 will take place 

from 21 June to 2 July 2021. 

It will be presented as a one-day 

hybrid Summit, named SIWW2021 

Spotlight on 21 June 2021, and a twoweek 

virtual event, named SIWW2021 

Online from 21 June to 2 July 2021, 

which will feature a comprehensive 

suite of online content covering the 

urban water cycle and emerging 

topics such as circular resource 

management, digital water and 

resource resilience. 

For more information on how to participate, 

visit SIWW website. 

8


LACROIX PRESENTS ITS NEW 

BRAND IDENTITY 

The updated company logo, with new typography and 

deep navy blue colour as well as a few tweaks to the 

timeless “nautilus” emblem, expresses the consistency and 

determination of a company that has always evolved with 

the times’ thanks to its strong family bonds and an ability to 

constantly innovate. 

A symbol of perfection, nature and regularity, the nautilus 

stands for energy, prosperity and luck. Its spiral shape 

symbolises continuous improvement, a guarantee of 

exponential growth. 

“Our logo had not changed for more than 15 years. However, 

during this period, we transformed ourselves, developed new 

expertise and consolidated around three flagship activities. 

The latter are now giving rise to formative synergies, both 

for the group and the future. We have therefore decided to 

converge for the first time in our history towards a single 

brand, LACROIX, which will strengthen our international 

visibility and supports the strong products and offers across 

our businesses,” explained Landry Chiron, executive vice 

president of Communications, LACROIX. 

The group’s new visual identity complements its signature 

“Connected Technologies for a Smarter World”. 

LACROIX SOFREL BECOMES “ACTIVITY 

ENVIRONMENT OF LACROIX” 

This new brand identity highlights the synergies between the 

group’s activities and strengthens the visibility of buoyant 

market segments, like the smart environment. The new 

Environment Activity of LACROIX includes the French LACROIX 

Sofrel company, which is involved in the telemetry & SCDA 

of water networks and HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air 

Conditioning) installations, and the German company SAE ITsystems, 

which specialises in smart grids for energy networks. 

SOFREL 

IoT DATA LOGGERS & SMART RTUs 

FOR WATER NETWORKS EFFICIENCY 

SOFREL NEO 

4G LTE-M / NB-IoT Data logger 

• District Metering Area monitoring 

• Flow and pressure monitoring 

• Night flow analysis 

• Flow rates alert 

• Leak detection 

• CSO monitoring & 

overflows detection 

• Level measurement 

SOFREL YDRIX 

2G/3G/4G connected RTU 

• Permanent remote monitoring 

• Process control and automation 

• Wastewater lift station control 

• Alarms management 

• M2M Communication 

with SOFREL Data loggers 

• Easy to use grafical 

software interface 

• Compliant to IEC & DNP3 

protocols integration 

with SCADA 

• Cybersecurity & users 

Management 

The SOFREL and SAE brand names, which have a solid 

40-year reputation, remain as product brands. SOFREL thus 

remains associated with all telemetry and SCADA products for 

the water and HVAC markets, while SAE remains a brand for 

smart grid and energy market products. 

The legal structure and organisation put in place under 

LACROIX Sofrel s.a.s remain identical and are being 

strengthened to intensify LACROIX’s growth in the smart 

environment market in France and abroad. 

LACROIX Singapour 

25 Bukit Batok Crescent, #08-06, The Elitist - Singapour 

Tel.: +65 9238 1072 – E-mail: e.woo@lacroix-sofrel.com 

www.lacroix-environment.com 

9

NEWS 

PUB COMMENCES DEVELOPMENT OF COASTAL-INLAND FLOOD MODEL 

PUB, Singapore’s national water agency, has 

begun work on a state-of-the-art modelling 

system that is capable of simulating and 

evaluating both inland and coastal flood risks 

in tandem. This Coastal-Inland Flood Model 

will enable PUB to better assess the impact of 

climate change on Singapore’s coastal areas. 

A consortium led by the National University 

of Singapore (NUS), with water management 

solutions provider Hydroinformatics Institute 

(H2i) as a partner, has been appointed to 

develop the model to support PUB’s coastal 

protection efforts. 

The purpose-built model will be developed 

based on Singapore’s densely built-up and 

urbanised environment, and will enable holistic 

flood risk assessment by estimating the 

combined effects of extreme sea levels and 

inland floods caused by intense rainfall. It will 

comprise two independent models – a coastal 

model and an inland model – that can run 

separately or together to carry out flood risk 

analysis for different scenarios. 

The model will aid PUB in the planning of 

coastal adaptation measures, to evaluate the 

effectiveness of proposed coastal protection 

infrastructure, as well as for operations 

management. Development will take about 

four years and be continually updated and 

improved along with new climate data and 

developments in climate science. In the near 

term, the model will also be able to support 

the upcoming site-specific studies, starting 

with the City-East Coast and Jurong island. 

The coastal model will be equipped to 

simulate potential changes in nearshore waves 

and storm surge activities within the region 

under different climate change scenarios, 

while the inland model will be capable of 

simulating urban flooding caused by different 

sources, including heavy rainfall, and their 

interactions with sea levels. Advanced 

modelling techniques will be used to enhance 

the accuracy and speed in simulating rainfallinduced 

flows within Singapore’s densely 

built-up water catchments. 

PUB officers will work closely with the team 

from NUS and H2i during the entire project 

duration, to share their experience with 

existing modelling systems. This will also 

allow PUB to build new expertise in-house to 

develop, test and validate coastal protection 

technologies and concepts. 

The project team will be led by Philip Liu, 

distinguished professor in the NUS Department 

of Civil and Environmental Engineering. 

Prof Liu, who is internationally recognised for 

his work on coastal engineering and wave 

modelling, has been instrumental in developing 

tsunami and coastal disaster resilience 

technology in Taiwan and the South China Sea 

region. H2i will bring to the table its rich expertise 

in hydrological and inland flow modelling 

and model development, having worked with 

PUB previously on its rainfall monitoring and 

predicting system, which uses X-band radar 

technology. 

Ms Hazel Khoo, director of PUB’s Coastal 

Protection Department, said, “As a small 

coastal city with many low-lying areas, 

Singapore is particularly susceptible to rising 

sea levels. Coupled with the upward trend of 

average annual rainfall and frequency of heavy 

rainfall that we have observed in recent years, 

the development of this model is timely as we 

embark on the monumental task of building 

coastal defences for Singapore. Through this 

project, we aim to enhance capabilities and 

deepen our expertise in modelling to support 

coastal protection efforts from now and into 

the future. Given the uncertainties in climate 

science, protecting our coastlines will always 

be a work-in-progress, but we aim to stay 

ahead of the curve.” 

Prof Liu, added, “In anticipating continued 

climate changes, the development of a 

Coastal-Inland Flood Model is timely and will 

help to safeguard both our coastlines and our 

collective future against severe weather and 

rising sea levels.” 

H2i’s Director Martin Lechner, said, “H2i has, 

through our various projects, developed a 

depth and breadth of understanding of the 

impact that climate change could have on 

both lives and livelihoods in Singapore. We 

have already deployed our capabilities in areas 

like coastal monitoring and modelling and 

flood-risk management, and the development 

of the Coastal-Inland Flood Model builds on 

this. The combined expertise of our team, 

which includes renowned industry leaders like 

hydraulics specialist Prof Guus Stelling, will 

mean faster, more accurate and more visual 

water management insights. This will allow 

Singapore to better plan for climate change, 

and secure its own future.” 

10


FLUENCE RECEIVES KEY ORDERS FROM CHINA AND SOUTH EAST ASIA 

FLUENCE SECURES FIRST VOLUME 

ORDER FROM THREE GORGES 

Fluence Corporation Limited has been 

awarded its first volume contract for the 

Yangtze River Great Protection Program 

managed by China Three Gorges Group 

Corporation (“Three Gorges”). The orders 

with Three Gorges are worth an aggregate 

of US$2.2m and involve a total of 29 Aspiral 

MABR (membrane aerated biofilm reactor) 

units. Fluence will work with its existing volume 

partner, Aerospace Kaitian Environmental 

Protection Technology Co., Ltd.(“Kaitian”), as 

well as Yangtze River Ecological Environmental 

Protection Group Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of 

Three Gorges, to implement treatment systems 

in 14 towns and rural townships in Ningyuan 

and Dao counties, Hunan province. 

CHINA RAIL ORDER – FIRST IN CHINA 

FOR WASTEWATER REUSE 

The company has been awarded an 

additional contract by Beijing China Railway 

Science New Technology Co. Ltd., wholly 

owned by China Academy of Railway 

Sciences Cooperation Limited (“China 

Rail”). The contract is worth US$28K for 

two Aspiral Micro units to treat and reuse 

wastewater at sites including Beijing. This 

is the first wastewater reuse project for 

Fluence in China. Wastewater reuse is 

a key part of the current Five-Year Plan. 

Aspiral Micro was chosen on account of 

its ability to treat wastewater to the high 

quality needed for reuse for irrigation, 

operate remotely, and can be deployed and 

commissioned rapidly. 

FLUENCE SECURES FIRST MULTI- 

UNIT NIROBOXTM ORDER IN TAIWAN 

Finally, Fluence is pleased to announce 

that it has been awarded a US$2.4m 

contract to supply three NIROBOXTM 

units to drought-stricken Taiwan. Fluence 

was able to leverage a proven product 

and quick turnaround time to secure 

the order. Commissioning is expected 

in May 2021. The units will be installed 

in Taichung and will convert seawater 

into enough fresh water to meet the 

needs of up to 30,000 people in central 

Taiwan. Fluence partner ADE Corporation 

facilitated the order from the Water 

Resources Agency, which is part of the 

Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan. 

FOLLOW US 

@waterwastewaterasia 

11

NEWS 

SAUDI ARABIA’S SWCC ACHIEVES A NEW 

GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR THE LOWEST 

WATER DESALINATION ENERGY CONSUMPTION 

Saline Water Conversion Corporation 

(SWCC) was recognised by Guinness 

World Records for setting a global record 

in reducing energy consumption in water 

desalination to 2.271kWh/m 3 , cementing 

its position as a pioneer in promoting 

environmental sustainability, achieved 

this milestone by adopting innovative 

technologies that lower the use of power 

and cost of produced water in the 

desalination industry. 

Guinness World Records stated that it 

verified the figure in March 2021. 

The technology used in the plants is 

reverse osmosis (RO), which is by SWCC 

standards and specifications that is 

uniquely re-engineered to develop supply 

chains and reduce operational costs 

while achieving positive financial returns 

as an outcome of reducing electricity 

consumption from reverse osmosis plants 

by to 2.271kWh/m 3 . The new plants are 

seawater take systems powered by energy 

recovery techniques and equipped with 

high-efficiency pumps energy recovery 

device (ERD). 

flexible desalination plants. Its recent 

efforts resulted in obtaining operational 

environmental licenses of the 3rd 

category and ISO 14001 Certificate for the 

environment. 

They implemented several projects and 

initiatives to showcase their commitment 

to minimising environmental impact 

while reducing the cost of producing and 

transporting desalinated water. 

SWCC has significantly reduced gas 

emissions from its production systems 

in carbon dioxide by 22% of the total 

targeted reduction for the Kingdom until 

2030. 

SWCC increased its production of 

desalinated water by 64% during the past 

three years after establishing, launching, 

and expanding the number of production 

systems on the Red Sea and Arabian 

Gulf coasts while applying the highest 

international standards in its operations 

in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 

objectives. 

SWCC also registered a unique advanced 

technical system that raises the brine 

solution’s concentration from 70 thousand 

to 150-200 thousand parts per million. This 

technology, which won two patents, helps 

in preserving the environment as bromine is 

invested in battery manufacturing. 

SWCC has a total of 32 desalination plants 

in 17 locations operated and managed by 

10,340 employees with Saudization up 

to 96% and several desalination plants 

under construction with a total production 

capacity of up to 3.6 million m 3 per day. 

Water security is a key challenge for the 

country, which has invested heavily in 

seawater desalination, making the Kingdom 

the world’s largest producer of desalinated 

water. 

“We are proud of this milestone 

achievement featured in Guinness World 

Records. In line with Vision 2030, the 

SWCC works to enable local talent in its 

current and future developmental projects; 

this initiative covered the full project life 

cycle utilising pre-existing competencies 

and expertise to localize the desalination 

industry fully,” said His Excellency Eng. 

Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Abdulkareem, Saline 

Water Conversion Corporation Governor. 

SWCC has invested heavily in its 

engineering and research expertise to 

expand design innovation and supply 

high-efficiency, low-energy, and more 

Saudi Arabia’s SWCC, the largest desalination corporation globally, achieved a new Guinness World Record for the 

lowest water desalination energy consumption 

12


SMART WATER IS: 

THE WIDEST RANGE 

OF METERING 

SOLUTIONS 

NX Filtration’s Mexpert pilot installation for hollow fiber nanofiltration membranes at PWN 

NX FILTRATION STARTS NANOFILTRATION PI- 

LOT WITH DRINKING WATER COMPANY PWN 

PWN, responsible for the production and 

supply of drinking water in the Dutch 

province of Noord-Holland, selected 

NX Filtration, specialist in innovative 

membrane solutions, to start a pilot for 

the sustainable production of drinking 

water based on hollow fiber nanofiltration 

membranes. 

The NX Filtration pilot installation will 

first be deployed at PWN’s testing 

and technology center in Andijk, the 

Netherlands. Filtration’s hollow fiber 

nanofiltration technology can provide 

substantial benefits over a conventional 

set-up that combines ultrafiltration and 

reverse osmosis. Benefits include the 

water quality that can be obtained in just 

a single filtration step. There are also 

substantial sustainability benefits as it 

is expected that energy consumption 

can be reduced and the use of 

pre-treatment and remineralisation 

chemicals can be avoided. 

Erik Roesink, founder of NX Filtration, 

added, “We have already implemented 

our technology on IJsselmeer water, the 

same source that PWN is using for its 

Heemskerk plant, in a small installation 

on the island of Pampus. Here, we 

demonstrated to significantly reduce 

the number of filtration steps, energy 

consumption and use of chemicals 

to reach a similar water quality as in a 

traditional process. We are proud that 

PWN is now testing and researching 

the benefits that our unique hollow fiber 

nanofiltration technology can bring.” 

CHOICE FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS. 

At Badger Meter, we believe every 

utility should have access to 

smart water solutions that fit their 

needs, regardless of population, 

location or existing infrastructure. 

Our wide range of metering 

solutions make it simple for you 

to solve your challenges and 

establish a smart water system 

to increase efficiency, assure 

long-term accuracy, decrease 

non-revenue water and improve 

customer service, while ensuring 

interoperability with other 

systems you might choose down 

the road. 

Solutions: 

• Smart Water Utility Solutions 

• Water Metering Solutions 

• Water Quality Solutions 

• Cloud and IoT Solutions 

SMART WATER IS BADGER METER 

www.badgermeter.com 

13

5 MINS WITH 

THE GLOBAL LEADER 

in variable speed control of 

electric motors 

Danfoss Drives recognises and addresses the megatrends affecting the 

world today. Through their innovative technology, the company ensures 

customers are getting the most out of their drives and applications. 

Krisada Phetsuksiri, head of Asia Pacific and India Regions, Danfoss 

Drives, shares how Danfoss Drives are able to help professionals to 

optimise their engineering tasks in the most demanding installations. 

By Pang Yanrong 

Phetsuksiri, head of Asia Pacific and 

India Regions of Danfoss Drives. 

For instance, a motor driving a 

water pump is supplying water to a 

community. In the morning where 

people are using water to cook, take a 

bath, and other activities, the demand 

for water is high. It is the opposite for 

the night when people are sleeping. 

However, the motor and pump are 

still running at 100% even when the 

demand is less than 50%. 

“This is where the process control of 

AC drives becomes useful because 

it reduces the speed of the motor 

to match production based on the 

demand, which in this case the usage 

of water. By reducing the speed of 

the motor, energy savings is achieved 

significantly as well,” said Phetsuksiri. 

The AQUA Drive 

family 

Danfoss Drives is unique as they 

are 100% focused on developing, 

manufacturing and supplying AC 

drives. 

So why AC drives? 

“The main benefits of using AC drives 

in the water and wastewater industry 

are process control and energy 

savings. Process control wherein the 

produced output is matched according 

to the demand,” explained Krisada 

“By reducing the speed of motor and 

pump by 20%, an energy savings 

of 50% is achieved. Beside this, AC 

drives are the key component in 

implementing pressure management 

in drinking water systems, offering 

14


typically 40% reduction in leakage 

to thrive in a world that is rapidly 

from the pipe network (without 

changing. 

replacing pipes) and so offering a 

major contribution to fight water 

In fact, their VLT® AQUA Drive 

scarcity.” 

and VACON® 100 Flow drives are 

designed to provide the highest level 

Aside from the benefits of using AC 

of performance for the water and 

drives in the water and wastewater 

wastewater application. 

industry, other advantages include 

reduction of water hammer in the pipe 

The power range is available from 

with a few countries having a much 

Aqua Drive 

system, reduction of wear and tear of 

0.55kW up to 1.4MW while the supply 

higher number, depending on the 

motors and pumps, zero energy peak 

voltages are available from 200V to 

local solution. Typically, water and 

demand when starting a motor and 

690V. The drives are factory tested at 

wastewater facilities represent 

protection of motor electrical system. 

maximum 100% load to ensure worry- 

30%-50% of the local municipalities’ 

free operation right from the start. 

electricity bill, so are normally the 

Danfoss’ intelligent heat management 

Available at a wide range of features 

absolute largest electricity consumer 

also ensures the cooling air and 

dedicated specifically for water and 

for the municipality and therefore it 

electronic circulation air to be 

wastewater application, Danfoss 

is very important to utilise the great 

separated, thereby, keeping the 

Drives also offer the lowest overall cost 

opportunities to reduce this electricity 

electronics clean and cool, and 

and ownership as well as high energy 

use,” remarked Phetsuksiri. 

providing a solution with 90% 

savings to their customers and end 

reduction in investment for air 

users. 

This is especially true for South East 

condition system as well as in energy 

Asia, where the region is on pressure 

consumptions for the air condition 

The high quality of Danfoss’ drives is 

to find more efficient solutions with low 

system the next 20 years. In addition, 

seen with a municipal water customer 

production cost in the water industry. 

back-channel cooling feature can 

in the Philippines who experienced a 

remove up to 90% of the heat losses 

pipe burst due to high water pressure 

A typical water distribution pumping 

via heat pipe technology, transferring 

during nighttime. Their initial solution 

station has a motor electrical load 

the heat back to the back-channel 

was to throttle the valve to reduce flow 

of almost 90% of its capacity. One 

cooling air. The excess heat from 

and pressure in the pipeline. 

solution to reduce the intensity is to 

back-channel is then dispersed 

match the production output according 

directly to the outside of the building. 

“By doing so however, it puts a lot of 

to its demand or process control. By 

stress in their pump and motor. We 

doing so, it helps to consume energy 

“Recently, we have introduced edge 

then proposed our constant pressure 

efficiently. 

computing-based Condition-based 

system wherein we installed an AC 

Monitoring (CBM) which will help 

Drive on their motor and receive a fixed 

“Government bodies and associations 

increasing uptime for e.g. pumps. 

pressure feedback from a transmitter 

are now also on board this initiative 

There are a lot more advantages to 

installed in the pipeline,” shared 

to ensure clean and safe water are 

share and I highly recommend those 

Phetsuksiri. 

available in their country,” Phetsuksiri 

interested to talk to us to get more 

shared. 

insights on our Drives technology,” 

said Phetsuksiri. 

EMPOWERING THE WATER 

BUSINESSES 

The result was an energy savings 

of 38% and the pressure at the 

customer’s pumping station was 

maintained at a constant level at any 

given time of the day, eliminating pipe 

SO HOW DO THE DRIVES 

OPTIMISE THE WATER AND 

WASTEWATER NETWORKS WHILE 

FUNCTIONING RELIABLY? 

In 1968, Danfoss was the first 

burst. 

“Different water and wastewater 

company to mass produce AC drives. 

application have different process 

Since then, the company has been a 

“Water and wastewater is an energy 

optimisation requirement. For example, 

forerunner in drives technology and 

intensive industry, which uses 

a distribution pump requires an AC 

digital solutions that enable customers 

about 4% of all electricity globally, 

Drive with constant pressure system. 

15

5 MINS WITH WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

businesses who are impacted by this. We hope 

that this year, we start to see improvements in 

battling the virus thereby helping to swing the 

economy towards an upward trend so that we 

all can come back onto our feet and see more 

business activities again in the industry.” 

A lift station pump requires an AC Drive with 

constant level system. A wastewater aeration 

tank requires an AC Drive with constant 

dissolved oxygen (DO) system,” explained 

Phetsuksiri. 

“Application knowledge, experience and 

expertise on AC Drives are required to 

know all these different applications and 

process controls for them to work not only 

properly, but optimally as well. This is where 

Danfoss Drives is very strong as we have a 

dedicated team that focuses on the water and 

wastewater industry only.” 

As the Asia Pacific region will be one 

of the fastest growing regions in world, 

manufacturing companies are looking to 

relocate to the region, particularly in South 

East Asia. With this trend, Danfoss Drives 

aims to educate the market on energy 

efficiency and optimise process solutions and 

sustainability through their AC Drives. 

In addition, with software and digitalisation 

evolving and becoming more advanced, there 

are new functionalities that can enable the 

drive to perform larger roles in the system. For 

instance, the drive also can act as a sensor. 

“With new motor types being introduced 

into the market, this pressures the drives 

manufacturer to come up with new range 

or new system of drives to control the new 

motors. To expand the functionalities of 

drives, we must also consider the business, 

financial and production impact on the end 

users. Above that, the increasing trends 

VACON 100 Flow family 

in energy efficiency in business practice 

increases higher demand for state-of-the-art 

variable speed drives technology,” explained 

Phetsuksiri. 

To keep up with the trends while ensuring 

reliability, Danfoss has their Technology 

Centre. Located in Denmark and China, 

the centres have over 1,000 technology 

consultants, technicians and engineers 

supporting research and development 

(R&D) initiatives. Some features in the centre 

includes testing and analysis, prototypes 

designing, prototypes manufacturing and 

developing new technologies. 

“For drives, we are with the digital 

transformation trends. Our R&D team uses 

digital technologies to design new software 

and features. Series of simulation tools 

such as electrical, mechanical and thermal 

simulation, 3D E CAD and M-CAD are used to 

help with developing new products, creating 

thorough designs and enduring the highest 

quality of the drives,” shared Phetsuksiri. 

WHAT IS NEXT FOR DANFOSS? 

The coronavirus pandemic has, unfortunately, 

impacted the economy tremendously last year. 

“We saw business closures, project delays 

or cancellations, and significant losses in 

revenues. The uncertainties continue to hold 

every business activity behind whether it is by 

choice or forced by the economic downturn,” 

said Phetsuksiri. 

“Danfoss is no different from the rest of the 

Still, Danfoss Drives is the most diverse AC 

drive company in the world. Aside from their 

core segment of HVAC (heating, ventilation 

and air conditioning), food and beverage and 

water and wastewater market, the company 

is also growing in the heavy industry, crane 

hoist & lift, oil & gas, marine & offshore, energy 

storage solution, and energy and power. 

“As a global leader in the water & wastewater 

industry, we have, when we talk digitalisation, 

been deeply involved with a utility in Denmark, 

Aarhus water, to create the first place globally 

where 200,000 people get both drinking water 

supplied, and wastewater treated energy 

neutral. This has been possible based on 

a combination of energy savings, leakage 

reductions and increased energy production 

from the wastewater facility. It’s pretty old 

facilities and there is no use of wind, solar 

energy, no external carbon or sludge added, 

just traditional household wastewater,” 

explained Phetsuksiri. 

“Digitalisation, in this context, is a lot 

more online sensors and drives as normal 

coupled with smart process control. This 

has offered 70% of the improvements made 

and all this with a ROI of 4.5 years and for 

the digitalisation part down on three years. 

A concept which can be copied, and we are 

strongly believer of that this will be the future.” 

Krisada Phetsuksiri has been 

with Danfoss for 15 years. He 

started out as the manager 

for South East Asia before 

championing as head of Asia 

Pacific Core Segment in 

Drives. He is currently head of 

Asia Pacific and India Regions, 

overlooking the entire Drives 

business. 

16

5 MINS WITH 

GLOBAL WATER AWARDS: 

Recognising and rewarding 

initiatives in water 

Established in 2006, the Global Water Awards recognise the successes of 

companies, technologies, projects, deals and plants in the international water 

industry. His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, chairman of the Board of 

Trustees of the UAE Water Aid shares the importance of acknowledging the 

achievements as well as his views on the solutions to tackle water scarcity. 

What is the vision behind Mohammed bin 

Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award? 

And what is the impact you hope the 

Global Water Award will achieve? 

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 

Global Water Award was launched by His 

Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al 

Maktoum, vice president and prime minister 

of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, to help 

address the pressing global water scarcity 

problem. Under the Mohammed Bin Rashid 

Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, 

the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE) 

supervises the award that grants US$1m 

in prizes to support research institutions, 

individuals, and innovators from around 

the world to develop and present the most 

cost-effective, innovative renewableenergy-driven 

solutions to water shortage. 

Specifically, it aims to meet the needs of 

urban and rural communities which lack 

access to clean drinking water. 

As clean water sources dwindle, we need 

to look beyond the traditional solutions 

and encourage sustainable and resilient 

models to produce clean water. We believe 

that the award will become a platform to 

drive innovation in the water sector over the 

course of the coming cycles and an enabler 

for promising technologies to move past 

the laboratory scale and onto the ground to 

better the lives of millions affected by the 

global water crisis. 

What are some of the programmes and 

new initiatives and/or changes to be 

seen in the third cycle? 

The first two cycles of the Award were 

highly successful and recognised 

20 winners who presented unique 

His Excellency Saeed Al Tayer, chairman 

of Suqia’s Board of Trustees 

models that produced clean water using solar 

energy. 

For the third cycle, we have expanded 

the scope of the award to include new 

technologies that produce, distribute, store, 

monitor, desalinate and purify water using 

renewable energy. We have also introduced 

a new category, the ‘Innovative Crisis 

Solutions Award.’ Under this category, 

we honour innovations that can provide 

relief within the most critical 48 hours after 

internationally declared emergencies, given 

that rapid access to safe drinking water is 

crucial for survival during crises and natural 

disasters. 

In the second cycle, Singapore company 

Liquinex Group Ptd won first place in the 

Innovative Research and Development 

award, what was winning feature of the 

company? 

The suitcase-like compact water purification 

system designed by Liquinex has the ability 

to provide high-quality WHO (World Health 

Organization) standard drinking water at 

a rate of 500L/hr, meaning it can benefit 

around 1,700 people at the rate of 3L/day/ 

person/per suitcase. The suitcases run on a 

very low power 12V requirement, which can 

easily be supplemented by solar packs or 

car batteries, making it ideal for emergency 

18


response situations. The suitcases have been 

deployed in disaster areas in Laos, Kerala 

(India), Sulawesi (Indonesia) and used in a 

rural school in Padang (Indonesia). 

There is a global water scarcity issue, 

what is the importance of finding solutions 

for water scarcity today? And what do you 

think is driving the increasing demand for 

water? 

Water is a basic human right, yet more than 

40% of the global population do not have 

access to clean and safe water, and this 

number is projected to rise, especially for 

communities in rural and poor urban areas. 

The world’s demand for water is increasing, 

and existing water resources are dwindling. 

Water scarcity impacts food production, 

burdens health services, hinders industry and 

affects literacy and education. It is important 

to address the global water crisis so that 

future generations do not become entrapped 

in the cycle of poverty. 

At Suqia [an entity under the umbrella of the 

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global 

Initiatives foundation], we believe that access 

to safe water turns time spent into time saved, 

it allows communities more time to pursue 

Liquinex Group is receiving their award from H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 

chairman of the Dubai Media Council and chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge 

Foundation. They are accompanied by His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, chairman of Suqia’s Board of 

Trustees and Mr Mohammed Abdulkareem Alshamsi, acting executive director 

education and work opportunities, and it 

helps improve their health and break the 

cycle of poverty. The scale of the water 

crisis demands different approaches that 

extend beyond just giving water. And this 

is where the Mohammed bin Rashid Al 

Maktoum Global Water Award comes into 

play. 

Through the award, we recognise bright 

minds around the world for their pioneering 

water innovations and systems designed 

to address the global challenges faced by 

poverty- and disaster-stricken today. 

How do we ensure that communities, 

especially in poor areas, have access to a 

clean and safe water supply? Why is this 

important? 

Poor water management and sanitation 

and hygiene systems have a huge impact 

on the health of the people in these 

communities, further compounded by the 

prevalence of various illnesses related to 

water contamination. The WHO notes a high 

transmission rate of diseases such as cholera, 

diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, and typhoid, 

among others, in areas with contaminated 

water and poor sanitation structures. Millions 

19


The second 

cycle ceremony 

group photo with 

His Highness 

Sheikh Ahmed bin 

Mohammed Al 

Maktoum and His 

Excellency Saeed Al 

Tayer 

of vulnerable families around the world 

do not drink, cook, or bathe with clean 

water — a basic natural resource that 

we too often take for granted. Access 

to clean and safe water is critical for 

breaking the cycle of poverty. 

Through our humanitarian aid 

programme under the UAE Water Aid 

Foundation, our efforts continue to 

address this global crisis. We have 

provided more than 13 million people 

in 36 countries with access to clean 

water with the support of our partners 

to date, and we are keen on reaching 

out and serving humanity around the 

world by helping communities that 

suffer from a lack of access to clean 

and safe water. 

Do you think global goals are 

realistic in ensuring everyone 

is provided with safe and clean 

drinking water? And why? 

The UN 2030 Agenda offers the 

opportunity to break new grounds in 

the context of social, economic, and 

environmental aspects. And certainly, 

clean and accessible water for all 

is an essential part of the world we 

want to live in. SDG 6 seeks to ensure 

safe drinking water and sanitation 

for all, focusing on the sustainable 

management of water resources, 

wastewater, and ecosystems, and 

acknowledging the importance of 

an enabling environment. Suqia’s 

commitment to reach out and aid 

underprivileged communities that 

suffer from access to clean water 

remains strong, and SDG 6 has 

become a valuable guide on how best 

to achieve that. 

What is the role of innovative and 

sustainable technologies that use 

renewable energy to produce clean 

potable water? 

Innovative and sustainable 

technologies that operate using 

renewable energy may offer affordable 

solutions and have a strong potential 

to address many of the challenges 

presented by the global water crisis. 

Through the award, we witnessed 

how innovative and sustainable 

technologies can help address water 

scarcity. Many of the winners in the 

previous cycles of the award have 

demonstrated simple and innovative 

solutions that either produce, 

purify and distribute clean water to 

communities in need. 

A great example is the unique solution 

developed by German Jan Rädel, 

who took home the ‘Innovative 

Individual Award.’ Determined to 

make a difference in the world from a 

young age, Jan journeyed to Tanzania 

to construct solar-powered water 

plants that provide clean water to 

nearby schools. The plants collect 

rainwater in cisterns. Gravity-driven 

ultrafiltration used for water purification 

is achieved by solar energy to pump 

rainwater up to a 5m to 6m tower to 

obtain enough pressure. This reduces 

the need for a backwash tank and 

pumps by applying a side-by-side 

operation of two gravity-driven filtration 

membranes. The plants have a storage 

tank capacity between 100,000L to 

150,000L to guarantee drinking water 

supply during dry seasons. 

Another example from the 

second cycle are the solar kiosks 

implemented by a non-profit 

organisation Project Maji from Ghana, 

which also caught the attention of 

the judges. Project Maji won third 

place in the ‘Innovative and Research 

Development Award’ category during 

the second cycle of the Award. The 

solar kiosks consist of solar-driven 

submersible pumps that eliminate the 

need for batteries, thereby limiting 

replacement costs and keeping 

maintenance requirements low. The 

kiosks can be scaled to produce 

between 5,000L -10,000L/day of 

water. To date, more than 50 of these 

kiosks have been set up in Ghana, 

while 14 have been set up in Kenya — 

each resulting in access to more than 

5,000L of water per day. More than 

67,000 people from both countries 

have had their lives positively 

transformed from Project Maji’s solarpowered 

water kiosks. 

20


THE WATER TREATMENT 

solutions provider 

Water is the earth’s lifeblood, and is connected to every pillar of the society. From 

people to cities, food, and commodities, water covers 70% of the earth’s surface, yet 

just 3% of this is safe to drink, and is taken for granted — depleting at an alarming rate. 

By doing so, the earth will soon run out of water. That is, unless the world turns to 

sustainable water treatment solutions such as desalination and reuse, shares Michael 

(Miki) Tramer, vice president, Sales and Marketing of IDE Technologies. 


Few people understand the significance 

of their drinking water and the complex 

mechanisms that actually go into reclaiming, 

treating and cleaning their water. Valuing 

water means acknowledging its many benefits 

Michael (Miki) Tramer, vice president, Sales and 

Marketing, IDE Technologies 

and educating others on the importance of 

preserving it for the human’s survival. 

“We know we have the knowledge and 

capabilities to provide water stressed regions 

with the tools to be water independent. 

It’s now a matter of rallying leaders and 

governments around a coordinated effort to 

preserve water and increase its accessibility 

to all,” explained Michael (Miki) Tramer, vice 

president of Sales and Marketing at IDE 

Technologies. 

In fact, extreme weather events are more 

prevalent than ever and are accelerating the 

water shortage crisis. Countries that never 

experienced droughts in the past are now 

feeling the effects on their natural resources. 

In Asia, additional catalysts include industrial 

pollution, the rise in waterborne diseases, 

inadequate infrastructure and many more. 

According to Tramer, another challenge 

water consumers faces, particularly those in 

industries that use water in their processes, 

is the ever-stricter regulations imposed on 

discharge of water after the process, whether 

back to the sea or to other bodies of water. 

There is an increasing need to minimise 

the amount of industrial effluents being 

discharged in order to meet the regulations, 

and a lot of focus is on developing such 

technologies. 

WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR THE SOUTH 

EAST ASIA REGION TO BE FULLY WATER 

INDEPENDENT? 

“It will take complex, personalised water 

management planning,” remarked Tramer. 

He cited Singapore’s successful execution of 

the Four National Taps water supply initiative 

as an example. 

Tramer noted, “They have not only set an 

impressive precedent for neighbouring nations 

to follow, but an impressive precedent for the 

world. This integrated water management 

approach maximises the efficiency of each 

water pillar, addresses the water-intensive 

needs of the local industries and provides 

solutions for global issues such as climate 

change, increasing droughts, expanding 

urbanisation and the rising cost of energy. 

Another main obstacle to the widespread 

adoption of water treatment is cost. 

“However, as technologies evolve, the cost 

of desalination has drastically come down 

— in fact, it has dropped by more than half 

in the past three decades. While it’s still 

higher than some countries might be able 

to afford, organisations and scientists are 

working tirelessly to create new and low-cost 

technologies that can be easily installed in 

rural or developing countries,” said Tramer. 

21


For instance, containerised reverse 

osmosis plants, which serve as end-to-end 

“plants in a box,” are an affordable, easily 

transportable and eco-friendly solution for 

some countries — such as islands — that 

may not have the infrastructure to support a 

large-scale desalination plant. 

At IDE Water Technologies, an industry 

leader with some of the world’s most 

advanced thermal and membrane 

desalination plants, the company has taken 

steps to reduce their technologies’ carbon 

footprint, eliminate the use of chemicals 

and chloramine from their processes and 

provide low-cost treatment solutions. They 

developed a safe Eco-Reuse process — 

implementing a preventive maintenance 

that keeps the membranes constantly 

clean, eliminating the need for chloramine 

dosage and increasing the intervals 

between CIP (clean in place). This increases 

system efficiency as well as minimises the 

environmental impact. 

In addition, the company has ran several 

successful pilots demonstrating the use of 

its brine minimisation technology, which 

helps industries to meet increasingly 

stringent regulations with regards to the 

discharge of brine. 

For instance, IDE’s Modular Prefabricated 

Design (MPD) provides units that are fully 

fabricated and completely tested in the 

workshop, with minimal site works, thus 

reducing project risk. This shortens delivery 

and execution time, so the client’s facility 

is up and running sooner than conventional 

plants. Minimal infrastructure and civil works 

are required and the modular units make for 

quick and easy installation. 

HOW DESALINATION CAN HELP THE 

ISSUES IN ASIA 

“In Asia, the issue of water scarcity is 

particularly troubling as population and 

urbanisation rates rise more rapidly than 

any other region in the world. What’s more, 

Asia has less freshwater than any other 

continent besides Antarctica — placing 

significant strain on the continent’s natural 

resources. If the supply continues to be 

used at the current rate, Asian countries will 

experience increased economic instability, 

displacement, inadequate food and energy 

production and instability,” explained 

Tramer. 

“Water treatment, particularly desalination, 

can withstand all of these issues by 

providing a constant, reliable supply of 

freshwater that can be equally accessed 

by everyone — municipalities, power 

plants, farmers and more. Lately, it’s been 

growing in popularity thanks to countries 

like Singapore, whose commitment to less 

reliance on freshwater sources and an 

increased focus on eco-friendly solutions 

for water scarcity has contributed to greater 

acceptance of desalination in the region.” 

Tramer also noted that the mining industry 

is one of the largest industrial users of water 

in the world, particularly in China. As mining 

continues to expand in water-stressed Asia, 

countries must invest in technologies such 

as desalination to eliminate the sector’s 

reliance on freshwater. One such technology 

is IDE’s MAXH2O DESALTER, a high 

recovery membrane-based reverse osmosis 

(RO) solution which aims to effectively 

reduce brine reject from industrial effluents 

treatment plants by ensuring a more durable 

and efficient process that overcomes the 

limitation of chemical composition of the 

effluent and reaches the full potential of 

osmotic pressure. To increase brine recovery 

of brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) 

desalination plants, the MAXH2O DESALTER 

technology integrates a proprietary RO 

system with a salt precipitation unit, 

which together overcomes the traditional 

limitations of brine recovery systems. 

“Proper brine management is so critical 

to the desalination process, as it helps to 

increase water recovery and meet global 

demand, while reducing the environmental 

impact of brine — the technology’s major 

byproduct. For an industry that exhausts 

so much water to operate, with such high 

demand, its best option is desalination,” said 

Tramer. 

THE PROGRESSION OF DESALINATION 

IN ASIA 

According to Tramer, IDE is expecting to 

see fewer projects as well as will be smaller 

in size. But the company does expect to 

see stricter regulations with regards to 

discharging smaller volumes of waste, 

more demand for reuse and more effluent 

treatment for both municipal and industrial 

markets. 

He said, “IDE is a company that specialises 

in the treatment of “tough-to treat” water. As 

such, wherever there is a water challenge and 

our services are required, we will strive to 

provide efficient and cost-effective solutions 

to overcome the challenges.” 

Currently, the company is promoting and 

implementing its new technologies for 

minimising brine. They have recently signed 

a contract to install a demonstration unit of 

their MAXH2O DESALTER solution to support 

cooling tower blowdown minimisation and 

increase the sustainability of operations of 

one of the world’s largest power companies 

outside of China, by reusing the recovered 

blowdown as water for the 6000 m 3 /day 

commercial facility. In addition, they are 

working on the submission of two tenders for 

large scale plants in Israel, “which we hope 

will soon join our existing plants in Israel.” 

“Water is one of our most precious 

commodities, and touches the lives of 

everyone across all stages of life and all 

around the globe — from our people to our 

cities, our food, and our commodities. Far 

too many people do not have access to 

clean drinking water and adequate water 

infrastructures, and IDE is committed to 

improving this situation while also preserving 

the environment. We believe that access to 

clean water is one of the basic rights of every 

person,” shared Tramer. 

22

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IN THE FIELD 

DON’T SLEEP 

with a leak 

A&B Irrigation aging pipeline was experiencing leaks and 

the couplings needed to be replaced. Turning to HYMAX 

VERSA, the organisation has found its ideal solution. 

By Denny Setzer, territory sales manager of Krausz, 

a Mueller® brand 

The HYMAX VERSA being installed 

A&B Irrigation is a co-op water irrigation 

district located near Rupert, Idaho, US, 

that serves 82,000 acres of farmland, 

irrigating malt barley, sugar beets, 

potatoes, alfalfa, corn, and bean 

crops. The district diverts 210,000 

acres-feet per year which is pulled 

from the Snake River and up a 140’- 

high canyon wall. The water continues 

through a 78” steel pipe over 1,400’ to 

an open canal trench to supply water to 

more than 200 farmers and ranchers. 

Irrigation operations run from March or 

April through September or October, 

depending on weather conditions. 

THE HISTORY 

The A&B Irrigation pipeline was originally 

installed in 1953, connecting steel 

pipe sections with multi-bolt dresser 

couplings. Over time, the gaskets 

were increasingly leaking, and the 

couplings needed to be replaced. With 

the large sections of pipe sitting on 

cement stands, however, installing new 

couplings would require dismantling 

the sections of pipe, connecting them, 

and then putting them back in place. 

A&B Irrigation Manager Dan Temple was 

seeking a solution that would effectively 

seal the leaks while minimising 

installation time, manpower and costs. 

In fact, A&B Irrigation needed a solution 

that would quickly, and cost effectively 

seal leaks originating from the couplings 

connecting 40’ sections of 78” OD 

steel piping. The organisation started 

by coupling two sections of the pipe 

with the intent to replace the rest of the 

dresser couplings if the HYMAX VERSA 

delivered as expected. 

HOW HYMAX VERSA HELPS 

The HYMAX VERSA wraparound 

coupling offered an ideal solution 

for replacing the dresser multi-bolt 

couplings. The coupling can open like a 

clamp but offers the durability, dynamic 

deflection, and seal of a Krausz 

coupling. Weighing in at 22lb with only 

six bolts to tighten on each side, the 

HYMAX VERSA is relatively lightweight 

and quick to install compared to a 

multi-bolt dresser, which can weigh 500 

to 600lb with 24 to 30 bolts to tighten. 

Dresser bolts also needed to be 

removed and then tightened when 

the coupling is in place whereas 

the HYMAX bolts only need to be 

loosened to open the coupling and 

then tightened upon installation. 

Federal government engineers noted 

that the coupling required a higher 

pressure value than what the HYMAX 

VERSA provided, so Krausz created 

a customised version to meet this 

requirement and also have it fit on the 

pipe’s 78” OD (the HYMAX VERSA 

regular sizes are 1.5” to 70”). 

Made from stainless steel, the HYMAX 

VERSA can withstand harsh Idaho 

winters and features a weld-free 

construction to make it resistant to 

corrosion. The elimination of welds is 

crucial since these areas are where 

corrosion often starts. The HYMAX 

VERSA also has a patented hydraulic 

pressure-assisted gasket that inflates 

as the water pressure increases. This 

allows for dynamic deflection that 

provides a type of shock absorber to 

minimize damage due to shifts caused 

by extreme cold. 

24


A&B Irrigation found that the sections 

and sealing systems also eliminate 

or three months to separate the pipes, 

between the pipes were sealed up 

installation errors and can adapt to 

take them off their stands, connect 

with sediment, and the only way 

out-of-round pipe shapes (up to 0.31”) 

them, and then put them back in 

to separate the pipes was to tear 

for optimum fit on both ends. 

place. With the HYMAX VERSA, the 

them apart. The pipe ends were 

also severely corroded, and the pipe 

Flexible connection 

test section of the pipes was repaired 

without removing pipe sections 

ends needed to be removed so the 

coupling could latch onto undisturbed 

steel. With the original connectors 

removed, the ends of the pipe 

standing at 2” apart were sandblasted 

and repainted to protect against 

corrosion. A crane was brought in to 

lift the huge HYMAX VERSA into place 

on the pipe. The coupling was closed 

around the pipe and then the 12 

bolts were tightened to complete the 

installation. With the success of using 

the HYMAX VERSA, A&B Irrigation 

has made plans to replace all the 

old connectors in October 2020 in a 

project that will be completed within 

During installation, the HYMAX VERSA 

allowed for up to 3° angular deflection 

on each end, as well as for misaligned 

pipes, meaning there was room for 

the pipes to not be perfectly aligned 

but ensuring a durable connection 

regardless. Post installation, the 

coupling’s dynamic pipe deflection on 

each end reduces the risk of damage 

and cracking due to ground shifts and 

temperature changes. 

Conclusion 

Without the HYMAX VERSA, A&B 

Irrigation predicted that the coupling 

replacement project would take two 

from their location. As a result, 

A&B Irrigation plans to save tens of 

thousands of dollars in labour costs 

and renting the necessary equipment 

to otherwise complete the project. 

“The HYMAX VERSA offers a unique 

solution to our repair needs that is 

both durable and could ensure that 

the repairs will be made in a matter 

of weeks rather than months,” said 

Temple. “Our co-op members look 

forward to many years of secure water 

distribution that will ultimately lead to 

lower water costs over the long term.” 

From left: A&B 

Irrigation plans 

to save tens of 

thousands of dollars 

in labour costs 

and equipment 

rentals that would 

otherwise be needed 

to complete the 

project; Originally 

installed in 1953, 

the A&B Irrigation 

pipeline consisted of 

steel pipe sections 

with multi-bolt 

dresser couplings 

that needed to be 

replaced because 

their gaskets were 

increasingly leaking 

two to three weeks. 

ADVANTAGES THE HYMAX 

VERSA OFFERED 

Highly versatile 

The VERSA is a multi-purpose 

stainless steel coupling that can be 

used for either joining or repairing 

pipes, reducing and simplifying 

inventory. For this project, the fact 

that the coupling could open and 

close to become a permanent part 

of the pipe gave A&B Irrigation the 

flexibility to not remove pipes from 

their stands and make the repair in 

place. That meant that thousands 

of dollars could be saved in terms 

of labour and equipment with the 

wraparound coupling. 

Exceptionally durable 

The HYMAX VERSA is made from 

stainless steel with a weld-free 

construction. The coupling can 

withstand the wide range of Idaho 

weather conditions, including heavy 

rain and snowstorms. The VERSA’s 

innovative radial closing design 

25

IN THE FIELD 

FROM PEAT WATER 

TO DRINKING WATER: 

Development of 

drinking water supply 

for Dumai City 

To improve drinking water services in Dumai, Indonesia, 

the city government partners the consortium of PT 

Adhi Karya and PT Adaro for the construction of Water 

Treatment Plant (WTP) in Dumai City. The pilot plant 

involves the installation of NX Filtration’s Hollow Fibre 

Nanofiltration (HFNF) membrane technology, which treats 

peat water into drinking water. 

Mesjid River as a 

source of raw water 

for WTP of Dumai 

City 

SOURCE OF RAW WATER 

Raw water for WTP Dumai City is 

sourced from Mesjid River, which 

crosses Dumai City. The permit for the 

utilisation of surface water from Mesjid 

River was issued by the Directorate 

General of Water Resources of the 

Ministry of Public Works and Settlement 

in 2018. 

The challenge in developing WTP 

for Dumai City is the quality of raw 

water, which is peat water, as it has 

the characteristics of low pH value 

between three to five, low turbidity level 

below 10 nephelometric turbidity units 

(NTU), and high colour content of more 

than 100 true colour units (TCU). 

The colour content in peat water is a 

true colour formed by Natural Organic 

Matter (NOM) from humus soil. 

NOM has a particle size of less than 

10nm, and molecular weight cut-off 

(MWCO) in the range of 800-50,000 

Daltons. However, the colour content 

in peat water is unable to be reduced 

to the required standard quality by 

using conventional WTP technology. 

Drinking-water quality standards, 

according to Regulation of Indonesia 

Ministry of Health No. 492/2010, 

requires that the colour content in 

drinking water should be less than 15 

TCU. 

With an aim to increase drinking 

water services for the people in 

Dumai City from 1% to 35% by 2023, 

the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) 

in Dumai will be built with a total 

production capacity of 450L/s, and 

will be implemented in three stages 

of development – the first stage 

with capacity production of 50L/s, 

continued with capacity production 

200L/s in the next two stages of 

development. 

The central government of Indonesia, 

through the Ministry of Public Work, 

has also been developing 50L/s 

WTP for Dumai City under a funding 

scheme by the World Bank. 

HFNF TECHNOLOGY 

Colour content contained in peat water 

is difficult to remove by conventional 

WTP technology as it is unable to 

optimally filter NOM particles, which 

are smaller than the porosity of the 

sand filter. Modification of conventional 

WTP to reduce the colour content in 

peat water requires a high consumption 

of coagulant and flocculant chemicals, 

which, in turn, increases the operational 

cost in producing the drinking water. 

Moreover, it has not been able to reach 

the expected colour required. 

26


The technology applied in the WTP 

utilises filtration technology using 

a Hollow Fibre Direct Nanofiltration 

(HFNF) membrane, which has a 

porosity of less than 1nm and MWCO 

below 800 Dalton. The porosity size 

of the HFNF membrane is expected 

to filter NOM, which is the cause of 

the colour content of peat water. 

Hence, the purpose of the Dumai 

WTP is to demonstrate HFNF’s 

capabilities in treating peat water 

into drinking water. Other targets 

of the WTP include producing 

drinking water that meets the 

required standard, and ensuring 

HFNF technology as an applicable 

technology for treating peat water 

with low operating costs as well as 

economical lifecycle. 

To prevent accumulation of sediment 

on the feed of the membranes, it 

is recommended to change the 

direction of cross-flow system that 

passes through the membrane 

during membrane operation. In the 

first cycle, the feed water is supplied 

top-bottom; in the next cycle, the feed 

water is flown at bottom-up mode. 

This presents a constant pressure 

drop across the module over a period 

of time, which is indispensable 

to produce consistent permeate 

production. 

DUMAI’S PILOT PLANT WTP 

WITH HFNF MEMBRANE 

TECHNOLOGY 

The pilot plants were performed 

with two schemes – HFNF 

membrane technology for direct 

peat water treatment from 

Mesjid River, and ultrafiltration 

(UF) membrane technology as 

polishing treatment for the existing 

conventional WTP technology. 

The pilot plant was conducted in 

September 2019. Based on the pilot 

HFNF membrane 

applications in 

drinking water 

and wastewater 

treatment system 

HFNF membranes developed 

by NX Filtration features filtering 

selectivity that can be applied 

in various water treatment like 

drinking water, industrial water and 

wastewater. HFNF is a result of 

product development that combines 

spiral wound membranes, nano-filter 

layer, and hollow fibre membrane 

technologies that features high 

resistant to chlorine, easy backwash 

and flush, fouling resistant, 

lower operating costs, and is 

environmentally friendly. Moreover, it 

is able to reduce extensive chemicals 

in drinking water and wastewater 

treatment. 

NX Filtration 

membrane products 

and filtration 

spectrum 

HFNF membrane 

technology features 

Pre-treatment for HFNF membrane 

system utilises 100-300μm selfcleaning 

strainer. The HFNF 

membrane system is operated with a 

cross-flow system and an inside-out 

operating mode. Raw water flows 

tangentially across the inner surface 

of the membrane, and the cross-flow 

system helps in removing filtered 

solids out of the membrane. 

27

IN THE FIELD WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

HFNF membrane 

technology for direct 

treatment of peat 

water 

Layout of HFNF 

system with capacity 

of 450L/s 

RAW WATER PERMEATE REJECT 

Pressure 

(Bar) 

T (ºC) pH Turbidity 

(NTU) 

Color 

(PCU) 

TDS 

(mg/l) 

Pressure 

(Bar) 

T (ºC) pH Turbidity 

(NTU) 

Color 

(PCU) 

TDS 

(mg/l) 

T (º C) pH Turbidity 

(NTU) 

2.5 30 3,7 11,46 1100 60 2,3 30 4,6 0 0 34 30 3,8 15,26 2600 80 

2.5 34,5 3,6 7,55 1000 55 2.3 35,1 4 0 0 31 34 3,6 7,6 1000 54 

2.4 34,8 3,6 7,25 900 57 2.2 34,9 3,9 0 0 31 37,1 3,6 7,9 1000 57 

2,44 34,3 3,5 5,93 1890 54 2,3 34,6 4 0 0 28 34,1 3,6 12,4 1890 69 

2.5 32,7 3,5 4,24 960 58 2.3 32,8 4 0 0 25 32,8 3,4 6,16 1600 84 

2.5 32,5 3,6 4,59 810 58 2.3 32,9 3,9 0 0 25 33,1 3,4 4,88 1530 88 

Color 

(PCU) 

TDS 

(mg/l) 

plant results, it can be concluded 

that HFNF membrane technology 

can produce drinking water that 

fulfils the required standard, and 

PROCESS DESCRIPTION AND 

COST ESTIMATION 

Peat water treatment with HFNF 

membrane technology is performed 

less than 800 Dalton. As such, colour 

particles sourced from humic acid 

and included in the natural organic 

matter (NOM) category, alongside 

Results of the 

pilot plant with 

HFNF membrane 

technology for direct 

peat water treatment 

is able to offer drinking water 

with an operational pressure that 

turbidity particles and suspended 

quality that is more consistent 

depends on the osmotic pressure 

solids, can be removed completely. 

than UF membrane technology as 

generated from the dissolved solids 

Furthermore, it is necessary to add 

polishing treatment of the existing 

content (TDS) in raw water. The 

pH adjustment facilities in production 

conventional WTP. 

higher the TDS content, the higher the 

water as HFNF membranes are 

operating pressure of the system. For 

unable to increase the degree of 

During the pilot plant, HFNF 

instance, the raw water source from 

acidity of treated water. 

membrane technology does not 

Sungai Mesjid has a TDS content of 

require chemicals for maintenance. 

less than 100ppm, so the operational 

As for cost, Opex includes costs for 

Although UF technology, as 

pressure of the HFNF membrane 

electricity, manpower, membrane, 

polishing treatment of existing 

system is in the range of 2.5 bar. 

replacement, chemical for membrane 

conventional WTP produces results, 

maintenance, and spare parts 

the conventional WTP still requires 

The principle of processing with 

and consumables maintenance. 

extensive amount of chemicals 

HFNF membrane technology using 

The Capex, for all three stages of 

and produces sludge that consist 

the dNF080 membrane filters all the 

development, is estimated at around 

hazardous and toxic material. 

molecules less than 1nm and MWCO 

Rp107.4 billion (US$7.4 million). 

28

DKDD.PA.211.A1.02 

VLT® AQUA Drive 

for a Masterclass Performance

IN THE FIELD 

Fig. 1: Completed zero liquid discharge (ZLD) plant with bioreactor in the background and ultrafiltration and reverse 

osmosis containers in the foreground 

WEHRLE ENSURES 

A WASTEWATER- 

FREE PRODUCTION 

for a cosmetic 

manufacturer 

Due to the 

decreasing quality of 

recycled water, the 

implementation of a 

completely wastewaterfree 

production 

normally fails. In this 

article, a conventional 

wastewater treatment 

plant has turned its 

dream of realising zero 

liquid discharge into 

reality. 

30


Over the years, freshwater has become 

increasingly scarce, not only in arid 

zones but those with sufficient rainfall. 

This is why years have been spent 

elaborating concepts for the recycling 

of industrial rainwater. One difficulty is 

the fact that a reverse osmosis system 

must be used in most cases in order 

to produce the quality required for 

reuse. However, these same systems 

produce high salt concentrates, 

resulting in their disposal expensive 

and increasingly difficult in large 

quantities. 

Fig. 2: Customer 

requirements 

for the recycled 

permeate (grey) 

versus measured 

concentration of 

the recycled water 

(orange) 

Though there have been many 

descriptions and discussions 

concerning ZLD (zero liquid 

discharge) throughout the years, few 

sites worldwide have been able to 

implement them with consistency. 

The reason for this is due to the idea 

that process-operation needs to be 

well-balanced and the quality of water 

must be of a high standard, despite the 

fact that ZLD systems actually cause a 

further concentrate of the substance. 

As a result, operations become more 

difficult and the separate water phase 

becomes dirtier. Therefore, under 

continuous operation of such a plant, 

one has to find the balance between 

maximal water quality and high 

concentrations. 

Fig. 3: ZLD process 

MODERNIZING A WASTEWATER 

TREATMENT PLANT INTO A 

WATER RECYCLING SYSTEM 

In this context, an initial concept for a 

water recycling system was designed 

for an international cosmetics group, 

which was then further transformed 

into a ZLD concept via transformation 

of external site conditions, e.g. a 

conventional wastewater treatment 

plant used for mixed production 

wastewater had previously been 

in operation (with a throughput of 

about 7m³/h). However, since it was 

non-compliant with the discharge 

requirements of the local industrial 

zone, WEHRLE was contracted to 

double its plant capacity and upgrade 

it to a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR), 

effectively making it future-proof. As 

seen in Fig. 1, the membrane units are 

container constructions that have been 

delivered operationally-ready to its 

customer. 

An additional one-stage reverse 

osmosis plant (ROI) was installed, 

but at the customer’s initial request 

(see Fig. 2) for a throughput of about 

8m 3 /h with optional extension. Since 

the customer was convinced about 

the concept, he decided to make 

it independent from the sewage 

treatment system. To this end, two 

31

IN THE FIELD WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

further reverse osmosis stages (see 

Fig. 3) were implemented to ensure 

reflects that water retention by the 

reverse osmosis membranes is 

In a nutshell, the upgrade of the 

wastewater treatment plant into a 

Process chain of the 

ZLD plant from start 

to finish 

the production of an optimal clean 

better than expected and feed is 

ZLD-system plant for the cosmetics 

permeate, making it as concentrated 

saltier than assumed. Reversely, 

manufacturer client was a complete 

as possible before feeding it into the 

this indicates that the salts in the 

success, both in terms of the 

evaporator to be thickened. 

membrane were greatly enriched, 

achieved quality of recycled water 

increasing the osmotic pressure in 

and how it has minimised the quantity 

After both the construction and the 

the system. This rise in pressure 

of residue disposal: approximately 

commissioning phases, the plant 

was counter-acted by reducing 

95.5% of the wastewater is reused 

operation was supervised for a 

the second and third stages of 

during the first stage of the reverse 

further six months, where it became 

reverse osmosis, i.e. RO II and RO 

osmosis procedure, flotation 

clear that the process is a success. 

III, a measure which optimised the 

makes up 4.25% and a mere 0.25% 

Only the hydraulic mode required 

operation without deteriorating the 

is disposed as an evaporator 

special attention as the plant was 

overall permeate yield. 

concentrate. 

fed with merely 4-6m 3 /h during the 

supervision period despite being 

designed for a significantly higher 

membrane reactor throughput of 

14.6 m 3 /h and 8m 3 /h at the reverse 

Fig. 4: From left: 

Ultrafiltrated, 

RO I, RO II, RO III 

and evaporated 

concentrate 

osmosis stage. Consequentially, 

parts of the plant had to be 

regularly halted and resumed at 

different intervals. From a processengineering 

point of view, this is 

feasible but not advantageous, since 

it leads to higher mechanical fatigue 

of its components. 

OPTIMISATION OF THE 

REVERSE OSMOSIS STAGES 

If the results show recycled water 

was less salty than required, this 

32

FOCUS WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

FUTURE-PROOFING 

the present 

Achieving “smart water” must be viewed as a transformational journey, according 

to Manish Sharma, industry marketing leader for Energy and Water for Emerson’s 

PACSystems portfolio. In an interview with Water & Wastewater Asia, Sharma 

expands on the process of using the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to digitally 

transform water distribution and treatment processes. 

WHEN IT COMES TO THE 

IMPLEMENTATION OF IIOT, WHAT IS 

THE PROCESS LIKE? 

“Smart water” is a concept of controlling 

and monitoring the water treatment and 

distribution infrastructure using the IIoT 

architecture and devices. This control 

system philosophy uses Edge controllers, 

advanced instrumentation and enables 

better monitoring, control and predictive 

capabilities of the infrastructure. 

For incremental results, we look at 

several progressive iterative steps in the 

process: 

• Monitor: Know the current system 

state 

• Diagnose: Understand causes and 

effects 

• Predict: Use the information to predict 

and avoid problems like equipment 

breakdowns or critical process 

deviations 

• Optimise: Use the information to 

improve efficiency 

• Learn: Learn how to forecast 

operational behaviours 

Most existing infrastructure only uses 

the first two steps, which means they 

only reap the benefits of the monitoring 

and diagnosis stage. Once you’re able 

to break through the next stage, better 

results start coming through. 

33

FOCUS 

New systems must be designed 

keeping this journey in mind, and 

the plant’s control philosophy must 

include provisions for data storage, 

IIoT-enabled capabilities, and use 

of edge controllers to communicate 

with data clouds. Plant Managers 

must have clearly defined KPIs 

like reduction in water loss, energy 

consumption optimization, and a 

commitment to move from calendarscheduled 

or hour-scheduled to 

condition-based maintenance. 

The basic steps to accomplish each 

of these goals are: 

• Identify the input/output (I/O) 

points to be monitored 

• Identify or install instruments 

(preferably intelligent) to monitor 

these data points 

• Incorporate edge controllers 

suitable for connecting to these 

data points and processing them, 

or communicating them to higher 

level systems 

• Historize these data points as 

timestamped values, so they are 

available for analysis 

BESIDES AGEING 

INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT ARE 

SOME OTHER FACTORS THAT 

UTILITIES AND OPERATORS 

HAVE TO TAKE OF NOTE OF 

WHEN SEEKING DIGITAL 

TRANSFORMATION? 

Getting the maximum out of the 

expenditure put into modernising 

existing infrastructure is one of many 

goals that existing utilities should 

work towards. 

water”, as these infrastructure 

projects are long term and entail 

high capital expenditure and cannot 

be putting up outdated mid-20th 

century architecture. 

2. CAN NEW INFRASTRUCTURE 

COMPETE IN A COMPETITIVE 

WORLD WITH SHRINKING CAPEX? 

Reduced operational and 

maintenance (O&M) expenses are 

competitive advantages for utilities. 

Increased digitisation using edge 

controllers can significantly reduce 

O&M cost, thereby making more 

money available for expansion and 

new infrastructure. 

3. CAN NEW INFRASTRUCTURE BE 

CONTROLLED REMOTELY AND VIA 

HANDHELD DEVICES? 

In the post COVID-19 world, there is 

enhanced emphasis on the ability 

to remotely view and monitor the 

processes of critical infrastructure 

like water. Incorporation of IIoT in 

control system is a must to achieve 

that. 

4. IS THE CONTROL SYSTEM 

CYBERSECURE? 

With the increased propensity of 

hackers to target public utilities 

like power and water, utilities must 

realise that using a cybersecure 

controller like Emerson’s RX3i 

CPL410 (which is Achilles 

Level 2 certified) is a must. Not 

only does it provide encrypted 

firmware updates, it also prevents 

unauthorised updates to firmware 

and configuration and prevents 

cyberattacks like “Man in the middle” 

and “Denial of service” attacks. 

5. WHAT IS THE CURRENT 

WORKFORCE PROFILE? 

Workforce profile makes a big impact 

on the success of the digital journey. 

An ageing workforce being replaced 

by new operators and engineers will 

require training on technologies of 

tomorrow. In addition, they might 

bring in competencies from their 

prior experience. An outdated 

control system may not only be 

unappealing to them, but may also 

hamper in their tasks. Moreover, 

CXO-level employees must be 

trained to clearly define KPIs that 

need to be monitored and enhanced; 

otherwise, there is a real risk of 

having unrealistic expectations way 

too early without investment in time. 

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST 

REASONS TOWARD INCREASING 

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DIGITAL 

TRANSFORMATION? 

All industries are undergoing some 

form of digital transformation; the 

confluence of traditional control 

systems, information technology and 

data science is paving the way for new 

Some questions that utility operators 

should ask themselves during this 

process include: 

1. IS THIS NEW INFRASTRUCTURE 

FUTURE-READY? 

Any greenfield installation or 

brownfield expansion must 

incorporate the concept of “smart 

34


ARE SOME KEY FACTORS 

EXPLAINING WHY UTILITIES 

HAVEN’T PROGRESSED 

BEYOND THEIR CURRENT 

LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGICAL 

ADVANCEMENT? 

Water projects are long-cycle 

projects, and infrastructure lasts 

for a long time. The sector also 

traditionally experiences less 

investment compared to the Oil 

& Gas and Power sectors, which 

means that infrastructure from 20 

years ago has not been upgraded. 

solutions. As technical transformation 

in these three streams grows, new 

applications become possible. 

The main theme of deploying the 

power of what technology can do 

lies in business transformation: The 

reliability of the driven process, quality 

of the finished goods, competitiveness 

against competitors, and the ability to 

do more with less. 

In the context of the water industry, 

the finished product is either drinking 

water or treated effluent. Utilities need 

a way to: 

1. REDUCE COST: Both CapEx 

and OpEx. This increases their 

competitiveness and ability to do 

more with a smaller budget, to 

better serve their consumers. 

2. REDUCE LOSS OF REVENUE 

WATER: Water is a precious 

commodity, and technology helps 

with the timely detection and 

prevention of leakages. 

3. INCREASE PROCESS RELIABILITY: 

Achieve better finished good 

quality, as well as uninterrupted 

operations. 

4. ENHANCE PROCESS MONITORING 

AND CONTROL: This refers to 

the ability to see beyond the 

individual processes and have a 

birds-eye view of the complete 

process, and achieve better 

control and outcomes. 

5. COMPLY: With EPA mandates and 

respective agencies worldwide. 

6. KEEP WITH TIME: Existing 

workforces age and will be 

replaced while technology 

evolves – the workforce needs 

to be trained on new platforms. 

Utilities are also leveraging on 

technology to support ageing and 

hard-to-find workforces. 

This confluence has opened new 

possibilities for the water industry, 

as the challenges to provide better 

water processes grow in different 

geographies. New solutions are 

being implemented – be it central 

monitoring, to Digital Twins, to data 

analytics – to achieve better process 

efficiency and predictive analytics. 

All these concepts are encapsulated 

in what the industry calls “smart 

water”. 

WHEN IT COMES TO EXISTING 

WATER AUTOMATION 

INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT 

However, times have changed. 

Ageing infrastructure is being 

revamped, and the first question that 

is asked is, “Is it going to look the 

same? What advanced technologies 

can be utilised to get maximum 

return on a huge CapEx being spent 

on upgrades?” 

That’s where “smart water” 

architecture with edge controller 

solutions comes in. In greenfield 

projects — especially for Smart 

Cities — the specifications in water 

projects have advanced to include 

enhanced digitisation. However, 

more needs to be done to adopt the 

full digital adoption cycle. 

Depending on the existing system in 

place, of the size of the municipality 

of distribution facility, the choice of 

technology may vary. A small-tomid-size 

facility is likely to operate 

a Programmable Logic Controller 

(PLC) and SCADA Architecture 

like Emerson’s PAC System PLCs, 

whereas a large utility in a major 

city might operate on a Distributed 

Control System (DCS) like Emerson’s 

Ovation automation system. 

However, the philosophy to 

incorporate edge controller 

architecture is independent of 

35


While COVID-19 may eventually 

subside, a new normal has been 

established – and the last few 

months have clearly convinced 

decision-makers that more 

digitisation and smarter water is 

absolutely imperative to having 

better operational control during 

situations like the COVID-19 

pandemic, as well as to drive 

competitiveness and increase 

quality and reliability. 

existing control infrastructure. An 

edge controller can easily augment 

both the control philosophies and 

transform existing operations. 

Edge automation is the philosophy 

of operating the process on the 

edge of the cloud. The idea is for 

the traditional process control to 

have the ability to interoperate with 

external algorithms and commands, 

while focusing on the core process 

automation. For example, a strategy 

to increase the throughput of a 

plant may be running on the edge 

controller or even on the cloud. 

Whenever necessary, it may tweak 

the input parameters or set points 

of the process to achieve a desired 

result. 

LASTLY, THE COVID-19 

PANDEMIC HAS 

ACCELERATED THE 

PROCESS OF DIGITAL 

TRANSFORMATION FOR 

MANY UTILITIES; HOW DO 

YOU THINK THIS TREND 

WILL CONTINUE IN 2021? 

There have been examples 

of how each industry has 

responded and adapted 

amazingly to the threat of 

COVID-19, and there have been 

many reports of employees 

quarantining themselves in plants 

to ensure that the operations to 

treat and supply water or process 

wastewater are not hampered 

– these are mission-critical 

activities. 

Governments around the world are 

engaged in quantitative easing, 

and money from that is finding 

its way into the water industry as 

well. There are specific legislations 

that are specifically targeted 

at the modernisation of water 

infrastructure, and a lot of these 

funds are going to continue finding 

their way into the implementation 

of digital infrastructure, enhancing 

control system architecture in 2021 

and beyond. 

At the end of this, I would like to 

emphasise that it’s the robust and 

highly available edge-enabled 

control system that is imperative to 

take even baby steps in the journey 

towards digital transformation. That 

is the most crucial piece of any part 

of digital transformation. 

Edge controllers can also upload 

data across processes or 

geographies to the cloud. This data 

can in turn be viewed and analysed 

at a single location for comparative 

analysis and insight. For example, 

users can compare energy usage 

data of 100 motors of the same 

manufacturer across different 

processes or geographies, to 

compare energy consumption data 

and identify faults before they occur. 

An acute need for more 

digitisation has been felt, 

especially with regards to better 

remote monitoring and control 

over built-in security. Plant 

operators and engineers should 

be able to remotely control plants 

and diagnose faults so that 

process continuity is maintained, 

and human intervention can be 

more action-oriented instead of 

diagnosis-oriented. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Manish Sharma is the global industry marketing 

leader for energy and water industry for Emerson’s 

PACSystems portfolio. He has 20 years of experience 

in marketing, product management and control 

systems R&D. 

36


HOW BEIJING CSRE 

membrane distillation works 

Membrane distillation (MD) has been attracting 

more attention from research and engineering 

experts. This article explores the developed Multi- 

Effect Vacuum Membrane Distillation (MEVMD), 

designed with Clean & Dry in Place system and 

membrane wetting channels, in two practical 

industrial projects: zero liquid discharge (ZLD) of 

chloride containing wastewater and recycling of 

spent acid wastewater. 

By Yonggang Gao*, Zhiwei Shi, Cong Li and 

Chenglong Su; Beijing CSRE Technology Co. Ltd. 

Membrane distillation technology, 

combined with the advantages 

of membrane and evaporation 

technologies, has been developed for 

half a century. Basic MD configuration 

includes DCMD (direct contact 

MD), VMD (vacuum MD), AGMD 

(air gap MD) and SGMD (sweeping 

gas MD). The DCMD, the simplest 

configuration with high flux, is the 

most popular in research publications 

and is convenient for lab-scale 

research work, but it is rarely applied 

in industrial projects due to high 

conductive heat loss from feed side to 

permeate side (Thomas et al., 2017). 

However, VMD, AGMD and vacuum 

assisted AGMD are often adopted 

in commercial companies such as 

Memsys, Solarspring, Aquastill, 

Memsift, because the heat recovery 

system for the three configurations 

37

FOCUS 

can easily be designed and the 

membrane wetting risk is low. 

In the initial phase, MD was mainly 

used for seawater desalination, 

but with the advancement of RO 

technology, it was not economically 

feasible. In the recent decade, 

its application is transiting from 

seawater desalination to high 

strength wastewater treatment to 

partly replace the function of metallic 

evaporator, e.g., MED and MVR, to 

optimise the low-grade surplus heat 

in the plant area, e.g., low-grade 

steam and hot water, and reduce 

the operation cost of evaporating 

concentration. This effectively solve 

the corrosion problems faced by 

metallic evaporators in the field of 

acidic wastewater treatment due to 

full plastic construction materials. In 

recent years, ZLD or MLD (minimum 

liquid discharge) has become 

increasingly attractive due to water 

scarcity and environmental issues 

caused by wastewater discharge, 

especially in the developing countries. 

The potential ZLD market in China 

and India is estimated to be US$10b 

and US$3bn, respectively (Gao et 

al., 2017). In fact, the MD technology 

has the potential to be applied in 

ZLD process as a concentrating unit. 

In the field of acidic waste liquid, 

many metal processing enterprises, 

e.g., electroplating; metal and alloy 

part manufacturing; electrode 

manufacturing, are producing large 

amount of spent acid wastewater, 

whereby evaporating methods are 

used to recycle water from. Water 

recycling by MED and MVR is also 

facing serious equipment corrosion 

issue and high OpEx. Thus, MD is able 

to solve the above-mentioned issues in 

ZLD of high strength wastewater and 

recycling of spent acid wastewater. 

However, the membrane wetting issue 

limits the industrial application of MD. 

In this article, the developed MD 

system by Beijing CSRE, a proprietary 

vacuum assisted multi-effect process 

with the design of Clean & Dry in Place 

and membrane wetting channels, was 

first adopted in the ZLD of chloride 

containing wastewater and recycling of 

spent sulfuric acid wastewater to verify 

the application feasibility in practical 

industrial projects. 

METHODS 

The internal structure and flow 

channels of MD modules were 

described in details by Gao et al. 

(2020). The developed pilot-scale 

skid MD system shown in Figure 1 

indicates that the two heat exchangers 

provide the connection interfaces to 

outer heat source and cooling source. 

The developed industrial-scale MD 

systems were installed in two sites: 

one for re-concentrating RO brine of 

chloride containing wastewater before 

evaporating crystallization in ZLD 

process at Chendu manufacturing 

plant of Jabil Group; another for 

concentrating spent sulfuric acid 

wastewater containing aluminium 

to recycle water at Nantong 

manufacturing plant of Haistar Group. 

The low-grade heat, spend steam 

provided thermal energy to run the MD 

system. The productivity and quality 

of the MD permeate and electricity 

& thermal energy consumption were 

monitored in-situ to calculate the OpEx 

for per ton of permeate. 

1 

2 3 

4 

Figure 1: Pilot scale 

skid MD system 

– 1. MD modules; 

2. internal heating 

system; 3. internal 

cooling system; 

4. connection 

interfaces to outer 

heat source and 

cooling source 

Feed 

Air floatation 

Sedimentation 

Biological treatment 

Ultrafiltration 

MD 

Concentrate 

RO 

brine 

Salt mixture 

Evaporating 

crystallization 

Membrane distilation 

Softening 

Reverse osmosis 

Recycled 

water 

Figure 2: Schematic process flow diagram of ZLD project 

38


RE-CONCENTRATING RO BRINE IN ZLD 

PROCESS 

In this project, the whole ZLD process, 

including air-floatation, sedimentation, 

biological treatment, UF (ultrafilatration), RO, 

softening, MD and evaporating crystallization, 

is shown in Figure 2. The CSRE MD system 

adopted in this project was employed to 

re-concentrate RO brine and equipped with 

four-effect MD modules with total membrane 

area of 1850m 2 . The RO brine specification 

after softening and operation parameters are 

listed in Table 1. 

Items 

WATER RECYCLING OF SPENT 

SULFURIC ACID WASTEWATER 

In this project, water recycling process is 

prefilter plus MD system. The CSRE MD 

system adopted in this project is equipped 

Values 

RO brine capacity, t/day 250 

RO brine TDS, ppm ~25,000 

RO brine COD, ppm 300 

Total hardness, ppm 500 

RO brine ammonia-N, ppm 20 

Total Ni in RO brine, ppm 1 

Total Cr in RO brine, ppm 3 

1st effect operating T, ℃ 70 

System vacuum pressure, mbar


Items Permeate Concentrate 

Productivity, t/day 192 58 

TDS, ppm < 100 108,000 

Hardness, ppm 10 2150 

COD, ppm 12 1300 

Ammonia-N, ppm 0.34 85 

Total Ni, ppm Non-detected 4.1 

Total Cr, ppm Non-detected 13.2 

Electricity consumption, kWh/ t of permeate ~4.8 

Spent steam consumption, t of t of permeate ~0.3 

Clean and Dry in Place cycle, days 60 

Table 3. MD running data in ZLD project 

Items Permeate Concentrate 

Productivity, t/day 96 79 

Sulfuric acid, % Non-detected 20 

(Al) 2 

(SO 4 

) 3 

, % Non-detected 20 

HCl, ppm 5 11000 

Oil, ppm Non-detected < 11 

Electricity consumption, kWh/ t of permeate ~4.2 

Spent steam consumption, t of t of permeate ~0.23 

Clean and Dry in Place cycle, days 180 

Table 4. MD running data in volume reduction of spent acid 

employed in an industrial application in ZLD 

process and water recycling of spend acid 

wastewater. For the same treating capacity, 

the MD is more compact than MED and 

MVR, and OpEx is much lower than those 

of MED and MVR because it utilises lowgrade 

heat or surplus heat such as spent 

steam and hot water; the recovered water 

can be reused in respective manufacturing 

processes and productivity is easily adjusted 

according to needs of downstream process. 

Wetting channel design of the CSRE MD 

substantially elongates the Clean and Dry 

in Place cycle, which makes the CSRE 

MD more feasible in practical industrial 

applications. 

References 

Gao, Y., Shanmugasundaram, T., Wang, M., Singh, G. and Prince, 

J. (2017) Membrane Distillation (MD) Based Zero Liquid Discharge 

(ZLD) System. 8th IWA Membrane Technology Conference & 

Exhibition for Water and Wastewater Treatment and Reuse. 

Singapore. 

Gao, Y., Shi, Z. (2020) Techno-Economic Analysis of Membrane 

Distillation in ZLD of FGD Waste Water of Coal-Fired Power Plants. 

Huadian Technology 42, 25-30. 

MVR with the same evaporating capacity; 

the Clean and Dry in Place cycle is up to 

180 days, which is due to acid property of 

wastewater and wetting channel design 

of MD system. In addition, the MD system 

can be integrated with the diffusion dialysis 

process to recover sulfuric acid: the part of 

the sulfuric acid is recovered by the diffusion 

dialysis process and the recovered diluted 

sulfuric acid is concentrated for reuse in 

manufacturing process by MD. 

CONCLUSION 

The developed CSRE MD systems were 

Schwantes, R., Chavan, K., Winter, D., Felsmann, C. and 

Pfafferott, J. (2018) Techno-economic comparison of membrane 

distillation and MVC in a zero liquid discharge application. 

Desalination 428, 50–68. 

Thomas, N., Mavukkandy, M. O., Loutatidou, S. and Arafat, 

H.A. (2017) Membrane distillation research & implementation: 

Lessons from the past five decades. Sep. Purif. Technol. 189, 

108-127. 

Figure 4: Water recycling plant of sulfuric acid wastewater 

40

VIEWPOINT WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

CHANGING THE 

WAY WE THINK 

to meet the 

water challenge 

By Mark Kaney, Asset Management Director, Binnies (Europe) 

Given the scale of the issues facing 

the sector, doing what we have always 

done, adopting the same approaches 

and applying the same solutions will 

not be enough to meet the demands 

of today or tomorrow. We need to be 

open to exploring new approaches, 

innovative technologies and different 

operating models if we are to succeed. 

So, what are some of the things we 

could do? If we look across the global 

water industry, we can take some 

examples of best practice and explore 

some of the emerging thinking around 

how we can tackle some of these 

issues. 

There is now less than a decade 

left to reach the United Nations 

Sustainable Development Goal 

6 (UN SDG 6), of delivering clean 

water and sanitation for all. The UN 

also projects that by 2025, half of 

the countries worldwide will face 

water stress or shortages. By 2050, 

as many as three out of four people 

around the globe could be affected 

by water scarcity. In South East Asia, 

this issue will carry a much greater 

threat as of the areas identified as 

water scarce, over 70% of the people 

affected by this issue live in Asia. 

For the water utilities and operators 

in the region, there are a lot of factors 

that compound to give a challenging 

context in which to operate and 

provide the right levels of service at an 

affordable cost. 

South East Asia is a rapidly developing 

region and issues such as industrial 

development, urbanisation, population 

growth, and environmental pollution 

place increasing pressures on water 

companies to provide adequate 

services. These issues, compounded 

by poor domestic management of 

water resources and increasing 

variability in rainfall and climate 

patterns have made South East Asia 

highly susceptible to floods, droughts, 

and natural disasters. 

LESS OWNERSHIP, MORE 

PARTNERSHIP AND 

COLLABORATION 

COVID-19 and the impacts of 

continuing to deal with the pandemic 

mean that the global economy will be 

affected for years to come. Challenges 

to budgets and investment into the 

water sector will mean that we may 

not just be able to build or buy our 

way out of the problems we are facing. 

The traditional model of water utilities 

owning and operating all the assets, 

creating bespoke solutions and 

adopting manually intensive operating 

regimes will need to change in order to 

meet affordability challenges. 

The focus must instead switch to 

one of service provision, partnership 

and collaboration. Customers are 

not interested in who owns the asset, 

who owns the IP around an innovative 

solution or who operates the asset. 

They only care about the quality of 

service they are getting and the value 

for money of that service. 

The concept of “water as a service” 

has been around for a few years but we 

are now seeing it being brought closer 

to reality in some territories. Changes 

41

VIEWPOINT 

such as third-party investment into assets 

via new commercial and regulatory models 

(such as direct procurement for customers 

in the UK) are being introduced. Innovation 

initiatives run by water utilities that enable 

access for start-ups and SME (Small, 

Medium Enterprise) solution providers to 

develop and scale new innovative solutions, 

while not having to surrender IP are 

bringing fresh ideas and operating models 

to the sector. Smart assets that combine 

physical technology with digital insights, 

where water companies pay for access not 

ownership and incentivise performance 

are becoming ever more prevalent and the 

benefits are starting to be seen. 

We need to start to think as a more 

inclusive sector. The term “supply chain” 

implies a level of subservience and 

hierarchy that places barriers to innovation 

and collaboration. A switch to more of a 

“supply community” culture will promote 

co-creation and collaboration. By bringing 

together all water sector participants 

and aligning behind the same goals and 

success drivers, we can speed up the 

adoption and benefit of new solutions, 

ways of working and technologies and take 

full advantage of the expertise available to 

us. 

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DIGITALISATION 

AND GET BETTER VALUE FROM YOUR 

DATA 

It is a common misconception that the 

data utilities currently collect is not good 

enough to get value from new technologies 

or decision support tools. While it is 

true that investing in more targeted data 

acquisition or taking better advantage of 

big data will bring additional value and 

unlock new innovative approaches, there 

is often a lot more value that can be gained 

from the data currently held. Around 50% 

of data held by organisations can be 

classed as “dark data”. This means data 

that was used once and then stored away 

and forgotten about. There is often a lot 

of value to be gained from this data and 

when integrating it with other data sources, 

a richer insight can be gained on asset 

performance. 

This concept of bringing together the 

disparate data sources and focussing 

them to provide insights to specific use 

cases is where the advances in digital twin 

capabilities comes into play. By making 

data interoperable and channelling it 

through a platform, we can create digital 

representations of our assets. Using this, we 

can see how those assets are performing 

and test different operational scenarios that 

could be deployed to meet performance 

challenges. We can also test design options 

using digital engineering approaches and 

see the impact they will have on the wider 

asset systems. 

This digital ecosystem approach allows 

for new technologies to be adopted easier 

and allows utilities the ability to make 

different choices as technology evolves, 

thus removing the risks of being tied to 

one vendor or having data trapped behind 

paywalls. Another benefit of this approach 

is that companies can progress their digital 

adoption incrementally and at their own 

pace, aligned to their strategic priorities as 

each business case for adoption becomes 

acceptable. 

BUILDING A “NEW NORMAL” TO LEAVE 

BEHIND LOW VALUE PRACTICES AND 

WAYS OF WORKING 

There have been many studies carried 

out over the course of the pandemic. A 

lot of companies have seen that being 

productive is not always about all being sat 

in the same place at the same time. As the 

world had to adapt its operating practices 

almost overnight, we have learned to take 

better advantage of collaborative tools and 

platforms that enable people to meet and 

work together. We have also explored remote 

working, using wearable technologies to 

allow less people to need to be on site and 

AR/VR environments to support certain 

activities. Several studies concluded that in 

the water industry, areas of digital adoption 

would accelerate as we emerge into the “new 

normal”. 

As water utilities will need to adapt to 

changes societal patterns and demands, the 

opportunity should be taken to review current 

practices and set out a roadmap of how 

the new ways of working will be. Using data 

driven insights to build a more resilient and 

sustainable business will be key to success 

moving forwards. We should be using this 

enforced period of change to reflect on the 

legacy practices that are now longer fit for 

purpose or sub optimal. We have shown we 

can be adaptable if we need to and deploy 

new solutions quickly to keep the taps 

flowing. 

CHALLENGES TO ADOPTION 

While these approaches are available to 

us, they are not without their challenges. 

There will be a disparity across the region in 

terms of the pace and scale of technology 

adoption with wealthier areas being able to 

take advantage of the benefits far quicker. 

This is where the importance of a good digital 

strategy comes in that clearly sets out the 

areas to be prioritised balancing cost and 

value. Having good processes and culture to 

develop and nurture innovation is also key to 

minimising waste in developing new, scalable 

solutions. 

42


We will also need new skillsets and new 

roles within water utilities. There is a 

global risk around the “greying of the 

industry” meaning we are losing a lot 

of experience and expertise through 

people retiring or leaving the industry. 

We will need to improve corporate 

knowledge and harness it more 

effectively. By working ore closely with 

the supply community, we can make 

better use of resources across the 

sector without having to try and drive 

then into a few organisations. 

As we increase our digital adoption and 

shift to more data driven organisations, 

there is a need to ensure that our 

data and systems are secure. Cyber 

threats are real and more and more 

common across all industries. Water 

is no different as was demonstrated 

recently with the cyber attack in Florida 

USA where a hacker was able with 

relative ease to remotely access the 

SCADA system and try to poison the 

water supply. This shows the danger in 

continuing to run obsolete software and 

systems on critical infrastructure. The 

importance of a strong, resilient and 

we maintained digital infrastructure is 

critical to both the safety of customers 

but also the ability to bring in new 

solutions and drive performance 

improvements through digital 

innovation. 

Finally, the impetus for change 

must come from the top. Effective 

leadership and policy setting are key 

to unlocking the sectors ability to take 

advantage of all the new solutions 

that are out there. Frameworks that 

allow collaboration, co-creation and 

partnership need to be in place 

and as an industry we need to be 

adaptable to change. As is often 

quoted, it is not the strongest that 

survives but the most adaptable. For 

the water sector in South East Asia, 

it will not be enough to survive. We 

will need to raise the bar and thrive if 

we are to meet the challenges we will 

face in the coming years and have 

any hope of achieving the aims of 

SDG6. 

43

VIEWPOINT 

READY OR NOT, 

here ICS comes 

By Orest Protch 

Starting in 2019, COVID-19 has 

impacted the entire world, and billions 

of lives with it – but it is still just one 

disaster of many that can and does 

impact lives worldwide, every month of 

the year. 

Whether it involves a virus, people, 

the environment, or the process, when 

an accident or incident happens, the 

clock immediately starts on how fast 

mitigation systems can minimise the 

effects of the accident or incident. 

plant or a manufacturing facility, an 

incident response system should be 

a requirement to operate under any 

company of government license. 

In fact, international insurance 

companies should demand this. 

I have worked in a number of different 

industries, and one common feature 

of all of them is that only a few had 

a system in place to handle disaster 

incidents and accidents. This same 

system is followed by most militaries: 

“Hope for the best, but plan for the 

worst”. 

The reason for this is simply 

complacency. Everyone – from 

corporate boardrooms, management 

at all levels and down to the front 

line – usually believes that accidents 

and incidents, even catastrophic 

ones, only happens to the other 

person or company. And when it does 

happen, they seem to be caught by 

surprise and have no idea how to start 

responding. 

Incidents happen all the time, and 

hoping that the incident affects 

someone else is not a good 

justification for not having an Incident 

Command System (ICS). When you 

operate a water treatment plant, 

wastewater treatment plant, a power 

Any water or wastewater treatment 

plant has hazardous chemicals that 

could be fatal. On the water treatment 

side of the plant, we inject fluoride 

into the water. This is an extremely 

hazardous chemical, and when we 

unloaded a chemical supply tanker, we 

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ACCIDENT AND AN INCIDENT? 

An ACCIDENT is usually the result 

of human error, whether caused by 

a person doing something wrong, 

such as: 

An INCIDENT is more 

encompassing, and can include 

everything from accidents 

to terrorist activities, climate 

• driving too fast for weather 

conditions 

disasters, process equipment 

failures, and health disasters – such 

• engineers using inferior materials 

or failing to design safe systems 

as COVID-19. 

• maintenance staff not following 

proper procedures 

44


A wastewater plant the author operated with a pressure vessel system that collected toxic gasses such as methane and hydrogen sulphide from the various processes. A 

failure of the pressurised system would have been considered a catastrophic failure and endangerment of life 

had to wear protective clothing from 

head to toe, as well as a self-contained 

breathing apparatus (SCBA). We used 

tape to cover any clothing parts that 

could be breached, such as where a 

sleeve met our gloves. At the adjoining 

wastewater treatment plant, toxic 

gases including hydrogen sulphide and 

methane were captured by specific 

pressure vessels and directed outside 

to be treated. Any one of these could 

be the source of a life-threatening 

incident if they catastrophically failed. 

In summary, three main reasons for 

having an ICS include: 

1. The achievement of having 

planned and tactical objectives 

including containment, clean-up, 

and steps on restoring nearby 

equipment and systems safely 

and as soon as possible 

2. The efficient use of response 

resources, including operators, 

emergency personnel and 

maintenance people 

3. The safety of responders, 

workers, and all civilians in the 

affected area 

Without an ICS, some issues that may 

arise include: 

- Lack of quick accountability and 

direction, including unclear chains 

of command and supervision 

- No planned and orderly steps to 

follow by responders, including 

operators 

- No structure in place to bring 

in other emergency response 

managers into the facility 

management system to work in 

unison 

- Poor communication during the 

crisis, due to unsuitable means 

of communication such as cell 

phones not working or radios 

without the proper channels 

available 

- People confusing orders and 

procedures to be taken 

Do you have 

emergency systems 

in place to respond 

to incidents on site 

if you have chemical 

deliveries by truck or 

train, or if other sites 

nearby have them? 

Would your critical 

operators simply 

run away to save 

themselves? 

45

VIEWPOINT 

Electrical Incidents 

can occur in an 

instant, with no 

warning as those 

given by incoming 

typhoons and other 

storm events 

There are specific roles in managing ICS, falling into five main categories: 

1. COMMAND: One person should take charge of any incident, 

and allow no contradictory instructions to confuse operators and 

responders 

2. OPERATIONS: This group is responsible for directing and ensuring 

the tactical actions to meet and mitigate the situation 

3. PLANNING: This group collects incident information as it 

comes in, documents it and then ensures it goes to the right 

response teams 

4. LOGISTICS: Confusion can reign at any incident, but everything 

needs to be coordinated from where emergency response teams 

go, to where the teams can go for supplies, meals if needed, 

and so on 

5. FINANCE/ADMINISTRATION: This group needs to track all 

financial expenditures, including costs of responders, equipment 

needed, and contracts needed to be signed to get the right 

people involved 

Incidents can even be created by 

mechanical failures or electrical power 

sources, ones that are thought to be 

completely reliable and outside the 

facility’s control. When one power 

generator trips and goes offline, power 

surges can trip others in a cascading 

and growing circle around the original 

problem source unless other powergenerating 

facilities are extremely 

vigilant. 

Electricity cannot be shut down as 

easily as turning off a water tap, and 

unless a facility has alternate standby 

power generators, an electrical incident 

can quickly get out of control if impacts 

critical cooling and chemical systems 

of nearby facilities. Operators may have 

no idea that a potential life-threatening 

situation is about to impact them. 

Steam pipeline incident: One piece of 61cm diameter pipe, Schedule 160, that was 30.5m long, went 800m into the 

field. The pipe weighed 807 kilogrammes per linear meter with a wall thickness of 6cm. Twenty-five metric tonnes 

hurtling 0.8km through the air is a life-threatening incident 

Every facility – no matter how big or 

small – needs an ICS, or at least a 

modified version of one. Consider the 

following questions: 

- WHAT do you need to do when an 

incident occurs where you are or 

nearby? 

- WHO is responsible for doing it? 

- HOW do you communicate with 

others, especially if radio and cell 

phone coverage may be nonexistent? 

- WHAT is the procedure if someone 

in the ICS is injured? Do medical 

teams have easy access to the 

location? 

46


The Asian area is 

one of the most 

active regions for 

severe climatic 

incidents that can 

impact your facility. 

Can you handle the 

situation? 

Photo credit: Asian 

Development Bank 

An incident can cause panic and 

uncertainty, which is why a readily 

accessible document is needed. 

It cannot be hidden on some shelf 

in a backroom or on a computer 

system that needs a password by 

a supervisor. In a facility control 

room, it could be in a marked clear 

envelope tacked to a bulletin board 

or attached to a wall. The document 

should be reviewed by all facility 

personnel, including long-term 

contractors who spend a lot of time 

at the facility. 

An incident can be extremely 

stressful to all those involved, and 

the larger and more dangerous 

the situation the more a follow-up 

with participants may be needed, 

to check on them and their mental 

health. 

A well-documented ICS is a very important 

tool that can be used to minimise any 

facility damage – and even potential loss 

of life – when something bad happens. 

Always remember: “Hope for the best, 

but plan for the worst”. 

Record-keeping is also critical 

during an incident because if people 

who work at the facility initiate the 

ICS and need to relinquish control 

to others coming in, then all steps 

taken to that point need to be 

documented. This can save time and 

lives, and helps lessen the damage 

to any facility equipment. 

Eight of the top 10 

countries impacted 

by disaster events 

over nine years were 

in Asia. Earthquakes, 

tsunamis, tropical 

storms, flooding, 

landslides and 

volcanic eruptions – 

does your facility have 

an ICS to deal with 

these incidents? 

47

HOTSEAT 

THE GAME- 

CHANGING 

technology 

“We are pioneers with a vision and a 

mission to provide limitless supplies 

of fresh water where it is needed most 

and to do so in a carbon neutral and 

sustainable way,” said David Reavley, 

CEO of Solar Water Plc. 

“Of course, there can be reservations 

from some people with embracing any 

new technology, but all it takes is for 

imaginative champions with belief to 

step forward and join us in making a 

positive change happen!” he added. 

GOING BACK IN TIME 

Solar Water Plc’s technology promises 

to revolutionise the water desalination 

process with pioneering technology 

to solve one of the world’s most 

pressing problems — sustainable and 

affordable access to fresh water. 

Photo credit: Juniper Photon/Unsplash 

The game-changing technology 

provides limitless supplies of fresh 

water in a carbon neutral, cost effective 

manner, using the concentrating power 

of sunlight. 

“This means that desalination no 

longer has to be costly, polluting and 

unsustainable,” explained Reavley. 

Mirroring the natural hydrological cycle 

process: evaporation, condensation and precipitation, 

with only the sun as the energy source, Solar Water’s 

technology ensures fresh water is supplied in a carbon 

neutral, cost effective manner. 


David Reavley, 

CEO of Solar Water Plc 

48


The idea and company were founded 

by Malcolm Aw, who wanted to find 

a sustainable alternative approach, 

developed an initial concept, and 

took his thought process to Cranfield 

University in the UK, the global 

headquarters for Concentrated 

Solar Power initiatives. Together, 

they became a consultative partner 

and through working with Cranfield 

University for about two and a half 

years, Solar Water created a possible, 

marketable, engineering capable 

solution. 

“About 18 months ago, we reached 

the point of sufficient development to 

then market and commercialise our 

solution,” said Reavley. 

“At that stage, we were honoured to 

win the Rushlight 2018 Award for Water 

Treatment, promoting the development 

and deployment of clean technologies, 

innovation and sustainable solutions.” 

Solar Water won for being the first 

scalable carbon-neutral hydroinfrastructure 

solution. In fact, 

the company created some noise 

initially with their attendance at water 

conferences around the world. 

“We went to Madrid, Abu Dhabi, 

Muscat and Manila, and we told 

the audiences there that we had an 

alternative, that we had a solution. 

We were then invited on a trade 

mission to Saudi Arabia. Through 

that, we met with a number of Saudi 

industrialists and conglomerates who 

were very interested in what we do, 

including Neom,” explained Reavley. 

“The upshot was that at the end 

of 2019, we signed a contract with 

NEOM (northwestern Saudi Arabia). 

And in January 2020, we signed a 

contract with a company called Jordan 

Phosphate Mine Company, JPMC, at 

their plant based in Aqaba (Jordan).” 

THE CRISIS 

According to WWF (World Wildlife 

Fund), water covers 70% of earth and 

it is easy to think that it will always be 

plentiful. However, freshwater—the stuff 

humans drink, bathe in, irrigate the farm 

fields with—is incredibly rare. Only 3% 

of the world’s water is fresh water. 

In addition, to some estimates, global 

demand for fresh water will exceed 

supply by 40% by 2030; at the same 

time, climate change could shrink 

rainfall, snowpack and freshwater 

availability by 40% by 2050; and the 

world’s population is due to grow by a 

further 15% by 2035. 

“Together these effects will continue 

to grow water stress and scarcity 

with depleting supplies of freshwater 

for socio-economic development — 

absolute shortages for domestic use, 

agriculture, industry, tourism, and 

health & wellbeing. All these needs 

and ambitions are reliant on water 

and will be limited and stressed by a 

lack of it,” commented Reavley. “In 

the worst scenarios around the world, 

water becomes the new oil and with 

that comes all the geopolitical issues 

that we know are connected to that, 

including water conflict and famine.” 

Reverse osmosis (RO) desalination 

systems have served water shortage 

quite well for many decades, but the 

world has woken up to problems within 

this interconnected crisis system that 

RO adds to, said Reavley. The plants 

are energy intensive and fossil fuels 

burnt for this are currently leaving a 

massive carbon footprint with about 

76 million tonnes of CO2 each year, 

a number that is expected to rise to 

around 2018 million tonnes by 2040 — 

all of which will only help to accelerate 

climate change. Additionally, RO 

membranes have to be disposed of 

in landfill and take up to 400 years to 

decompose. 

SO HOW DOES SOLAR WATER’S 

TECHNOLOGY HELPS? 

“Our technology is based on 

harnessing concentrated solar power 

to enhance the natural process of 

evaporation, condensation and 

precipitation,” explained Reavley. 

Solar Water’s SWCSP-D plants are 

infrastructurally spherical with the 

top half (the dome) being the solar 

receiver and the bottom half (the basin) 

being the cauldron. The structures 

are effectively solar furnaces that 

use solar power to produce high 

How the process 

works 

49

HOTSEAT 

THE PROCESS 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Seawater Intake 

Solar Power heats 

the Dome 

Seawater is 

Superheated 

Condensed & 

Precipitated 

The Four 

Subsystems 

In a Solar WaterTM 

The water is then heated 

The radiative flux is 

The resulting fresh 

The Solar WaterTM 

installation, freshwater 

using energy produced by 

focused and super- 

water can then be used 

Desalination Plant 

will be generated from 

solar radiation enhanceed 

conducted down to the 

for irrigation, industrial 

comprises 4 

the evaporation of 

a constant inflow of 

seawater fed into a 

large scale geodesic 

dome steel structure (in 

various diameters) from 

20m to 50m to 80m. 

by the use of solar energy 

mirrors (heliostats) 

reflecting sunlight 

continuously onto the 

dome throughout the day. 

lower dome to boil the 

seawater createing aa 

cauldron effect. 

or general household 

purposes, aand can 

undergo secondary 

treatment as necessary 

for drinking water 

subsystems: 

• Intake subsystem 

• Freshwater 

production 

subsystem 

• Freshwater supply 

subsystem 

• Salt/Brine removal 

subsystem. 

temperature, employing an arrangement 

of heliostat mirrors positioned around 

the receiver dome to gather sunlight 

and focusing the sun’s power onto the 

dome structure. The heat generated 

is conducted down to the lower 

hemispherical crucible where the 

constant and rapid intake of seawater 

is boiled to produce saturated steam. 

This is then put through a cooling 

unit, condensed and precipitated as 

freshwater. 

“Unlike RO, we use no fossil fuels, 

only the power of the sun, so the 

process is net zero, carbon neutral, 

fully sustainable. It also means that the 

OpEx (operating expense) costs are 

significantly reduced, which alongside 

lower CapEx (capital expenditure) costs, 

mean that we can produce water at a 

very competitive cost,” commented 

Reavley. 

Solar Water Plc’s Solar Domes provide 

the solution for governments, water 

municipalities, agriculturalists and 

businesses with requirements of 

generating a supply of freshwater to 

meet water requirements for growing 

populations and rapidly expanding 

socioeconomic development 

ambitions; whilst current water 

supplies such as groundwater 

aquifers continue to decline and 

degrade. 

STARTING IN SOUTH WEST ASIA 

Solar Water’s first commercial 

scaled dome is under construction 

for the eco-city of NEOM in Saudi 

Arabia and is due to be completed 

and operational by the end of 2021. 

Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest 

desalinator of water, with about 22% 

of the global market, “so it was a real 

mark of confidence to have them as 

our first contract”. 

In fact, the clients were pleased to be 

pioneering partners with Solar Water, 

with the first of its kind technology 

to help shape the future of water 

desalination in NEOM. 

Commenting on the project, His 

Excellency Abdulrahman Al- 

Fadli, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of 

Environment, Water and Agriculture, 

said, “NEOM’s adoption of this pilot 

supports Saudi Arabia’s sustainability 

goals, as outlined in the country’s 

National Water Strategy 2030, and 

is fully aligned with the sustainable 

development goals set out by the 

United Nations.” 

Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM, added, 

“Easy access to abundant seawater 

and fully renewable energy resources 

means NEOM is perfectly placed to 

produce low cost, sustainable fresh 

water through solar desalination. 

This type of technology is a powerful 

reminder of our commitment to 

supporting innovation, championing 

environmental conservation and 

delivering exceptional liveability. 

Working together with the Ministry of 

Environment, Water and Agriculture we 

can expand the implementation of this 

technology beyond NEOM.” 

50


Gavin van Tonder, head of Water 

Philippines, Australia, India, Pakistan, 

agriculture, industry and tourism 

at NEOM, also said, “We’re really 

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In fact, 

— and we do so at a competitively 

excited by the prospect of bringing 

the company is looking to engage 

lower cost of the current traditional 

cutting edge water technology and 

more broadly across South East Asia 

desalination solutions available and 

fresh industry thinking to NEOM. 

and everywhere in Asia that has a 

with a carbon neutral, sustainable 

By using solar dome desalination 

need such as Singapore, Malaysia, 

process,” emphasized Reavley. 

techniques, we can build a highly 

Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, South 

effective, efficient water utility 

Korea and across the islands of the 

Together, these factors overcome the 

that is both future oriented and 

South Pacific. 

barriers that facilitate all development 

environmentally responsible.” 

and transformation ambitions across 

THE AFFORDABLE SOLUTION 

With the booming ambitions for 

socioeconomic growth, the company 

South East Asia and beyond. 

Solar Water’s system is reliant on 

aims to support it in a sustainable 

“If you are serious about helping 

high-enough levels of irradiation and 

manner. All development and growth 

populations with a lack of water 

relative proximity to the sea or other 

require freshwater as a foundational 

every day; if you are serious about 

significant non-freshwater source. 

element but finding a solution 

climate change; if you are serious 

With that, the company has identified 

that is commercially, socially and 

about helping the agriculturalist who 

over 80 markets around the world 

environmentally viable and friendly 

can’t grow enough crops anymore, 

where they can operationalise their 

is the key for governments, water 

or the industrialist who has promised 

technology across Asia, Middle-east, 

Africa, the Americas and Europe. 

In Asia, there are active project 

conversations in Vietnam, 

authorities, industry and others. 

“Our Solar Domes create fresh water 

on an industrial scale for diverse 

applications in urban development, 

a zero-carbon impact by 2030; if you 

are serious about a cost-effective 

solution for water provision; then we 

at Solar Water have the solution,” said 

Reavley. 

Solar Water’s 

technology can help 

the earth with its 

carbon neutral and 

sustainable process 

Photo credit: Richard Gatley/Unsplash 

Photo credit: Richard Gatley/Unsplash 

51

HOTSEAT WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

FLYING 

HIGH WITH 

Crowcon 

With a portfolio spanning a diverse set of 

industries – from water to winery – Crowcon 

Detection Instruments is dedicated to 

supporting organisations in safety through 

their gas detection technologies. 

Speaking to Regional Manager Melina Ho, 

Water & Wastewater Asia finds out more 

about what Crowcon has to offer to the water 

treatment industry. 

To start off, could you tell us more about 

what Crowcon does? 

Crowcon is a gas detection company; we 

have a mission to protect and save peoples’ 

lives with our products. Our products are 

mainly personal gas detectors that help 

to detect flammable gases, toxic gases, 

before they can be harmful to humans. So, 

personal detectors as well as fixed detectors 

that can be used to protect humans from 

harmful gases. We also do control panels and 

sampling systems. 

When it comes to the water treatment 

industry, what hazards do harmful gases 

pose? 

We have heard of many chemical leaks, for 

example chlorine and sodium hypochlorite 

leaking in the storage system – they can 

be harmful to humans and even result in 

fatalities. When you have a reliable gas 

detection system, you’re alerted to the 

harmful gases that might be leaking out 

before you’re exposed to them at all. 

So, gas detection is absolutely essential when 

you’re working with harmful chemicals, or 

even in the wastewater treatment industry 

when you have flammable gases like methane, 

ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and so on, that 

is being emitted from the wastewater. This 

helps to protect operators, and the plant in 

general. 

In a worst-case scenario, you have a loss 

of life, which we definitely want to avoid. 

We don’t want that to happen. In all water 

treatment plants, there are chemicals around, 

so we see some new members come in 

and introduce things like chemical dosing 

pumps, storage systems, and gas detection 

complements it. In a chemical storage plant, 

when there is a leak, gas detection systems 

will pick it up and alert the user. 

Do you have any case studies to share 

with us? 

We’ve been working with the Public Utilities 

Board (PUB) for over 15 years, what we do is 

provide gas detection – especially for methane 

and hydrogen sulphide – in the manholes, 

in the sump pump. In the pumping stations 

where the pump is located underground, you 

will always have methane gas coming out 

from the sewer. So, before an engineer is sent 

down to service the pump, the gas detection 

system monitors the quality of the air down 

in the sewers, to make sure that there is no 

flammable gas like methane, or other toxic 

gases present. This keeps the operator safe, 

and protects the equipment as well. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

Going forward, Crowcon is moving into 

environmental monitoring – in terms of gas 

detection, that’s our core product, and we’re 

hopefully going to move into environmental 

monitoring in terms of odour, toxic gases 

and other harmful gases. So, we’re looking 

forward to packaging ourselves as a one-stop 

solution to help companies deal with odour 

problems! 

For example, imagine an area where you 

have a treatment plant, and your neighbours 

are complaining about the smell coming out 

from the pipes – but you’re not even sure if 

it’s from you! Our solution, hopefully, is to 

pinpoint what type of gases are causing any 

odour, and where it’s coming from. What 

we’re hoping to provide is peace of mind, for 

operators to analyse the results and say, this 

is the source of the odour, and these are the 

types of gases that are causing the smell. 

That will be our next step forward, for 

Crowcon. 

52

SWA/SgWX Water Utilities Series: Water 

Resources Management Strategy in Jakarta 

23 February 2021, Complimentary, Webex 

NEWSLETTER 

OF THE 

SINGAPORE 

WATER 

ASSOCIATION 

BRINGING 

A NEW VIBRANCY 

TO SINGAPORE’S 

GROWING 

WATER INDUSTRY 

Rapid development, increasing population and climate change have 

caused environmental challenges in Jakarta, Indonesia, which require 

concerted efforts from both the public and private sectors to overcome. 

This webinar introduced the water resource management strategy in 

Jakarta, the programmes and initiatives that have been introduced as well 

as the upcoming projects that are being planned. 

SWA Webinar: Canadian Virtual Showcase 

of Water Tech Companies 

Jointly organised with High Commission of Canada in Singapore 

and PUB Singapore Water Exchange 

4 March 2021, Complimentary, Webex 

The High Commission of Canada in Singapore, in partnership with 

Singapore Water Association and PUB Singapore Water Exchange, 

had successfully organised the webinar: Canadian Virtual Showcase of 

Water Tech Companies on 4th March 2021, with almost 90 attendees. 

The webinar introduced the Canadian utilities and water companies as 

well as presented their water and wastewater technologies solution and 

roadmap. PUB also gave an overview of Singapore’s water ecosystem.

SWA [Hybrid] Event – in conjunction with World Water Day 

Behind the scene: Brave Blue World 

This event is brought to you by DuPont, SUEZ and Xylem 


The behind-the-scene premier of Brave Blue World, organised 

by the Singapore Water Association and presented by Dupont 

Water Solutions, SUEZ Asia and Xylem Singapore, was successfully 

organised on 17th March 2021 with 100 participants. The event 

was organised in conjunction with Singapore World Water Day. A 

group of 30 attendees dressed up in BLUE to support the excellent 

initiative by PUB as well as attended the screenplay of the globally 

acclaimed documentary which was followed by a 30 minutes 

panel discussion with Mr Kunal Shah (Anaergia), Mr Koh Chong 

Hin (Xylem), Mr Farchard Kaviani (SUEZ) and Mr Halim Suntanto 

(DuPont) to support members and water companies through 

knowledge sharing and exchanging of water expertise. 

SWA Webinar: ISRAELI Digital Water Technologies 

Jointly organised with Ministry of Economy and Industry, Israel and PUB Singapore Water Exchange 


Singapore Water Association and the Israeli 

Economic and Trade Mission to Singapore 

co-organised a complimentary webinar 

on Israeli Digital Water Technologies on 

Thursday, 24th March 2021, from 4:00pm to 

5:30pm. This event was supported by PUB, 

Singapore’s national water agency. Five 

Israeli companies showcased their Smart/ 

Digital Water Technologies and solutions to 

about 50 attendees. In addition, there was 

a B2B e-networking. 

SWA/SgWX Water Utilities Series: 

Digitalization of Shenzhen Water 

Group: A way to more efficient water 

and wastewater management 


Globally, water utilities are moving towards digitalization to address 

external challenges, such as rapid urbanization, impact of climate 

change and increasing customer demand. This webinar showed 

how Shenzhen Water Group uses digital solutions to improve the 

water resources management in Shenzhen City, China, as well as 

the upcoming projects that are being planned.

ZOOM Talk: 

Let WATER be thy Medicine 

31 March 2021, Complimentary, Zoom 

In determining the bioenergetic quality of water, we look at the 

structure (shape) and energy (vibration) of the water. Recent 

discovery of applying Terahertz wave on purified water significantly 

alters the structure and energy of water molecule. Dr Koh Lam Son 

and Mr Bryan Chew spoke on how Terahertz water is beneficial, 

healthy and positive for the use or function for which it is applied. 

This sharing session is organised by NTG International. 

UPCOMING SWA ACTIVITIES 

SIWW 2021 (Spotlight & Online) 

21 June to 2 July 2021, Singapore 

Singapore International Water Week 

(SIWW), World Cities Summit (WCS) and 

CleanEnviro Summit Singapore (CESG) will 

take on as a hybrid Summit & virtual Water 

Convention and Water Expo this year. 

• SIWW2021 Spotlight 

Will take place on 21 June 2021 as a hybrid 

high-level water Summit for leaders in governments, 

utilities, academia and industry 

to discuss and prepare the water sector for 

emerging challenges ahead, such as climate 

change and the pandemic. 

• SIWW2021 Online 

Virtual Water Convention and Water 

Expo will be held from 22nd June to 2nd 

July 2021 on our digital platform to allow 

global leaders, experts and practitioners to 

connect, share and learn from one another 

in a safe environment. This virtual event 

will also feature thematic webinars and 

workshops, technical sessions, product 

showcases, and a marketplace. 

For further queries, 

please contact Ms Veronica Tay, 

veronicatay@experiaevents.com

Thai Water Expo 2021 

14 to 16 October 2021, Bangkok, Thailand 

Singapore registered companies are encouraged to showcase 

your products, innovation technologies and turnkey solutions 

in Thailand’s only biennial international exhibition on water and 

wastewater technology. It is the platform for business linkage 

opportunities with decision – makers in the water & wastewater 

sector. 

Thai Water Expo is the most important platform to connect with 

Thailand’s growing consumer & industrial water and environmental 

needs for a cleaner, greener and more sustainable country. 

For more information and immediate space booking for Singapore 

companies, please contact: Jasvinder Singh, Tel: +65 6515 0812 or 

E-mail: jasvinder@swa.org.sg 

SWA WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS 

(joined from March 2021) 

ASSOCIATE MEMBER 

1. Aquaporin Asia 

2. Aquax Pte Ltd 

3. China Communications Construction 

4. City Synergy Pte Ltd 

5. Ed. Zublin AG, Singapore Branch 

6. Hanna Instruments Singapore Pte Ltd 

7. MattenPlant Pte Ltd 

8. PT Adhikara Bangun Makmur (Tirtanium) 

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS 

1. Dr Cecilia Tortajada 

2021 EVENTS CALENDAR INTERESTED TO JOIN SWA? 

2021 will be bustlingly filled with water shows, 

networking events, knowledge sharing sessions and 

webinars. We have an exciting and interesting lined up 

of water series with PUB, Singapore’s national water 

agency. Download from https://www.swa.org.sg/2021- 

events-calendar/ 

We welcome all organisations who are actively involved 

and interested in the water and wastewater industry 

to join Singapore Water Association as either Ordinary, 

Associate or Institutional member. 

Sign up at https://www.swa.org.sg/membership/ 

sign-up-online

ON OUR RADAR WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

DUPONT’S 

B-FREE PRE- 

TREATMENT 

TECHNOLOGY 

for reverse osmosis installations 

DuPont has launched a new B-Free 

pre-treatment technology that can 

be used to eliminate the effects of 

biofouling in reverse osmosis (RO) 

systems, which, in turn, reduce 

operation costs and improve plant 

uptime and reliability. 

Biofouling is one of the most common 

and severe issues in the operation of 

a RO system. If unchecked, it might 

cause operational issues such as 

frequent interruption, damage to the 

membranes, intense chemical and 

energy use, and regular cleaning-inplace 

(CIP) of the RO. 

The DuPont B-Free solution consists 

of a vessel-based media technology 

that offers a sustainable solution. It 

is based on B-Free pre-treatment 

technology ability to create an “instant 

and sustained” biostatic environment 

for the downstream RO operations 

without the need for chemicals and 

resilient to upstream upsets. 

The solution is designed for operators 

facing issues on biofouling and are 

looking for designing, building and 

operating RO systems at an optimised 

cost of water and sustainability 

footprint. According to DuPont, 

the B-Free technology enables a 

reduction of CIP frequency by up 

to 75%, and may double the RO 

membranes and cartridge filters 

lifetime. Furthermore, the B-Free 

customers will be able to achieve a 

low-touch and stable plant operation 

with up to 50% lower operations 

downtime required, the company 

added. 

Nanette Hermsen, global marketing 

and strategy director for DuPont 

Water Solutions, said: “B-Free 

pre-treatment is a breakthrough 

technology that effectively eliminates 

biofouling, and enables a significant 

improvement in plant reliability. As 

a result, this new technology will 

provide RO plant operators the 

ability to eliminate this troublesome 

and costly occurrence in RO 

systems.” 

DuPont B-Free pre-treatment 

technology is now available 

globally. It is one of the several 

innovations DuPont has introduced 

to help decrease the economic and 

environmental cost of water treatment 

to help combat water scarcity, and 

is aligned with the United Nations’ 

Sustainable Development Goals for 

2030. 

“With this new technology, DuPont 

continues demonstrating innovation 

leadership and commitment to solve 

customer water challenges,” Gary 

Gu, global innovation and technology 

leader at DuPont Water Solutions, 

concluded. 

57


THE NEW TSURUMI AVANT: 

premium grade products with 

IE3 premium efficiency motor 

Tsurumi Manufacturing Co., Ltd. 

manufactures, supplies and sells pumps 

and related equipment under the Tsurumi 

Pump brand name, their best-selling 

product being submersible pumps. Since 

its foundation in 1924, it has led the 

industry as an innovative driver in the field 

of submersible pumps by putting itself in 

the user’s shoes when it comes to product 

development and design. 

This ensures a consistent quality which the 

market associates with the “Japan Quality” 

label. But what makes Tsurumi Japan the 

premier manufacturer is the ability to apply 

recurring design concepts across all of its 

product lineups: submersible construction 

dewatering pumps and wastewater pumps, 

and wastewater treatment equipment. 

THE INCEPTION OF TSURUMI AVANT 

TSURUMI AVANT is a brand developed by 

Tsurumi with an eye towards the future of the 

pump and wastewater treatment equipment 

markets. Founder Tsurumi created it to 

deliver maximum customer satisfaction, 

by pooling together years of know-how and 

revamping everything from the materials 

used for components to how it structures its 

product lineups. Together, these premiumgrade 

products have been released under the 

“TSURUMI AVANT” brand name. 

DIVERSE PRODUCT LINEUP 

The TSURUMI AVANT brand comprises of 

submersible sewerage pumps and mixers. 

The pumps are divided into three series: the 

premium-grade MQ-series that incorporates 

an IE3 motor; the highly versatile, high-quality 

MY-series and the compact, multipurpose 

MB-series. Tsurumi offers a diverse lineup 

with discharge bores of 40mm–600mm, motor 

output capacities of 0.37 – 355kW as well 

as five kinds of impellers — Open Channel, 

Chopper, Vortex, Grinder or High Head. 

The brand also features the MMR-series 

of premium-grade submersible mixers 

incorporated with an IE3 motor. It is available 

in a lineup of propeller diameters of 200mm– 

650mm and motor output capacities of 

0.75–7.5 kW. 

All the pumps and mixers are designed for 

continuous duty over extended periods 

of time, which help pump stations and 

wastewater treatment plants operate 

stably while reducing maintenance costs. 

Additionally, both lineups feature models 

integrated with IE3 motors, whereby 

the premium efficiency adds to the 

performance enhancements Tsurumi has 

pursued with these products — to reduce 

overall energy consumption. In fact, better 

energy efficiency is just one way Tsurumi 

is contributing to sustainable development. 

ENGINEERING FOR A MORE 

SUSTAINABLE WORLD 

Tsurumi’s motivation to establish the 

TSURUMI AVANT brand stems from 

its corporate identity of “Being water- 

and people-friendly”. The company 

understands how water is an inseparable 

part of human life and endeavor, hence, 

Tsurumi remains fully committed to 

supplying products and technologies that 

enable users to protect and control this 

valuable resource. 

SUBMERSIBLE SEWAGE PUMPS 

SUBMERSIBLE MIXERS 

MQ MY MB 

MMR 

58


ANDRITZ SERVICE 

LEVEL AGREEMENTS: 

Securing the availability 

of customers’ processes 

and emailed straight to the inbox at intervals 

of the customer’s choosing (per shift, day, 

week or month). 

Keeping a business profitable can be more 

than a full-time job. But with a partner like 

ANDRITZ, it is an easy task. The global team 

of solid/liquid separation specialists is able 

to help increase equipment’s availability and 

production quality — a machine’s lifecycle 

long. 

By choosing an SLA (Service Level 

Agreement) from ANDRITZ Separation, fast 

and straightforward emergency support 

with calculable costs due to the fixed prices 

for the basic package and all options are 

guaranteed along with an easy purchasing 

process. Sustainable asset management 

is given with the help of preventative 

maintenance features and transparent 

documentation for all service interventions. 

The basic SLA package has an array of 

services that are included by default. 

Naturally, customers receive outstanding 

technical support from local and global 

ANDRITZ experts via phone or the Metris 

remote assist app with augmented reality 

features for live remote analysis and 

troubleshooting. This expert support is 

complemented by free web access to the 

Metris Spare Parts Catalog to ensure easy 

spare and wear part requests. 

Preventive maintenance features are also 

included in the basic SLA. A control system 

performance check is conducted every three 

months with remote checks on the most 

critical system components (PLC, HMI, VFD, 

etc.) performed using Metris addIQ Connect. 

A favourite feature of the basic SLA is the 

issue of regular reports with predefined KPIs. 

Specific machine and production reports with 

pre-defined KPIs are automatically generated 

Optional extras that can be included in an 

SLA are specific to each customer, but 

popular options include a critical alarm 

service where a mobile app notifies of 

predefined, critical machine and process 

alarms and events. A great place to start with 

process optimisation is machine and process 

monitoring — online machine and process 

data are shown by Metris addIQ Monitoring 

with an update interval of one minute. The 

self-explanatory app allows unlimited number 

of users and comes with intuitive graphics to 

aid operators with varying language or tech 

skills. 

Another common add-on is the periodical 

machine readjustment. After a performance 

audit, which is an on-site check on the current 

plant performance, the re-adjusting of the 

plant and associated control loops (originally 

delivered by ANDRITZ) will be conducted. 

Emergency support? Check. Remote 

troubleshooting? Check. Fast replacement 

parts? Check. Process optimisation from the 

data choosen? Check. 

More questions? Talk to a separation 

specialist today to find out how an ANDRITZ 

SLA can drive business forward while 

ensuring the equipment delivers. 

59

ON OUR RADAR 

KSB AUSTRALIA INVESTS 

IN A MODERN TEST BAY 

at its Hope Valley 

Facility, Perth 

western and eastern Australia, but 

there is a difference in the range of 

the industry sectors served, and 

this is reflected in the types and 

sizes of the pumps supplied. The 

Perth operation is established in the 

mining industry, where very large 

pumps capable of handling vast 

quantities of aggressive liquids and 

slurries are required. It also has a 

significant presence in the water 

supply industry, being a preferred 

supplier to a major western Australia 

Water Authority and contracted to 

deliver maintenance for desalination 

plants in western Australia. 

Image 1: KSB Hope 

Valley Facility in 

Perth, western 

Australia 

KSB Australia has made another 

significant investment in a fully 

automated pump test bay at its Hope 

Valley Facility in Perth. Recently 

commissioned, this new capability 

extends the services of the 3,000 

square metres workshop and now 

provides extensive resources for 

repairing rotating equipment and 

assembling pumping equipment 

(Image 1). 

The Hope Valley Facility opened 

during October 2015 to support 

the company’s growing activities in 

Western Australia, South Australia and 

northern territories. KSB’s business 

activities are evenly split between 

Taking the Test Bay in KSB’s 

Australian HQ in Bundamba, 

Queensland, as its template, the 

new capability in Hope Valley has 

been designed in accordance with 

ISO:9006, and the check list and 

design criteria stipulated by KSB 

headquarters in Germany. This 

means that it is in line with KSB’s 

expectations and all other KSB Test 

Bays around the world. Significantly, 

it enables engineers to access a 

fully automated system which can 

capture data from other KSB test 

facility data bases around the world. 

The system can be updated as 

changes and requirements evolve. 

“As one of Australia’s leading 

providers of pumps in all industries 

we are in an excellent position to 

fully support all our customers 

pumping needs; from process water, 

drinking water, wastewater, firewater, 

dewatering, high pressure pumping, 

60


desalination, slurries, life science, 

start-up, operational support and 

The first testing programmes 

building services, irrigation or oil & 

repair or maintenance. Delivered by 

commenced in August 2020, with 11 

gas etc, we are there to assist. With 

KSB specialists, all these services 

Mega CPK pumps from KSB India 

our ongoing investments in Australia 

are available throughout the planned 

and four high pressure Multitec 

we are committed to expanding our 

operating life of the pump. 

pumps from KSB France being 

services even further to support all 

subjected to functional testing by 

businesses and the resourceful and 

Consulting with KSB engineers at the 

a major customer’s independent 

enterprising people of this great 

outset helps to identify the operating 

inspection authority. Although all the 

country,” reported Dave Alexander, 

parameters of selected pumps and 

pumps would have undergone testing 

managing director of KSB Australia. 

systems by market leading smart 

in their respective manufacturing 

TEST BAY CAPABILITIES 

tools such as the KSB SES box, KSB 

Guard or Pump Meter. Once the 

plants, the opportunity for the 

customer to conduct their own tests 

The capabilities of the test bay 

appropriate pump has been selected 

in accordance with operational 

reflect the nature of KSB’s installed 

KSB SupremeServ participates in 

requirements was a much 

base across Australia and the need 

commissioning to ensure that the 

appreciated capability. Initial reports 

to be able to test pumps of all sizes 

delivered equipment meets the system 

from the customer indicated that 

(Image 2). 

design envelopes. Service and readily 

the facility was a very professional 

available spare parts solutions make 

set-up and the ease of testing was 

The 90,000L clean water test circuit 

for the smooth operation of pumps 

excellent. 

is designed for flow rates of up to 

and valves to ensure unparalleled 

1500L/s at 40 bar pressure and is 

availability. This capability extends 

KSB still offers the option to perform 

equipped with manifolds ranging 

to taking servicing products from 

witnessed or non-witnessed 

from 80mm to 600mm. For larger 

any manufacturer. KSB provides 

pump performance tests at its 

flows and higher pressure, testing 

tailor-made service and has in-house 

manufacturing plants worldwide prior 

can occur at reduced speeds and 

affinity laws can be used to verify 

test results. 

reverse engineering capabilities of 

rotating equipment should the need 

arise to develop or reproduce a 

specific part. 

to shipping the equipment, however 

KSB can now also offer to perform 

verification tests locally, within 

Australia. 

Image 2: The new 

test bay has the 

facilities to test 

pumps of all sizes 

The 12,000L wastewater test circuit 

is designed for flows up to 200L/s 

at 14 bar pressure and is equipped 

with manifolds ranging from 80mm 

to 250mm. The test bay is equipped 

with variable speeds from 7.5kW to 

630kW. 

CUSTOMER BENEFITS 

The commissioning of the Test 

Bay means KSB can now test all 

pumps after refurbishment, ensuring 

that it is repaired to meet OEM 

benchmarks, regardless of the 

manufacturer. KSB SupremeServ 

is dedicated to ensuring that 

customers’ pumps are repaired 

to the highest quality and to 

guarantee optimum functionally 

after repair. This four-part concept 

encompasses consultancy and 

analysis, commissioning and 

61

LET US DEVELOP, 

MARKET AND 

MANAGE YOUR 

NEXT WEBINAR 

Webinar Series Development 

• Content development 

• Pre and post webinar email marketing 

• Be supported by WWA print and digital 

advertising 

• Graphics and video support 

• Hosting 

• Hardware & software provision 

• Professional moderation 

• Turnkey management 

• Speaker support 

• Documentation support 

• Audience interaction 

• Feedback gathering & analysis 

• Monitoring and reportage 

Additional Support 

Video content development 

• Concept 

• Scripting 

• Story boarding 

• Motion graphics 

• Voice overs 

• Editing and export into relevant formats 

• News and Product video bites 

• Product & service videos 

• Video ads 

• “Live” reportage 

• Monitoring and reportage 

For more informaon, contact us at 

sales@pabloasia.com 

Pablo Publishing & Exhibition Pte Ltd | www.waterwastewaterasia.com

WHAT’S NEXT WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

EVENT CALENDAR 

2021 AND 2022 

MAY 2021 

Ozwater’21 

04 to 06 May 

Adelaide, Australia 

IWA Digital World Water Congress 

24 May to 04 June 

Virtual 

JUNE 2021 

Aquatech China 

02 to 04 June 

Shanghai, China 

ACHEMA Pulse 

15 to 16 June 

Virtual 


Spotlight 2021 

21 June 

Singapore (Hybrid water summit, 

virtual Water Convention and Water Expo) 


Online 2021 

21 June to 02 July 

Singapore (Hybrid water summit, 

virtual Water Convention and Water Expo) 

JULY 2021 

Indo Water Expo & Forum 2021 

21 to 23 July 

Jakarta, Indonesia 

WQA Convention & Exposition 

28 to 30 July 

Las Vegas, USA 

AUGUST 2021 

LANKAWATER’21 

05 to 07 August 

Colombo, Sri Lanka 

SEPTEMBER 2021 

VietWater (Hanoi) 2021 

16 to 17 September 

Hanoi, Vietnam 

OCTOBER 2021 

Pumps & Valves Asia 2021 

14 to 16 October 

Bangkok, Thailand 

WEFTEC 2021 


Chicago, USA 

LAOWATER’21 


Vientiane, Laos 

NOVEMBER 2021 

Asia Smart Water Utilities 2021 

10 to 11 November 

Singapore 

Vietwater (Ho Chi Minh) 2021 


Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 

MyanWater 2021 


Yangon, Myanmar 

DECEMBER 2021 

Water Philippines 2021 

08 to 10 December 

Metro Manila, Philippines 

JANUARY 2022 

WFES Water 2022 

17 to 19 January 

Abu Dhabi, UAE 

InterAqua 2022 

26 to 28 January 

Tokyo, Japan 

FEBRUARY 2022 

World Water-Tech Innovation Summit 2021 

22 to 23 February 

London, UK 

MARCH 2022 

Asia Water 2020 

29 to 31 March 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

APRIL 2022 

ACHEMA 

04 to 08 April 

Frankfurt, Germany 

Singapore International Water Week 2022 


Singapore 

IE expo China 


Shanghai, China 

MAY 2022 

Global Water Summit 

16 to 18 May 

Madrid, Spain 

IFAT Munich 2020 

30 May – 2 June 

Munich, Germany 

SEPTEMBER 2022 

IWA World Water Congress 

& Exhibition 2022 

Copenhagen, Denmark 

63

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MAY/JUNE 2021 

INDEX OF 

ADVERTISERS 

ADVERTISER 

PAGE 

ADVERTISER 

PAGE 

ANDRITZ AG - SEPARATION 

IFC 

LACROIX SOFREL 9 

BADGER METER EUROPA GMBH 13 

OVARRO CONNECTING TECHNOLOGIES 

OBC 

CLA-VAL COMPANY 19 

DANFOSS MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. - COOLING 64 

SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL WATER WEEK 2021 23 

TSURUMI MANUFACTURING CO., LTD 1 

DANFOSS MALAYSIA SDN. BHD. - DRIVES 29 

VAUGHAN CO., INC. 

IBC 

DUPONT 5 

GUANGDONG LESSO TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD 17 

HARBIN FIRSTLINE ENVIRONMENT 

TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD 43 

VEGA INSTRUMENTS (SEA) PTE LTD 3 

WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA’S HOUSE AD 11, 62 

WEHRLE-WERK AG 7 

Fresh water produced at 

highest efficiency 

Water creates life. Water is vital for human beings, wildlife 

and nature. But access to fresh, clean water is often not an 

option. Seawater reverse osmosis is a sustainable and 

efficient way of producing fresh water. 

With the Danfoss SWRO range of APP pumps and iSave 

energy recovery devices you get the market’s most energy 

efficient, and sustainable solution. 

See how tomorrow’s solutions are ready today. 

Visit desalination.danfoss.com 

64 

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Water & Wastewater Asia May/Jun 2021

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