Water & Wastewater Asia March/April 2022

IN CONVERSATION WITH
SHEDDING NEW
POSSIBILITIES
into membrane
filtration
To revolutionise membrane
filtration, Aqua Membranes
developed the 3D Printed
Spacer Technology that
reduces capital and
operational costs by
improving the efficiency of
spiral-wound membranes
and minimising fouling
potential. CJ Kurth, CTO
of Aqua Membranes,
elaborates to Water &
Wastewater Asia how
the technology can
optimise flow patterns
and turbulence through
the membrane element,
leading to better cleaning
and longer element life.
Founded in 2011, Aqua Membranes provides its 3D Printed Spacer Technology for spiral-wound membrane
manufacturers who are looking to improve their product performance
MEMBRANES: “THE CONTINUOUS
PROGRESSION”
Being in the water industry for more than
two decades, what are some of the key
takeaways you have brought along to
Aqua Membranes, and how will they help
shape the strategies you have set out for
the company?
CJ Kurth: Each customer’s site is unique
with its water chemistry, seasonality
and financial drivers. They are part of a
geography that faces collective water
stresses, waste challenges and governmental
requirements. Yet they all follow the same
laws of nature. Solutions work best when the
time is spent to understand this web of needs
and priorities, and a solution is delivered to fit
that specific context. As an abstract concept
that easy, it takes time, effort and mental
horsepower to put that into practice. That
respect of each customer’s requirements
and the situation is common for large plants,
particularly municipal desalination, but much
more challenging with the vast number of
smaller sites around the globe. Companies
that thrive have found a way to operationalise
the process of understanding and solving for
a web of needs efficiently.
Likewise with start-ups, it is important to
take a tailored approach; what is different in
the technology, what are the expectations
of the investors, who are onboard and what
are their strengths. It can be tempting to
apply a template from other businesses, past
experiences or a case study but in my mind
what’s important is to sit with the specific
situation and develop a plan for that case.
How will you describe the role membrane
technology play within today’s water
sector, and what opportunities does
membrane filtration offer in the areas of
water sustainability?
Kurth: The biggest overarching trend of
membrane’s role in water has been the
continuous progression of them becoming
the defacto standard unit of operation for
increasing the number of separations.
Whether flatsheet or hollow fibre, membranes
are an incredibly efficient way of processing a
large amount of water through a small device
with an advanced material structure.
With the pace of development in universities
and industrial labs combined with
interest from venture capital investors,
20 WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA | MARCH/APRIL 2022