Water & Wastewater Asia July/August 2024

JULY / AUGUST 2024 

www.waterwastewaterasia.com 

Exclusive Interview 

Sabrina Soussan, 

SUEZ CEO 

Pg 16 

SUEZ in Singapore • Recycling water 

• Increasing water availability

Hydrakos 

Hydrakos 

Hydrakos 

Sustainable chemical dosing systems 




Hydro-powered dosing that’s 

Hydro-powered dosing that’s 

kinder to our world 

Hydro-powered kinder to our world dosing that’s 

Hydro-powered kinder to our world dosing that’s 

kinder to our world 

• Optimal water and chemical consumption 

Optimal water and chemical consumption 

• Optimal Reduced water operating and and chemical maintenance consumption costs 

Reduced operating and maintenance costs 

• Optimal 

Reduced Non-electric water 

operating design and 

and 

chemical saves maintenance energy consumption 

Non-electric design saves energy 

costs 

• Reduced 

Non-electric Ideal for remote operating 

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saves without maintenance 

energy mains power costs 

Ideal for remote sites without mains power 

• Non-electric 

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for 

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seko.com 

seko.com

CONTENTS 

CONTENTS 

22 

39 

58 

04 Editor’s note 

06 News 

52 SWA newsletter 

62 What’s next? 

64 Advertisers’ index 

SINGAPORE FOCUS 

10 Equatic amplifies the ocean’s 

power to bring globally-relevant 

CO2 removal within reach 

12 RSK Digital Water 

14 Water Investor Series 2024: 

Connecting investors with water 

startups in Singapore 

IN CONVERSATION WITH 

16 “The water industry has a key 

role to play in mitigating climate 

change” 

19 “Everything that comes out of 

Cetogenix technology can be 

recovered” 

22 Veolia: Driving green progress in 

China 

24 “Digitalising solutions to reduce 

water loss around the world” 

26 Open Geospatial Consortium 

and the blue economy 

28 “Having the right geo-data 

is needed to safeguard 

Singapore’s coastline against 

erosion, flooding, and sea level 

rise” 

30 Jacobi: Supplying coconut 

shell activated carbon to water 

treatment plants 

IN THE FIELD 

32 HRS Biogas Dehumidification 

System (BDS) boosts energy 

efficiency for Melbourne Water 

35 EuroTec Water awarded 2nd 

UF membrane replacement in 

Indonesia 

36 Tigernix’s smart and integrated 

digital water and wastewater 

framework for Townsville, 

Australia 

39 Membrane bioreactor (MBR) 

plants enable Mandai Wildlife 

Reserve to reuse animal 

wastewater 

42 How Grundfos solar pumps saved 

a large South African olive farm 

FOCUS 

44 Protecting Chesapeake Bay 

by centralising data for public 

insight and scientific analysis 

46 Shaping the future through 

a century of UV technology 

innovation 

HOTSEAT 

48 A new index for evaluating the 

circular economy of water 

49 Contactless water quality 

sensors system: A versatile large 

data aggregator for dedicated AI 

models 

ON OUR RADAR 

56 Building flood barriers with Muhr 

57 Lutz Pumpen’s new battery 

increases safety and flexibility 

with aggressive liquids 

SHOW PREVIEW 

58 “DMS Universe is the future of 

technical knowledge exchange” 

SHOW REVIEW 

59 Stormwater and Wastewater 

Conference Saudi Arabia 

progresses upcoming 

infrastructure projects 

60 Singapore International Water 

Week (SIWW) and CleanEnviro 

Summit Singapore (CESG) 2024 

conclude with strengthened 

global alliances 

2 Water & Wastewater Asia | July-August 2024

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EDITOR’S NOTE 

Is the coast clear? 

In the blink of an eye, the Singapore 

International Water Week (SIWW) 2024 

passed me by. I conducted interviews, 

caught up with familiar faces in the industry 

and checked out the bustling booths at 

the water expo. In just a few days, SIWW 

brought the global water industry together 

to foster greater collaboration. There, I 

noticed a strong focus on coastal resilience, 

under its new pillar of climate adaptation. 

SIWW was the platform for global 

stakeholders to discuss best practices on 

flood mitigation and coastal protection. 

Protecting Singapore’s vulnerable 

coastlines is a priority for national water 

agency PUB. In this issue, Paul Seaton, 

director, hydrography and coastal 

resilience, Asia-Pacific, Fugro; gives his 

insights on geo-data acquisition both on 

land and at sea. Capabilities in enhancing 

coastal resilience is critical, given rising 

sea levels due to climate change and 

its implications on island countries like 

Singapore (p. 28). 

At SIWW, the Singapore Water Association 

(SWA) also announced the launch of a 

new coastal protection chapter, to foster 

collaboration among companies and 

support the implementation of coastal 

protection infrastructure. SWA will also 

promote and link Singapore’s coastal 

protection and flood management industry 

to the international network, enhancing 

knowledge sharing and collaboration in the 

sector. As the magazine for SWA official 

newsletter, we have revamped its design in 

this issue. Check it out on page 52. 

That week of June saw the 

announcements of partnerships, calls 

for tender and for research grants, and 

facilitated numerous Memorandum of 

Understanding (MoU) signings towards 

building a greener, more climate-resilient 

and sustainable future amidst resource 

scarcity globally. Flip to page 60 to read all 

about it. 

This issue, SUEZ chairman and CEO 

Sabrina Soussan graces the cover of Water 

& Wastewater Asia. SUEZ made headlines 

at SIWW with its announcements of three 

new water projects in Asia. Flip to page 

16 to find out more about these projects 

and learn how she champions the group’s 

expertise, solutions and ambitions to 

address the global climate challenges. 

So, is the coast clear? Due to climate 

change causing sea level rise globally, we 

know it is not. But at SIWW 2024, island 

cities like Singapore have made it clear that 

this is a priority. The water industry has to 

step up its efforts to protect our coastlines. 

Amira Yunos 

Assistant Editor 

Amira Yunos 

Cover image by SUEZ 

PABLO SINGAPORE 

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mengyong@pabloasia.com 

Shu Ai Ling • Circulation Manager 

ailing@pabloasia.com 

PABLO BEIJING 

Ellen Gao • General Manager 

pablobeijing@163.com 

PABLO SHANGHAI 

Daisy Wang • Editor 

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4 Water & Wastewater Asia | January-February July-August 2024 2023

NEWS 

ENOWA and Nanostone Water signs MoU at SIWW 

ENOWA and Nanostone Water (NSW) will 

collaborate on ceramic ultrafiltration (CUF) 

membrane application for brine mining in 

Neom, Saudi Arabia. The signing ceremony of 

a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) took 

place during Singapore International Water 

Week (SIWW) on 19 Jun 2024. 

This partnership marked a step towards 

transforming desalination brine waste into 

valuable resources. The MoU outlined 

the collaborative efforts to develop and 

implement CUF technology for brine mining, 

a component of ENOWA’s circular economy 

strategy. ENOWA managing director 

Gavin van Tonder said, “By transforming 

desalination brine waste into valuable 

resources, we will contribute to an essential 

circular economy.” 

The MoU focused on a one-year pilot testing 

of CUF membranes to harvest minerals 

and metals from desalination and cooling 

tower blowdown brine. This project aims to 

create a revenue stream while developing 

an environmentally sustainable method of 

managing desalination waste. Successful 

pilot results will pave the way for scaling up 

the design for commercial facilities. 

Jürgen von Hollen, CEO of Nanostone 

Water, added, “We look forward to a fruitful 

partnership with ENOWA and to applying 

our technology to advance sustainable and 

cost-effective water supply.” 

Singapore’s NEWater visitor 

centre and Bedok NEWater 

factory to close on 31 Jul 2024 

The NEWater visitor centre (NVC) in 

Bedok, Singapore will be closing its 

doors on 31 Jul 2024 after more than two 

decades of promoting water sustainability. 

The adjacent Bedok NEWater factory 

(BNF) — Singapore’s oldest NEWater 

production plant launched in 2003 — will 

also cease operations on 31 Jul 2024 

upon reaching the end of its operational 

lifespan. It will be replaced with a 

third NEWater factory at Changi water 

reclamation plant (WRP), which will be 

more than double BNF’s production 

capacity. 

Since its opening in 2003, NVC has 

welcomed over 1.7 million local and 

international visitors. It features interactive 

displays, tours, exhibits and workshops 

that showcase the evolution and 

production of NEWater, Singapore’s brand 

of high-grade reclaimed water. 

“NEWater symbolises Singapore’s 

spirit of innovation in leapfrogging our 

natural constraints. Over two decades, 

Singaporeans young and old have made 

the journey to the NEWater Visitor Centre 

to learn about how we recycle used water 

endlessly, allowing us to overcome our 

NEWater represents a key 

pillar in Singapore’s water 

security since its launch in 

2002 (Image: PUB) 

lack of natural water resources,” said 

Ong Tze-Ch’in, Chief Executive of PUB, 

Singapore’s National Water Agency. 

“With its closure, PUB will explore new 

platforms for education on our NEWater 

story.” 

NEWater — this ultra-clean, high grade 

recycled water — is the product of R&D, 

produced by purifying treated used water 

using advanced membrane technologies 

and UV disinfection. 

The NVC is the cornerstone of an 

extensive public education programme 

to help Singaporeans appreciate the safe 

technology behind NEWater. For example, 

during guided tours, visitors engaged 

in role-playing as water molecules 

undergoing treatment and gained a better 

understanding of the robust three-stage 

treatment process in NEWater production. 

PUB will look into leveraging other sites and 

deepening collaboration with our partners 

to develop the next iteration of NEWater 

education. Meanwhile, Singaporeans can 

visit the Marina Barrage’s Sustainable 

Singapore Gallery to learn more about 

NEWater and the Four National Taps. 

Staff and partners who have contributed 

to the evolution of NEWater and the 

Singapore water story will be invited to a 

closing ceremony in September 2024 to 

commemorate the roles NVC and BNF have 

played. Members of the public can also 

share their memories and stories related to 

NEWater and NVC on PUB’s social media in 

the leadup to its closure. 


NEWS 

UKWIR CEO Steve Kaye steps down 

UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) has 

announced that CEO Steve Kaye will be 

stepping down in November 2024. 

Richard Warneford, UKWIR chairman, will lead 

the search for Kaye’s replacement. Warneford 

joined the UKWIR board in 2012 and has been 

chair since 2019. He has worked with Kaye for 

five years. 

A water professional and chartered engineer, 

Warneford joined the sector in 1985. He 

has worked in operations, commercial, 

investment, partnerships, asset management 

and employee relations, with most of this time 

providing strategic direction and leadership. 

“It has been a pleasure and privilege to work 

alongside Kaye and witness how he has grown 

UKWIR’s capacity and strategic offerings to 

the water sector,” Warneford said. “He has 

overseen a significant step change, helping to 

strengthen and solidify UKWIR’s relationships 

with water companies, research institutions, 

academia and the wider supply chain.” 

As CEO, Kaye has overseen several research 

projects, including studies into leakage, 

river health and the Chemical Investigations 

Programme (CIP) — the UK water industry’s 

response to current and emerging legislation 

on trace chemical substances in the water 

environment. 

“I am proud of everything we have achieved, 

and grateful for the support of my wonderful 

team, the UKWIR board and the many friends 

and colleagues in the water sector and 

beyond,” Kaye added. “UKWIR has strong 

ongoing support from water companies 

in the UK and Ireland; and is continuing to 

provide vital services and research outputs 

that benefit the industry and encourage 

collaboration — helping us build a better 

industry together.” 

Kaye has worked in the water industry since 

1990 and has been chief executive of UKWIR 

for the past six years. He will remain in post 

for the next six months to ensure a smooth 

transition as UKWIR recruits a new CEO. 

Alongside semi-retirement, Kaye plans to 

continue being involved in the water sector in 

an advisory capacity. 

“We are looking for a new CEO who can 

seize these opportunities and help make 

a difference to the future of water,” said 

Warnford. 

EUROTEC 

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For more information, visit us at: www.eurotec.sg or contact us at: sales@eurotec.sg 

Water & Wastewater Asia | July-August 2024 7

NEWS 

ST Engineering launches BrightCity 

smart water solution to help cities 

transform water infrastructures 

Singaporean multinational 

technology and engineering group 

ST Engineering’s Urban Solutions 

business has launched BrightCity, 

a suite of integrated smart water 

advanced meter infrastructure 

(AMI) solutions. 

Its product suite will be showcased 

at the Singapore International Water 

Week (SIWW) from 18-22 Jun 2024 at 

ST Engineering booth #K15, and at the 

American Water Works Association 

(AWWA) annual conference and expo 

(ACE24), California, US, from 10-13 

Jun 2024. 

Cities worldwide grapple with ageing 

water infrastructure, insufficient 

real-time operational data, and 

fragmented smart water meter 

systems that create data silos. 

In response, BrightCity offers a 

cost-effective, end-to-end solution 

for smart water meter monitoring 

and control, applicable to both l 

arge-scale brownfield and greenfield 

deployments. 

form factor and can be easily 

attached to existing meters to 

provide wireless communications 

connectivity for digitalised data 

collection and transmission 

to a centralised Meter Data 

Management System (MDMS). 

The meter-agnostic MIUs are 

compatible with most water 

meter brands, eliminating the 

need for costly equipment 

replacement, and are suitable 

for brownfield and greenfield 

implementations. They can also 

be paired with other monitoring 

devices to provide a full water 

utility solution. 

The BrightCity MDMS integrates 

and centralises real-time 

data from meters to enable 

automated, end-to-end 

monitoring and control of cities’ 

metering infrastructures over 

large areas. Its encrypted data 

management system enables 

secured data collection, trend 

analysis and provides real-time 

alerts. The insights derived can 

be extrapolated for predictive 

water leakage detection, 

enabling enhanced water 

management. 

BrightCity is also designed 

to work on open wireless 

communications networks such 

as NBIoT/ CatM and LoRa. This 

eliminates communications 

network and equipment lock-in 

to enable greater flexibility 

over multiple deployments. 

The customer portal and 

mobile application provides 

end users with real-time water 

consumption readings and 

comparison benchmarks to 

help them better manage water 

usage and detect unusual 

consumption patterns. 

Designed to address challenges faced by 

cities and utility providers, BrightCity aims 

to empower data-driven water optimisation 

(Image: Business Times) 

“BrightCity is the result of a 

robust engineering, overcoming 

current water AMI limitations,” 

said head of smart utilities and 

infrastructure, urban solutions, 

ST Engineering, Gareth Tang. “By 

digitalising conventional water 

meters infrastructure at scale, 

BrightCity provides real-time 

insights, empowering utility 

providers and end users to manage 

water consumption effectively and 

enhance sustainability.” 

The key components of the 

BrightCity product suite are its MIU, 

which is designed in a compact 


NEWS 

Dr Torsten 

Wintergerste joins 

CERAFILTEC 

Dr Torsten Wintergerste has been announced 

as the new CEO of CERAFILTEC, starting 

officially on 1 Jul 2024. 

During his tenure as president of Sulzer 

Chemtech — the global group in separation 

and mixing technologies for exploration, 

refineries, petrochemical and chemical 

plants — he enhanced the company’s 

global operations, market presence and 

strategic impact by doubling the company’s 

business volume to €900m and boosting its 

profitability to a double-digit percentage. 

Additionally, his international involvement 

and strong relationships with global industry 

leaders will further strengthen CERAFILTEC’s 

mission to provide clean water sustainably, 

worldwide. 

As CERAFILTEC prepares for its next phase 

of growth, Dr Wintergerste’s experience 

in driving international expansion will be 

crucial in meeting the increasing market 

needs. Ceramic membrane technology is 

poised to become the mainstream filtration 

solution, replacing polymeric membranes and 

conventional technologies. As a key driver of 

this technological transition, CERAFILTEC will 

benefit from Dr Wintergerste’s expertise in 

scaling operations to support this evolution. 

“CERAFILTEC’s journey from a pioneering 

startup to a transformative key player in water 

filtration has been inspiring and was a key 

factor in my decision to join the company,” said 

Dr Wintergerste. “I am honoured to lead the 

passionate and talented team as we embark 

on this exciting phase, building on a solid 

foundation and aiming for even greater global 

impact.” 

Kay Gunther Gabriel, founder and CTO 

of CERAFILTEC, added, “We are excited 

to welcome Dr Wintergerste — whose 

international experience and proven track 

record in scaling organisations, as well as his 

leadership in building persistent innovation 

and sustainable growth — make him a perfect 

fit for our next phase of expansion. We look 

forward to reaching new heights under his 

guidance.” 

NEWS IN BRIEF 

SIWW 2024 coastal protection and flood 

resilience theme garners interest locally 

and internationally 

This year’s Singapore International Water 

Week (SIWW) saw exchanges by global 

stakeholders on best practices on flood 

mitigation and coastal protection, under the 

new pillar of climate adaptation. 

Water sector veteran Ralph Exton is new 

WEF director 

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) has 

appointed Ralph Exton as its new executive 

director, effective 15 Jul 2024. 

Yokogawa acquires BaxEnergy, a provider of 

renewable energy management solutions 

Yokogawa Electric Corporation has acquired 

BaxEnergy, a provider of renewable energy 

management solutions (REMS). 

Xylem scales sustainability impacts with 

new water stewardship commitments 

Global water technology group Xylem is 

expanding its sustainability commitments 

with new 2030 water stewardship goals, 

following the company’s combination with 

Evoqua. 

To stay abreast of the latest news in the water industry, 

visit our website at www.waterwastewaterasia.com. 



Equatic amplifies 

the ocean’s power 

to bring globally-relevant 

CO2 removal within reach 

By Edward Sanders, COO, Equatic 

Fig. 1: Equatic process (Image: ISO 14064:2-2019 Methodology for measurement, reporting, and verification of electrolytic 

oceanic CO2 removal, EcoEngineers) 

Organisations like the UN 

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 

Change have stated that carbon removal 

and reduction must go hand-in-hand 

to meet climate imperatives. Even if all 

carbon emissions stopped today, some 

of the worst impacts of climate change 

would remain unavoidable. This makes 

carbon removal an essential part of 

any meaningful strategy to address the 

climate crisis. As a global community, 

we must focus efforts on both reducing 

carbon emissions by upwards of 90% and 

addressing the harmful legacy carbon 

currently in the atmosphere through 

removal technologies. 

The ocean plays a fundamental role 

in the carbon cycle and is the planet’s 

largest carbon sink, securely storing over 

40,000 billion tonnes of carbon. Equatic’s 

carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technology 

accelerates the rate at which the ocean 

draws down and stores carbon and offers 

a compelling opportunity for low-cost and 

scalable carbon management. 

THE EQUATIC APPROACH 

The ocean naturally removes carbon from 

the atmosphere and stores it permanently. 

However, it takes a long time to do so at a 

meaningful scale — and it is challenging to 

accurately measure how much carbon is 

removed. Equatic’s technology increases 

the ocean’s natural carbon removal and 

permanent carbon sequestration capabilities 

and provides accurate measurements of 

carbon immobilised from the atmosphere — 

all while producing green hydrogen. 

Equatic’s process is rooted in simple 

chemistry and can be described in four 

important steps. Firstly, Equatic pumps 

seawater into its plant on land and through 

an electrolyser, which separates the 

seawater into four components: an acid 

stream, a base stream, hydrogen gas, 

oxygen gas. Next, the acid stream is 

exposed to rock to raise the pH of the acid 

stream to match the ocean’s natural pH. 

This avoids degassing of CO2 and ocean 

acidification. Thirdly, the base stream 

is put into contact with atmospheric air 

which contains CO2 gas. When CO2 comes 

into contact with the base stream, the CO2 

is mineralised in two forms: solid calcium 

carbonate and bicarbonate — dissolved 

ion. As more CO2 becomes immobilised, 

the pH of the base stream is lowered to the 

natural pH of the ocean. Finally, Equatic then 

discharges the immobilised carbon back 

into the ocean. The CO2 immobilised by this 

process is stored securely by the ocean for 

up to 1 billion years. 

Equatic’s process is highly accessible and 

can be deployed on coastlines around 

the world. It requires little additional 

infrastructure and can operate on 

intermittent renewable energy. Having 

multiple revenue streams — carbon 

removal credits and green hydrogen 

sales — dramatically lowers operating 

costs and presents a unique opportunity 

to both cleanup legacy emissions and 

help industries, such as steel making and 

aviation, achieve their decarbonisation 

goals. 

GLOBALLY-RELEVANT CARBON 

REMOVAL 

The Equatic process was conceived at the 

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) 

Samueli School of Engineering’s Institute 

for Carbon Management (ICM). In 2023, 

the team at ICM spun out Equatic to scale 

commercialisation and global expansion. The 

Equatic technology has been deployed in two 

pilots in Los Angeles (LA), US and in Singapore 

— in partnership with PUB, Singapore’s 

national water agency. All carbon credits 

from the pilots were sold in agreements with 

partners including global payment solution 



provider Stripe. In May 2024, Equatic — with 

partners UCLA and PUB — broke ground on 

its first sub-commercial scale plant, Equatic-1. 

The facility will be the world’s largest 

ocean-based carbon removal plant and will 

start operations by the end of 2024. Once 

completed, Equatic-1 will have the capacity to 

remove 10 tonnes of CO2 and create 300kg of 

carbon-negative hydrogen per day. 

In June 2024, Equatic unveiled plans to 

build North America’s first commercial-scale 

carbon removal plant in Canada. This plant will 

remove 109,500 tonnes of CO2 and produce 

3,600 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. This 

commercial-scale plant will remove 1 tonne of 

CO2 from the atmosphere every 5mins which 

is 99,000 times faster than it would take for 

the ocean to do this. 

Arup — a global sustainable development 

firm of designers, engineers, environmental 

and technical advisors — is leading the 

assessment and planning of the plant. The 

plant’s design will be based on the modular 

electrolysers used in Singapore at Equatic-1. 

This modular architecture allows the 

installation, operation and maintenance (O&M) 

of individual units to be staged and stacked, 

facilitating systematic and rapid expansion, as 

well as efficient operations. The electrolysers 

employ Equatic’s oxygen-selective anodes 

that were developed with the support of the 

Department of Energy’s Advanced Research 

Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). 

HIGH-INTEGRITY CARBON REMOVAL 

The world needs CDR at globally-relevant 

scales as soon as possible — and we cannot 

achieve that milestone without a robust 

carbon market. That is why Equatic is 

committed to producing high-integrity carbon 

credits and leading the industry in protocol 

development. 

The key to Equatic producing high-integrity 

credits is that the plant is intentionally 

designed and engineered to measure CDR 

within a closed system on land, meaning that 

CDR crediting does not rely on the open ocean 

or complex carbon accounting calculations. 

The system uses online and on-stream 

Fig. 2: Equatic-1 CDR plant (Image: Equatic) 

sensors to measure the chemical composition 

of the seawater inflow, the processed water 

flows, the retained solids, and air that enters 

the plant. This ensures Equatic has a precise 

and accurate measurement of CO2 drawdown 

and can cross check that measurement against 

multiple points within the process. 

These direct, in-plant measurements of 

the rate and extent of carbon removal 

provide continuous, unambiguous data 

about operational performance. In essence, 

monitoring and verification of Equatic’s CO2 

removal is possible at any point in time, at any 

place in the world. 

In May, Equatic unveiled an ISO 14064-2:2019 

methodology for the monitoring, reporting, and 

verifying (MRV) of electrolytic ocean-based 

CDR. The methodology was produced in 

partnership with EcoEngineers, building on 

peer-reviewed papers published by Equatic’s 

founders and the learnings from the two 

pilot facilities in LA and Singapore. ISO 

14064-2:2019 offers a thorough, transparent 

framework for the quantification and MRV of 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals 

at the project level in ways that meet ISO’s 

reporting standards. Requirements for project 

planning as well as identifying and selecting 

project-specific GHG sources, sinks, and 

reservoirs (SSRs) are included in the standard. 

Furthermore, it offers guidance on project 

performance and data quality management, 

including recommendations on baseline 

scenario outlines, monitoring, quantifying, 

documenting, and reporting. 

Equatic’s MRV methodology is one of the 

most comprehensive MRV methodologies 

currently available to the public. Along with 

the closed-system measurement practices, 

other aspects include consideration of 

all carbon emissions of any inputs and 

transportation inputs and outputs; system 

leakage considerations, including electricity, 

CO2 sourcing and physical forms of potential 

CO2 leakage; and guidelines for additionality 

including regulatory and financial 

additionality. 

LOOKING AHEAD 

Governing bodies around the world have 

acknowledged the need for accessible, 

cost-effective, and permanent carbon 

removal solutions. In addition to Singapore’s 

leading R&D programmes, the US Department 

of Energy carbon removal purchase prize is 

procuring high-integrity CDR credits from 

companies where carbon sequestration is 

equivalent to geologic storage. Equatic was 

selected as a semi-finalist for this prize in 

May 2024. Momentum behind Equatic’s 

approach to CDR is building and the 

Equatic team is looking ahead to further 

deployment and regional partnerships to 

expand global access to high-integrity 

carbon removals. 



RSK Digital Water 

In an evolving world of artificial intelligence 

(AI) technology, digital foundations have 

never been more important. To fully realise 

the potential of this technology data quality, 

robust systems and ethical use must be at the 

forefront for the water sector. 

RSK Digital Water is an agile team ready 

to support the water sectors across Asia, 

in designing and delivering these digital 

foundations. The team, now located in the 

Singapore Water Exchange (SgWX), offers four 

main services (Fig. 1). The aim is to empower 

water suppliers to make swift, precise and 

data-led decisions through tailored solutions 

that save water, reduce costs, and champion 

environmental sustainability. 

squat toilets. An easy task for a human eye 

and nose for a single toilet, but presented with 

over 8,000 pictures, the team had to train and 

deploy an AI computer vision model to speed 

up the process. The model automates image 

collection, analysis and results into the core 

data flows for the project and allows for higher 

value tasks to be assigned to human project 

team members. The results have been 

well-received with time savings and data 

quality benefits, and similar techniques can be 

applied to automation tasks on larger projects. 

BALIBAGO WATERWORKS, PHILIPPINES 

Working with Balibago Waterworks based 

in Pampanga, Philippines, RSK Digital Water 

delivered an interactive performance 

reporting system. One of the challenges 

faced was not only the complexity and 

reliability of data for reporting but also 

the ability to quickly act and manage 

performance. 

To deliver this, the team took a structured 

approach to sourcing, reviewing and 

structuring data aligned to key use cases 

derived from stakeholder workshops. 

Ten years of data covering over 300,000 

customers were analysed and structured in a 

format that could be quickly understood and 

analysed by users, regardless of prior data 

analysis experience. 

With the backing of the wider RSK group, 

the Digital Water team provides end-to-end 

solutions to an array of challenges and strives 

to lead in the field of environmental science, 

research, engineering and technical services 

globally. This backing comes in the form of the 

expertise and experience of RSK’s family of 

more than 130 environmental, engineering and 

technical services businesses and is informed 

by climate and water research. As a provider 

across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, 

RSK brings its experience to deliver practical 

solutions for industry and governments across 

Asia-Pacific. With 5,000 water specialists 

across 40 countries, RSK relies on teamwork 

and partnership to deploy solutions to address 

water issues globally. 

Fig. 1 

AI IMAGE RECOGNITION IN 

TIMOR-LESTE 

By promoting the adoption of AI capability 

within the wider group and to its clients in 

Asia, one of its deliverables has been part of a 

Nicholas O’Dwyer — part of the RSK group — 

project in Timor-Leste. The project required 

delivering a city-wide water sanitation service, 

and part of this work has involved surveying 

properties ahead of sewage network design 

and construction (Fig. 2). 

With RSK Digital Water providing the data 

support for the project, they were set with the 

task of labelling survey photos of seat and 

Fig. 2 



1 

WATER DATA EXCHANGE AND 

UPCOMING PROJECTS 

RSK Digital Water will launch the water data 

exchange project, a platform enabling water 

utilities to share anonymised smart meter 

data globally. By overcoming collaboration 

barriers and improving knowledge sharing, 

this initiative will help the group understand 

water consumption patterns, supporting 

informed decision-making. Data collected 

will be used for gathering, anonymising and 

aggregating water consumption data from 

various utility companies around the world. 

This will facilitate a standardised approach 

to per-capita consumption in the world. 

The platform will also act as a mediator 

for distributing data catering to a wide 

spectrum of audiences — including utility 

companies, academic institutions 

and legal entities. It will aid in informed 

decision-making for water management 

and policy formulation, ensuring strategy 

guidance. The project will be launched at 

Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 

and has a number of global water utilities 

registered. The platform is due to go live 

later in 2024. 

2 

1 Ten years of data covering over 300,000 customers were analysed and structured 

2 Smart meters provide a way to collect insights into water consumption and leakage 

Operating in a franchise model, RSK Digital 

Water, along with key personnel, was able 

to identify trends and anomalies from this 

vast data set to help improve cost efficiency, 

customer experience and water efficiency. 

The package of work included data analytics 

capability and training modules for longer-term 

company digitisation and transformation. 

SMART WATER METERING SERVICES 

An example of the team’s advisory services 

is its specialisation in smart water meter 

deployments and operations. The team 

has project experience in this domain — 

from London, UK; Singapore; Melbourne, 

Australia; and Muscat, Oman. Currently, 

the team is delivering a full strategic review 

of the implementation of smart meters in 

Hong Kong, which will review end-to-end 

metering journeys, its deployment process and 

operating model. Cities such as Hong Kong 

have challenges that are both common and 

unique, such as high-density populations and 

high-rise buildings. The team has used both 

its global and local expertise to recommend 

robust approaches in implementing this 

technology across more than 3 million 

connections. 

RSK Digital Water will continue to integrate 

technologies such as AI, machine learning 

(ML), and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions 

to improve water management and 

conservation efforts. With an emphasis 

on sustainability, it aims to develop 

and implement solutions to safeguard 

resources and it will also continue to foster 

stronger collaborations with international 

water utilities, academic institutions, and 

industry leaders to facilitate knowledge 

sharing and drive innovation, with its 

water data exchange platform. Investing 

in training and development, RSK Digital 

Water will equip its team and partners 

with the skills and knowledge to tackle 

complex water issues through workshops, 

seminars, and hands-on training. Finally, 

the group will continue to prioritise clients’ 

needs by delivering quality, cost-effective, 

and timely services that enhance 

operational efficiency and customer 

satisfaction. 

Images: RSK Digital Water 



Water Investor Series 2024: 

Connecting investors with 

water startups in Singapore 

PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, has organised the Water Investor 

Series in 2024: a three-part programme served as a platform for investors to 

connect with Singapore startups in the water and sustainability space. With 

water at the forefront, this PUB series aims to amplify the industry. 

The first Water Investor Series took place 

in February 2024 at the Singapore Water 

Exchange (SgWX) with the aim of exposing 

local water startups to venture capital funds for 

potential investment. EDBI, the global strategic 

investment arm of the Singapore Economic 

Development Board (EDB), which focuses on 

high-growth technology sectors, kickstarted 

the first session by meeting and hearing 

pitches from six local water tech startups: 

AeroLion Technologies, Aprisium, Hydroleap, 

NM3 Tech, SpaceAge Labs, and TeamSolve. 

The startups took the opportunity to introduce 

their water technologies and unique selling 

points (USPs), and articulated the potential for 

scaling up their innovation and technologies. 

The event showcased a wealth of interesting 

technologies and water tech startups in 

Singapore, leveraging PUB’s strong support 

for the water innovation ecosystem. 

Aligned with its investment focus on 

developing Singapore’s capabilities, EDBI had 

expressed interest in exploring opportunities 

with water tech startups that offer solutions 

to help local manufacturers and industrials 

players in reducing their environmental 

footprint. The collaboration with EDBI for this 

event would help open avenues for fundraising 

opportunities, R&D partnerships and business 

development through access to EDBI’s global 

networks, where appropriate. 

The next Water Investor Series will take 

place on 20 Jun 2024 in conjunction with the 

Singapore International Water Week (SIWW), 

to connect startups with family offices under 

the Wealth Management Institute, establishing 

an ecosystem to collectively tackle the water 

sector’s pressing challenges. The finale of the 

series will be in August 2024, involving pre- and 

post-revenue investors, global water venture 

capitalists, as well as multinational corporations 

and corporates open to water innovation 

investments. With all these investment 

opportunities lined up, we foresee a bright 

future for our local water tech startups! 

Images: PUB 



“The water industry 

has a key role to play 

in mitigating climate change” 

SUEZ chairman and CEO Sabrina Soussan champions the group’s 

expertise, solutions and ambitions to address the global climate 

challenges. At Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2024, 

SUEZ announced three new projects in Asia. 

By Amira Yunos 

In the Philippines, SUEZ 

and the local partner 

will build a SWRO 

desalination plant in 

the area of metro Iloilo 

to address the region’s 

drinking water shortage 

SUEZ IN SINGAPORE 

At SIWW, SUEZ chairman and CEO 

Soussan presented in the Titans 

of Industry session — a high-level 

panel for global water industry CEOs 

and senior executives to share 

their corporate vision and strategy 

as leaders in urban sustainability, 

resilience and innovation. The 

company also announced three new 

projects in Asia, demonstrating its 

approach to water management in 

both municipal and industrial sectors. 

SUEZ was awarded a new contract 

by PUB, Singapore’s national water 

agency to deploy and maintain a 

Smart Water Grid Analytics platform 

for its water supply network. Based 

on SUEZ’s AQUADVANCED Water 

Networks platform, this system 

will contribute to reinforcing PUB’s 

operational efficiency and resilience. 

The Smart Water Grid Analytics platform 

can detect and localise water quality 

and pressure issues in the network. It 

can generate accurate simulation and 

propose necessary remedial actions for 

more effective decision-making. 



We must step up our efforts to adapt the 

production methods and infrastructure 

of our societies to the consequences of 

climate change. 


Chairman and CEO, SUEZ 

PUB will gain improved visibility 

of the network conditions, with 

enhanced analytics capabilities to 

simulate and anticipate. This will 

enable PUB to formulate a more 

global network management strategy, 

further optimising its operations 

and minimising inconvenience to its 

customers. 

With climate change increasing the 

intensity of both droughts and floods, 

the value at risk from water-related 

events — storm, floods, droughts 

— is expected to reach US$3.1tn. 

“The number of people at risk from 

water-related disasters is projected to 

increase from 1.2 billion to 1.6 billion 

over the next 30 years,” the chairman 

and CEO added. 

These extreme weather events might 

have an impact on water services, 

such as flooding risks for water 

treatment plants (WTPs) close to 

coastlines and pollution of pumping 

wells at drinking water production 

plants in the event of heavy rainfall. 

For the SUEZ chairman and CEO, 

digital solutions can be a powerful 

lever to manage these water-related 

risks and save water. Additionally, 

SUEZ supports PUB in anticipating 

flash floods and managing water 

quality, through the catchment and 

waterways operations system to 

optimise the nation’s water resource 

management. With SUEZ smart 

metering solutions, users around 

the world like PUB can monitor 

water consumption and receive 

advice on how to use water more 

efficiently. 

“Here in Singapore, we have been a 

long-standing partner of the PUB in 

managing, conserving and digitising 

the country’s water assets,” said 

Soussan. 

RECYCLING WATER 

On the Titans of Industry panel, 

Soussan pointed out that the 

water sector needs to move from 

short-term resource management 

to a more anticipated and structural 

management. Apart from smart 

metering solutions, reusing treated 

wastewater can help the industry 

forward. 

In China, following the success of the 

Qufu municipal wastewater treatment 

project, in Shandong province, SUEZ 

and Shandong Public are extending 

their partnership to design, build, 

and operate (DBO) an industrial 

wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) 

in the Jining New Materials industrial 

park through a new joint venture. 

Through this agreement, SUEZ will 

be promoting zero liquid discharge 

(ZLD) and water recycling in Jining 

Industrial Park, China. With a daily 

capacity of 10,000m 3 , the project has 

been awarded a 30-year concession. 

It will turn high-salinity wastewater 

into industrial water to supply the 

companies within the park, aiming to 

achieve 100% wastewater recycling. 

To support the park’s ambition to 

achieve green, low-carbon and 

high-quality development as one 

of the top 20 chemical industrial 

parks in China, this project will yield 

significant environmental benefits. The 

new WWTP will be able to produce 

approximately 3.6 million m 3 of 

alternative water per year — equivalent 

to the volume of around 1,500 

Olympic-sized swimming pools. 

Additionally, 85% of the crystallised salt 

products coming from the high-salinity 

wastewater can be recycled for the 

production of sodium sulphate through 

the treatment process. 

“We must step up our efforts to 

adapt the production methods and 

infrastructure of our societies to the 


SUEZ chairman and 

CEO, was the opening 

speaker on the Titans 

of Industry panel at 

SIWW 



desalination plant in metro Iloilo to 

address the region’s drinking water 

shortage. 

The plant is poised to be the 

largest facility of its kind in 

the Philippines, producing 

approximately 66,500m 3 of water 

daily, supplying drinking water to 

nearly 50,000 households and the 

industrial water needs of a nearby 

power plant. 

The project marks another 

collaboration between SUEZ 

and JEMCO, following their 

joint venture on a major water 

reclamation facility in Muntinlupa 

city, metro Manila. Designed for 

efficiency by implementing SUEZ’s 

SeaDAF filter technology, the 

compact plant is expected to be 

completed within 24 months from 

A pioneer in the 

analysis and 

treatment of 

micropollutants, the 

group is developing 

new processes to 

identify and eliminate 

complex pollutants 

such as PFAS and 

metabolites (Image: 

William Daniels, 

SUEZ) 

consequences of climate change,” 

said Soussan. “To do so, both 

mature and innovative solutions 

exist to support the resilience of 

territories.” 

INCREASING WATER 

AVAILABILITY 

When it comes to supporting the 

resilience of communities, SUEZ 

solution in seawater desalination has 

a “strong development potential”, 

according to Soussan. 

SUEZ is said to be building one of 

Taiwan’s first large-scale municipal 

desalination plants, benefiting 

around 1.6 million people and the 

local industries. 

Furthermore, at SIWW 2024, 

SUEZ announced another 

collaboration with JEMCO, a 

construction company in the 

Philippines, to DBO a large-scale 

seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) 

the start of construction. 

“Asia is a key strategic market for 

SUEZ where our journey began 

more than 70 years ago,” said 

Soussan. “Together with our local 

partners, we are committed to 

driving progress in combating the 

water issues and climate change 

through innovative solutions.” 

Images: SUEZ 

Citing an example in Taiwan, 

Soussan pointed out that climate 

change and extreme hydrological 

events have impacted the region’s 

water supply, which mainly relies 

on reservoirs fed by rainfall. “With 

the expansion of semiconductor 

factories in the Hsinchu Science 

Park, the demand for water is set to 

surge,” she said. 

Winning a contract with its partners 

to DBO a desalination plant in 

Hsinchu, Taiwan to produce 

100,000m 3 of drinking water per day, 

SUEZ has 50 years of know-how in seawater desalination, having built one of the world’s 

largest SWRO desalination plant in Australia 


“Everything that comes out 

of Cetogenix technology 

can be recovered” 


Based on its philosophy of no waste left behind, Cetogenix’s technology 

recovers everything in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. Its co-founder 

and CEO Trevor Stuthridge tells us how this New Zealand clean tech 

company does it. 


for zero solid waste disposal to land, and 

lowering greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) 

from the waste streams. This has coincided 

with macro-economic and political demands 

for energy self-sufficiency and low-carbon 

alternatives to fossil products. We quickly 

recognised that the organic wastes we had 

been focusing on could be the solution to 

the second set of drivers — and therefore 

also address the first set of sector needs. 

Hence, we have now been able to pivot our 

company into that space. 

The Ceto-Boost reactor, Cetogenix’s technology 

Tell us about Cetogenix. 

Trevor Stuthridge: Cetogenix is a company 

focused on creating value from organic 

waste streams. We are a clean tech company 

based in New Zealand, but with a global 

perspective. 

We have two major focus areas. One is the 

wastewater industry itself, which generates 

large amounts of biosolid waste. It is our 

belief that if you can create sufficient value, 

then defaulting to disposal — especially 

landfilling and land application — does not 

remain a challenge to that market. The other 

is the organic waste-to-renewables market, 

particularly the agricultural AD biogas sector, 

which is specifically aiming to extract value 

from the waste. 

We were created in July of 2022. The 

underpinning technology was developed by 

us about 10 years ago. Although we scaled it 

up for the wastewater sector at that time, the 

market was not yet ready, so we had to wait for 

the market and regulatory drivers to change. 

The big changes have been the demand 

How does Cetogenix improve the process 

of AD? 

Stuthridge: Organic wastes are usually 

quite complex in makeup and high in water 

content. They are often contaminated 

with microplastics, per- and perfluoroalkyl 

substances (PFAS) or pathogens, and 

mostly highly distributed in relatively small 

volumes across locations. 

These problems for organic waste 

are all strengths for our technology, 

and that is how we have designed it, 

incorporating the philosophy of no waste 

left behind. Everything that comes out 

of our technology has value and can be 

recovered. 

Our technology — Ceto-Boost — likes 

water and it turns complex wastes into 

simple usable products. Our technology 

does not mind contamination because 



it destroys the contaminants. Our 

technology also addresses the 

distribution challenge because we 

have made it containerised and 

modular. 

We are basically combusting the 

material in the water in a process 

known as hydrothermal oxidation. We 

take the organic waste, continuously 

add it into our reactor system, 

pressurise it, heat it up, and then we 

introduce air. We do not want to burn 

it all the way to nothing. The real 

strength of our technology is that the 

combustion is carefully controlled so 

that big carbon molecules turn into 

very small carbon molecules that can 

then be used to make downstream 

products, such as biomethane — 

a value replacement for natural 

gas — low-carbon chemicals, and 

biomaterials. 

All the nitrogen turns into ammonia, 

which is recovered, and the 

phosphorus is recovered as a solid 

product — both offering value as 

synthetic fertiliser replacements. 

Cetogenix’s hyper-circular approach 

also targets the water in the waste, 

which can be returned into the water 

cycle. 

The AD industry typically converts 

half the organic waste to valuable 

gas, and then the leftover material 

— digestate — has to be put onto 

land. Land application is being 

regulated against due to concerns 

about groundwater contamination 

from nitrogen, fugitive greenhouse 

emissions, and the presence of PFAS, 

microplastics and pathogens. 

By targeting this residual material, 

we greatly increase the economics 

of AD — by improving gas production 

by over 40% and recovering valuable 

nutrients — and the environmental 

performance of AD — by dramatically 

reducing organic solid waste volumes 

by more than 95%, eliminating 

contaminants, and substantially 

lowering their greenhouse gas 

emissions. 

We want the integration of our 

system to become the new 

normal for AD. We are offering a 

disruptive technology to wastewater 

management companies and 

anaerobic digester operators that 

eliminates the operating costs and 

impacts of leftover materials and 

improves capital payback periods. It 

is a compelling value proposition. 

What are some sustainable ways 

the water industry can learn from 

the clean tech sector? Are there any 

crossovers? 

Stuthridge: For the water industry, a 

number of climate change impacts are 

not currently accounted for by their 

solid waste management practices. 

For instance, CO2 is emitted when 

biodegrading materials in wastewater 

treatment plants (WWTPs). When 

their sludge is put onto land, it breaks 

down over time, creating fugitive 

GHGs. Nitrous oxide is released when 

nitrogen in the material is placed 

onto land. Our compact and efficient 

clean tech system has the key benefit 

of generating products that aid in 

defossilisation. But by using water 

treatment sector organic wastes 

as its source of renewable carbon, 

it ends up addressing some of the 

most challenging limitations on water 

industry delivery to its community and 

the ecosystem. 

Do you see the potential in 

Singapore? 

Stuthridge: Yes, I do. Singapore is 

incinerating a lot of its organic waste 

now. These high capital, centralised 

systems come with their own 

logistical challenges and offer limited 

The New Zealand-based 

Cetogenix team 



value recovery potential. Cetogenix 

believes that integration of more 

localised waste processing facilities 

— compared to singular big central 

facilities — may help ease the pressure 

off the central system, lowering future 

infrastructure costs as WWTPs and 

water treatment plants (WTPs) are 

challenged by population growth. 

They also ensure the local community 

can both be more responsible for its 

own waste management needs — and 

benefit directly from value recovery 

opportunities. 

Going forward, we see a role for 

Singapore to be a great beachhead 

market for the broader South 

East Asian region as we see great 

opportunities in Malaysia, Vietnam 

and Thailand, especially in the palm 

oil, aquaculture and food processing 

industries. 

As a New Zealand startup, how has 

Cetogenix grown over the years? As 

CEO, share with us your hopes and 

vision. 

Stuthridge: I always like to 

acknowledge as a co-founder that 

there are over 15 years of research 

behind us. Back in the New Zealand 

research environment, we adopted the 

concept of sustainable design, building 

our technologies to fit a set of core 

principles rather than the other way 

around. We are a more mature startup 

team who are still deeply driven by 

this. 

We are offering a disruptive technology to waste 

managers that transforms organic wastes from 

an environmental problem into a truly sustainable 

resource for renewable, low carbon energy, 

chemicals and biomaterials. 

Trevor Stuthridge 

CEO and cofounder, Cetogenix 

Now, the market has caught up with 

what we were targeting from the 

inception, and we are pivoting the 

technology to adapt it to this new 

value proposition. If we say we cannot 

generate secondary wastes, then 

we have to design the technology 

to do that. If we say it needs to be 

retrofittable, then it needs to be plug 

and play. If we say it has to be scalable, 

then it needs to be containerised. All 

that leads to our technology’s design 

features. 

As proud New Zealanders, we want 

to have global impact. But Cetogenix 

can also give back to New Zealand 

by helping the country meet its own 

obligations around climate change and 

waste management more effectively. 

That means not losing 

sight of the opportunity to introduce 

Ceto-Boost into our home market. 

Finally, from my perspective as an 

innovation leader, I want to build and 

support an exciting, diverse, energised 

and innovative team. We have twelve 

in our team at the moment. By the end 

of this year, once we raise our current 

investment, we hope to double that. 

I want our company to be exemplary 

in the ethical and inclusive delivery 

of innovation, which is a big driver for 

us. We want to continue to enjoy what 

we are doing — break boundaries 

— and retain our passion for a more 

sustainable future — because it is not 

only the right thing to do, but also the 

smart thing to do. 

Images: Cetogenix 

Cetogenix staff examine Ceto-Boost processing samples in the lab 

Trevor Stuthridge 

Co-founder and CEO, Cetogenix 



Veolia: Driving 

green progress in China 

Veolia Water Technologies China CEO Daniel Nogueira shares about Veolia’s 

€10m investment — its first ion exchange regeneration facility in Changshu, 

China — and the group’s growth initiatives within the Chinese market. 


consumption and therefore lowering the 

site’s carbon footprint. 

The facility will also improve supply chain 

resilience with its mobile water services. 

The plant’s continuous production capacity 

ensures resilience against operational 

challenges, from supplier shutdowns to 

climatic conditions impacting installed 

equipment. 

By providing either temporary or long-term 

services to its clients with its own assets, 

the team in China is able to offer a variety of 

options, said the CEO. “It is a good way to 

improve the resilience of the supply chain 

[and provide a] peace of mind for our clients, 

because we manage everything for them,” 

added Nogueira. 

Veolia’s new facility will enhance supply chain resilience for key industries such as microelectronics, 

pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, power generation, and the F&B 

VEOLIA’S FIRST REGENERATION PLANT 

IN CHINA 

Veolia Water Technologies — a subsidiary 

of Veolia Group and a specialist in water 

treatment technologies and services — 

has inaugurated its first ion exchange 

regeneration facility in Changshu last May, 

expanding its scope of services to meet 

customers’ treated and ultrapure water 

(UPW) needs. 

Located in the densely populated Changshu 

Economic and Technological Development 

Zone (CEDZ) in Jiangsu province, the new 

facility spans 6,000m 2 — the size of four 

football fields — with a production capacity 

of 60kL/d for mobile water services and 

5kL/d for service deionisation. 

The company’s decision to redevelop a 

brownfield site, despite the costs and 

challenges, was aligned with Veolia’s 

purpose, according to the CEO. “We 

wanted to go for an existing place to limit 

the impact to the natural habitat,” he said. 

“It was a strong choice for us and this was 

one way to lead by example.” 

Furthermore, its design of the 

regeneration plant which integrates water 

recycling systems will reduce city water 

consumption by up to 60%, preserving 

freshwater resources for the local 

community. Its technology recycles spent 

ion exchange resins, promoting resource 

optimisation. These actions accelerate 

decarbonisation efforts by reducing power 

It will also complement Veolia’s current resin 

regeneration and recycling service centre 

in Penang, Malaysia, enhancing support to 

customers within the Asia-Pacific region. 

VEOLIA IN ALIGNMENT WITH CHINA’S 

SUSTAINABILITY GOALS 

The CEO who helmed Veolia Water 

Technologies China since 2019 said that 

Veolia is “at the heart of China’s sustainability 

goals”, aligning itself with the country’s 14th 

five-year plan from 2021-2025 — which aims 

to develop a circular economy and resource 

recycling — and its 30:60 dual carbon policy 

back in 2021. 

“China is becoming more conscious about 

sustainability — we see that year after year, 

step by step, industries and municipalities 

are increasing their pace,” Nogueira said. 



“The strategy is to offer our clients 

— whether industrial or municipal — 

solutions to depollute, decarbonise, 

and reuse resources.” 

Aligned with the government’s 

sustainability goals, Veolia Group 

unveiled its GreenUp strategic 

programme for 2024-2027, 

accelerating the deployment of 

affordable and replicable solutions 

that regenerate resources. 

Additionally, the plant’s operation will 

create employment opportunities for 

the local community, and Veolia 

will focus on knowledge transfer 

and the upskilling of the local 

team for talent development. 

This collaborative effort between 

Veolia and local authorities will 

drive business resilience for the 

region and advance sustainable 

development initiatives. 

According to Nogueira, China 

remains a growth market for 

Veolia Group as it continues to 

expand its presence and deliver 

on the promise of sustainability. 

Since Veolia’s establishment in 

China in the 1990s, the company 

has executed more than 400 

projects, delivering tailored 

solutions to both industrial and 

municipal customers. 

Images: Veolia 

Mayor of the 

Changshu Municipal 

City Government; 

Deputy Director of 

CEDZ Management 

Committee; and 

representatives from 

CEDZ Investment 

Promotion Bureau 

graced the 

inauguration event 

The strategy is to offer our clients 

— whether industrial or municipal — 

solutions to depollute, decarbonise, and 

reuse resources. 

Daniel Nogueira 

CEO, Veolia Water Technologies China 

Daniel Nogueira 

CEO, Veolia Water Technologies China 



“Digitalising solutions to 

reduce water loss 

around the world” 

Since March 2024, the new Kamstrup CEO Søren Kvorning pens his ambitions 

on building operational efficiency, improving Kamstrup’s international market 

position and strengthening its supply chain. 


Based in Denmark 

with employees in 

over 20 countries, 

Kamstrup reduces 

waste and optimises 

the production and 

distribution of clean 

water and energy 

(Image: Kamstrup) 

TOWARDS OPERATIONAL 

EFFICIENCY WITH SMART 

METERING SOLUTIONS 

Kvorning’s career within the green 

technology sector spanned for more 

than two decades, previously serving 

as the CEO of a Danish company from 

the wind energy industry Enabl. 

Today, the Kamstrup CEO leads more 

than 1,700 employees to differentiate 

and manufacture its smart metering 

products to its customers every day. 

He said, “My role is to build teams 

[to improve] our solutions in the 

company [so] data and analytics in 

our products and services are more 

effective for our customers to identify 

options for energy savings and 

reducing water leakages.” 

For the CEO, this business which 

digitalises and gives insight into 

consumption holds potential 

to positively impact the green 

transition. Better use of energy data 

builds operational efficiency, and 

water is a scarce resource which 

cannot be replaced by solar, wind 

or other renewables, according to 

Kvorning. 

In Europe, water loss counts for more 

than 20%, and water loss can go up to 

more than 50% of what is produced 

or lifted from underground in other 

parts of the world. Kamstrup digital 

meters are equipped with features 

to identify leakages in the pipe lines, 

which makes it possible for the utilities 

to stop the leak and by that, reduce 

water loss. 



“Intelligent energy solutions and 

utilising our resources properly are 

close to my heart, and the potential 

worldwide is huge for Kamstrup,” 

Kvorning added. “It motivates me a 

lot, and I am proud and humbled to be 

given the task.” 

Kamstrup digital 

meters are equipped 

with features to 

identify leakages in 

the pipe lines (Image: 

Kamstrup) 

A MORE RESILIENT SUPPLY CHAIN 

One of his focus points is to create 

a more resilient supply chain by 

being better at detecting and 

preventing futures shortages before 

they happen, as well as improving 

data transparency and derisking 

dependencies. 

“We will continue to work closely 

together with our suppliers and 

partners to build more flexibility 

in our supplies,” he said. “The key 

for all manufactures, after the big 

supply crisis following the pandemic, 

is related to proactiveness and 

implementation of the learnings from 

the last crisis.” 

Having shorter supply lines by 

localising suppliers is another 

target for the Kamstrup CEO. For 

example, its new North American 

HQ and manufacturing facility in 

Forsyth county, Georgia, US — 

launched last March — is designed 

to grow Kamstrup’s operations and 

manufacturing capacity, expanding 

into a 150,000ft 2 space at Forsyth 

Commerce Centre in Cumming. 

“We are working with both existing and 

new suppliers to localise the supply 

chain in the US,” Kvorning said. “With 

strategic new partners, [we] secure 

supply of materials and components, 

both for flexibility and resilience as 

well as to reduce CO2 footprint.” Prior 

to his role as Kamstrup CEO, Kvorning 

helped identify opportunities to create 

a sounder supply chain during the 

global component and microchip 

shortage for Danfoss Drives, a global 

electronics manufacturer within the 

Danfoss group. 

Søren Kvorning 

CEO, Kamstrup 

The key for all manufactures, after the big supply 

crisis following the pandemic, is related to 

proactiveness and implementation of the learnings 

from the last crisis. 

Søren Kvorning 

CEO, Kamstrup 

STINT IN SINGAPORE 

Kvorning was stationed with his family 

in Singapore in 2015-2021, where 

he led teams across Asia-Pacific 

and India as president of Danfoss’ 

activities in the APAC region. 

“Singapore is digital, which means a 

strong development and opportunity 

to be at the forefront of digitalising 

machines, processes and 

solutions,” Kvorning said, when 

asked about his observations in 

the region. As the CEO of Kamstrup 

today, he added, “[Kamstrup] will 

increase our visibility and presence 

in South East Asia in the near 

future.” 



Open Geospatial Consortium 

and the blue economy 

Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is dedicated to creating standards 

and interoperability practices for anything location-based, according to its 

chief standards officer (CSO) Scott Simmons. He tells us about the spatial 

component of water and the importance of data sharing to protect human 

beings and the ocean. 


located somewhere,” Simmons 

said. 

Referred to as federated marine 

spatial data infrastructure 

projects, OGC pilot projects that 

connect land and sea aims to 

mitigate disasters by finding a 

standardised approach. “In the 

same vein, we work on flood 

prediction [and] flood modelling,” 

he said. “Flooding studies are 

a huge part of what we do — 

looking at sea level rise, coastal 

inundation, as well as ground 

subsidence.” 

For example, the GIS Research 

Centre at Feng Chia University 

maintains a flood management 

system in Taiwan using 100% 

standard-based tools so that 

natural disasters such as 

Simmons 

moderating at Geo 

Connect Asia 2024 

panel in Singapore 

last April 

OGC’S HYDROSPATIAL WORK 

The spatial component of water 

— hydrospatial — is the analysis 

of and access to marine data, 

including depth measurements 

and descriptions of physical 

features in oceans, seas, coastal 

areas, lakes, and rivers. 1 

resources to study ocean science 

and navigation. OGC studies the 

characteristics of water chemistry, 

tides in the ocean, river flows, as 

well as long-term climatic impacts 

and disaster issues, managing a 

collaborative R&D process to solve 

such challenges. 

floodwaters and landslides can be 

prevented. “The entire island of 

Taiwan is completely networked 

and monitored with the systems, 

all based on the standards we 

develop,” Simmons added, “They 

estimate they save thousands of 

lives every year because of this.” 

OGC; an international membership 

organisation of geospatial 

innovation, collaboration, and 

standards; works with water 

“Water is an important part to use, 

be it on the surface of the earth 

or flowing through the ground. It 

has that spatial component; it is 

In Singapore, OGC studied how 

flooding might occur at East 

Coast Park based on an unusual 

storm search. “You do not get 



typhoons here, but if you were to 

have a significant storm with the 

wrong kind of winds, it might flood 

the lagoon,” Simmons said, pointing 

out that the hawker centre would 

be under 3m of water in these 

conditions. 

“Our focus is the practical 

application of the science — 

understanding exactly where 

that water is, where it goes, how 

it relates to other aspects of the 

surface, be it the infrastructure 

or the terrain — is an important 

component that OGC covers.” 

SHARING DATA FOR SAFETY 

With around 500 members all 

over the world, this consortium of 

experts works to develop standards 

— referred to as a consensus 

based standard body — and this is 

done by studying data. “We work 

to make sure that all the data you 

might share is FAIR — Findable, 

Accessible, Interoperable, and 

Reusable,” said the OGC CSO. 

He also added, “A large part of the 

water resources community has 

agreed upon certain standards to 

describe how they are going to 

measure water infrastructure, rivers 

and hydrology, the characteristics 

of water flow, the groundwater, and 

the measuring of all these water 

observations.” 

“From a technology standpoint, 

we have this now well-covered,” 

the CSO said. “We understand the 

technology and the data sharing 

capabilities. We now have to work 

on the politics and policy side, 

and understand that sharing is 

important.” 

Sharing, he said, is sometimes 

more of a political than a practical 

issue. “Sharing that information 

across an international boundary 

can be complicated,” he added. 

“Modelling across a boundary can 

be complicated because each side 

has its own risk profile.” 

But data is critical in showing 

water quality degradation and 

water pollution effects. Effluents 

from industrial actions that cross 

international boundaries may 

impact the downstream community 

without the upstream community 

having to worry about the problem. 

Therefore, sharing this information 

and publishing quantity aspects of 

the data would show the impact 

and prevent such disasters again, 

according to Simmons. 

When it comes to resources, the 

more OGC is able to consistently 

model water resources, the more 

people are able to implement 

proactive water saving measures 

in place early. For example, 

understanding how much 

precipitation is going to fall based 

on the El Nino condition this year 

will determine which places will get 

more water and who will get less. 

“People are able to plan accordingly 

and manage our water,” he said. 

“Water is certainly our most limited 

resource.” 

“The only way to do that is to have 

a consistent way of modelling the 

data, sharing the data and ensuring 

that everyone at least knows the 

science and the data are good.” 

Reference: 

1 TCarta. What is hydrospatial? 

We work to make sure that all the data 

you might share is FAIR — Findable, 

Accessible, Interoperable, and 

Reusable. 

Scott Simmons 

Chief standards officer, OGC 

Scott Simmons 

Chief standards officer, OGC 



“Having the right 

geo-data is needed to 

safeguard Singapore’s coastline 

against erosion, flooding, 

and sea level rise” 

Paul Seaton, director, hydrography and coastal resilience, Asia-Pacific, 

Fugro, gives his insights on geo-data acquisition both on land and 

at sea. Capabilities in enhancing coastal resilience is critical, given 

rising sea levels due to climate change and its implications on island 

countries like Singapore. 


Images: Fugro 

What are the latest developments in 

coastal resilience and hydrospatial 

data? 

Paul Seaton: The industry has made 

advancements in coastal resilience 

through the improved capture and 

understanding of hydrospatial data 

over recent years, providing insights for 

effective coastal management through a 

greater understanding of the impacts of 

sea level rise, erosion, and storm surges. 

The development of Fugro’s Rapid Airborne 

Multibeam Mapping System (RAMMS) and 

airborne lidar bathymetry — which is the 

study of the ‘beds’ or ‘floors’ of water bodies 

— systems have been crucial to this through 

providing a comprehensive understanding of 

coastal and nearshore environments. 

RAMMS enables us to rapidly and accurately 

capture high-resolution data of the 

seafloor — even in shallow waters where 

traditional survey methods struggle — while 

simultaneously capturing topographic data 

to produce a seamless dataset. This rapid 

acquisition of data means we can cover 

extensive areas even in complex coastal 

zones for time sensitive projects. The data 

can also be integrated with other data sets 

such as satellite or aerial imagery and in-situ 

measurements that contribute to a holistic 

understanding of the coastal environment. 

Engaging machine learning (ML) and artificial 



intelligence (AI) for advanced data 

processing is pivotal to improve the 

efficiency and accuracy of the data 

delivered, and to glean meaningful 

insights. 

To improve the ability of decision 

makers to use this data, our digital 

twin modelling platform, VirGeo, 

leverages this data to create 

interactive models of coastal 

environments. These models allow us 

to simulate different scenarios and 

predict the impacts of sea level rise, 

erosion, and storm surges, providing 

invaluable insights for effective 

coastal management. 

What are its implications for 

Singapore as an island state? 

Seaton: Sea level rise presents 

risks for all coastal communities, 

particularly island states such as 

Singapore. Today, around 30% of 

Singapore is less than 5m above mean 

sea level. With sea levels expected to 

rise by 1m by 2100, Singapore faces 

an existential threat, and the country 

will need to deploy various coastal 

resilience strategies to address future 

potential flood risks. 

The Singapore government has also 

been leading the way in these efforts 

and collaborating with the academic 

and commercial communities to 

improve coastal protection and flood 

management capabilities. Last year’s 

launch of the Coastal Protection and 

Flood Resilience Institute in Singapore 

is a testament to the country’s 

commitment towards developing 

innovative, multi-functional coastal 

protection and flood management 

solutions for Singapore’s coastlines, 

and to expand on local expertise in 

mitigating the effects of rising sea 

levels. 

Geo-data plays a crucial role in 

developing informed mitigation 

strategies. The detailed data 

collected in coastal and nearshore 

areas combined with the digital 

visualisation and modelling tools 

allow coastal communities and island 

states to visualise and simulate 

future scenarios. This improves the 

development of proactive measures to 

protect coastlines, infrastructure, and 

communities in Singapore against the 

adverse effects of climate change. 

Given Singapore’s limited land area, 

how should hydrospatial data be 

maximised to develop effective 

coastal management strategies? 

Seaton: Detailed bathymetric 

and water column data can help 

highlight areas at risk of erosion 

and flooding. Integrating this data 

into sophisticated digital twins that 

model coastal dynamics under 

various scenarios helps planning and 

targeted interventions, such as the 

construction of sea walls or the use of 

natural solutions, such as mangroves 

to ensure that every square metre of 

Singapore is optimally managed and 

protected for many years to come. 

Tell us how predictive modelling 

helps to detect and mitigate climate 

change induced rising sea levels, 

with technologies such as AI and 

satellite imagery. 

Seaton: Predictive modelling plays 

a crucial role in understanding the 

effects of rising sea levels and 

developing mitigation strategies 

to protect coastal communities. 

Accurate geo-data is essential for the 

effectiveness of these models. Our 

digital twin modelling platform can 

be used to model or simulate various 

climate scenarios, such as the effects 

of various levels of sea rise or storm 

and flood inundation events and show 

what the impact on coastal regions 

will be. This predictive capability 

helps planners and policymakers 

design mitigation strategies, such 

as enhancing coastal defences and 

improving urban drainage systems, 

to minimise the risks associated 

with rising sea levels. Being able to 

provide visualisations of these events 

also helps communities understand 

the impact and the importance of 

adaptive and mitigation strategies. 

In your opinion, why is investing in 

coastal resilience solutions crucial 

to maintain Singapore’ status as a 

global business hub? 

Seaton: As an island state, investing 

in coastal resilience solutions is vital 

with climate change and rising sea 

levels an existential threat. Protecting 

both the community and critical 

infrastructure from the impacts of 

climate change is essential to ensure 

uninterrupted economic activities. 

Having the right geo-data is needed 

to safeguard Singapore’s coastline 

against erosion, flooding, and sea 

level rise. 

By Singapore taking action now, not 

only are physical assets protected 

but also Singapore’s reputation as a 

resilient and forward-thinking city. 

By demonstrating a commitment to 

sustainability and climate adaptation, 

Singapore continues to attract global 

businesses and investors, securing 

its position as a leading international 

business hub. Singapore can be an 

example to other coastal communities 

in the region and further afield and will 

most certainly be able to contribute to 

helping others develop the solutions 

they need for a safe and liveable 

world. 

Paul Seaton 

Director, hydrography and coastal 

resilience, Asia-Pacific, Fugro 



Jacobi: Supplying coconut shell 

activated carbon to 

water treatment plants 

As a recipient of the 2024 Water Quality 

Association (WQA) Excellence award, Jacobi 

Group plans to be the most sustainable supplier 

in the industry with its ‘GO GREEN’ initiative, 

replacing coal and fossil fuel with coconut shells 

and other renewable materials. 


and agglomerated bituminous coal gave the 

same performance. 

How does the group offer reactivation of 

spent activated carbon? How does this 

impact your product’s Global Warming 

Potential (GWP) in Europe? 

Laidin: We offer reactivation and recycling 

of spent activated carbon in Europe with 

our two reactivation facilities in France, 

which is dedicated to drinking water 

applications and Germany which has two 

lines: one for drinking water, and one for 

industrial applications. 

AquaSorb C series is a GAC manufactured from renewable coconut shell by steam activation at different activity 

levels (Image: Jacobi) 

Tell us more about activated carbon 

product range that is based on coconut 

shell as a primary raw material. 

Hydro Ho: Our AquaSorb C series is 

a granular activated carbon (GAC) 

manufactured from renewable coconut 

shell by steam activation at different activity 

levels. They are AquaSorb CR, AquaSorb CS, 

AquaSorb CT and AquaSorb CX. Coconut 

shell GAC offers a strong microporosity, 

high hardness, and high purity which make 

it suitable for removal of micropollutants for 

drinking water application. 

How is coal product replaced with 

coconut-based product, and how is the 

production process along the supply chain 

improved with your team’s innovation? 

Isabelle Laidin: ‘GO GREEN’ can be either 

coconut — we have been supplying coconut 

shell activated carbon to a number of water 

treatment plants (WTPs) in Germany like 

Darbringhausen, Herbringhausen and 

Benrath WTPs — or reactivation of coal 

with coconut makeup that we have been 

supplying to VEDIF, a big drinking water 

operator in France. 

We received results from a per- and 

polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) removal 

trial for a drinking water plant in Denmark 

recently. Based on comparison, both the 

hybrid grade F23 including coconut activated 

carbon and F23 with direct bituminate coal 

After an investigation in 2023, the German 

authorities validated the reactivation of 

spent activated carbon containing PFAS, 

from drinking water applications at our 

plant in Germany. The next steps are to 

investigate reactivation in our plant in 

France; and reactivation of spent activated 

carbon from industrial applications in our 

German plant later this year. The average 

GWP of 1kg reactivated carbon is 0.44kg 

CO2 equivalent which is more than 10 times 

lower than the GWP of virgin coal-based 

GAC. The carbon footprint of reactivated 

material is greatly reduced compared to 

coal activated carbon. 

What is Jacobi Group’s long-term 

sustainability journey? 

Ho: Our unwavering commitment is to 

become the most sustainable supplier in 

the industry, not only for activated carbon 

but also for our ion exchange resins 

and services businesses. At Jacobi, we 

understand that to achieve sustainability, 

we must dig deeper than simply meeting 

the standard requirements. We have taken 

a proactive approach and implemented 

initiatives that have brought us closer to 

our goal. For example, we are harvesting 



rainwater, making recycling readily 

available to our employees, and using 

electricity over diesel to power equipment. 

To drive our efforts, we have begun a 

‘GO GREEN’ initiative covering a range 

of activities throughout the value chain 

which will encourage the transition to more 

renewable products, more sustainable 

process technologies, and a more circular 

economy. 

As a route to reducing our GWP, we have 

set ourselves the goal of replacing — 

within the next 10 years — the products 

in our current portfolio that are derived 

from coal and other fossil fuel-based 

products, where a sustainable raw 

material alternative is technically 

available. 

We also see a lot of emerging needs of 

activated carbon such as metabolites 

removal, PFAS removal, and pharmaceuticals 

in municipal wastewater, due to evolving 

regulations. So, the future will belong to 

sustainable solution providers who offer 

reactivation, recycling and sustainable 

grades. 

In the next few years, we will focus 

on investment and innovation in clean 

technology. This will also involve 

strategic partnerships that will allow us to 

facilitate the implementation of cleantech 

carbonisation in the future. In Scope 3, 

we see great potential to introduce clean 

technology to ensure that we are using the 

most sustainable methods possible, and 

the lifecycle assessment has indicated the 

potential benefits of greenhouse gas (GHG) 

emission reduction. 

Isabelle Laidin 

Water application specialist, Jacobi 

Hydro Ho 

Technical director – Asia, Jacobi 

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IN THE FIELD 

HRS Biogas 

Dehumidification System (BDS) 

boosts energy efficiency for 

Melbourne Water 

By Ella Taghavi, project manager and technical lead at HRS Heat Exchangers 

The HRS BDS is 

designed to improve 

the operating life and 

energy efficiency of 

biogas engines 

Sewage and wastewater treatment 

is an energy-intensive process, but a 

recent upgrade project at Melbourne 

Water’s Eastern Treatment Plant (ETP) 

is helping to reduce emissions in 

accordance with company and state 

objectives. A key part of the upgrade 

is a Biogas Dehumidification System 

(BDS) from HRS Heat Exchangers. 

Along with prolonging the working 

life of the site’s electricity generation 

equipment, the technology is also 

improving energy efficiency and 

reducing operating costs. The 

upgrade ensures the site can generate 

around 30% of its own energy needs 

from biogas. 

Located in Melbourne, Australia’s 

suburb of Bangholme, some 19 

miles south-east of the city centre, 

Melbourne Water’s ETP treats almost 

half of all Melbourne’s sewage, 

an average of 330 million litres 

a day. Constructed in 1975, the 

1,000-hectare site is now the second 

largest wastewater treatment 

plant (WWTP) in Australia and the 

largest activated sludge plant in 

the southern hemisphere which 

produces Class A recycled water 

from an advanced tertiary treatment 

system. 

THE PATH TO NET ZERO 

The ETP has aways generated 

energy from sewage gas, and the 

site houses seven power generators 

which are capable of running solely 

on biogas — produced through the 

anaerobic digestion (AD) of sludge 

during the first and second phases of 


IN THE FIELD 

The HRS BDS at 

Melbourne Water’s 

ETP incorporated 

some complex 

design elements 

water treatment. In 2020, Melbourne 

Water began a project with John 

Holland-KBR Joint Venture to 

upgrade the biogas handling system 

at the ETP to make it more efficient, 

resilient and future-proof. Expanding 

capacity, preventing corrosion and 

sedimentation, and extending the 

working life of equipment were key 

aims, with specific requirements to 

remove liquid droplets and moisture 

and to minimise the size and cost of 

any necessary cooling system. 

An energy-intensive process, 

sewage transfer and treatment 

are responsible for around 

85% of Melbourne Water’s total 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 

so contributing to the company’s 

net zero commitment was a main 

target for the project. “However, 

with existing assets nearing the 

end of their service life, ensuring 

that the new asset can service 

future production growth and plant 

upgrades were also essential,” said 

Nick Fung, senior project manager 

at Melbourne Water. Increasing 

reliability for the operations team 

on-site and improving safety across 

both operation and maintenance 

(O&M) were further aims. 

ENERGY-SAVING SOLUTION 

Biogas contains hydrogen sulphide 

gas, which condensates out to form 

a highly corrosive liquid. Including 

a system to remove most of the 

moisture from the gas was therefore 

essential to minimise the amount 

of corrosion and degradation of 

the power station generators, while 

also limiting operational downtime 

and reducing the need to import 

electricity from the grid. 

HRS Heat Exchangers were 

one of five companies invited to 

tender for the moisture removal 

equipment in the project. The HRS 

BDS removes water from biogas, 

protecting combined heat and power 

(CHP) engines and generator sets 

from corrosion and cavitation. It 

condenses more than 90% of the 

water present in biogas by reducing 

the temperature to leave a clean, 

green gas. The addition of heat 

regeneration technology means the 

cold biogas produced can be used 

to pre-cool the incoming warmer 

biogas. This reduces the load on the 

final cooling heat exchanger and 

saves valuable energy. 

The BDS supplied as part of the 

project has a maximum capacity 

of 4,161m 3 /hr, while the inclusion 

of an energy recovery section 

subsequently reduces the eventual 

chiller load by 30%, improving the 

overall energy footprint of the whole 

project. This BDS consists of two 

heat exchangers, a regeneration unit, 

and a final cooler, supplied on two 

skids. One skid — which is located 

in a hazardous area zone — contains 

the heat exchangers, a condensate 

knockout pot, a condensate drain 

line, and all the relevant IECEx-rated 


IN THE FIELD 

instrumentation. The second skid 

contains a buffer tank, standby 

and duty glycol pumps, and all the 

relevant glycol line process control 

valves and instruments. HRS also 

supplied an additional chiller and 

control descriptions, enabling the 

joint venture engineers to provide 

overall control and automation 

systems for the client. 

OVERCOMING COMPLEX DESIGN 

PARAMETERS 

BDS needed to meet the 

requirements of two different 

operational stages, each of which 

contains four duty requirements. 

This meant a complex thermal 

design process was necessary to 

make sure that the supplied unit 

could meet all eight of the potential 

design scenarios. Designing the 

BDS for the Melbourne Water 

project posed a challenge as it 

needed to cater to both current and 

future demands, with two different 

conditions in each phase. 

The current first phase uses biogas 

supplied by the compressors and 

aftercoolers at an average pressure 

of 66kPa. In future scenarios, the 

gas is supplied following additional 

treatments at an average pressure 

of 5kPa and then supplied to the 

compressors. BDS therefore had 

to deal with two different inlet 

conditions. The addition of heat 

regeneration added complexity 

in terms of design. However, its 

technology reduced capital costs as 

a smaller chiller could be specified, 

and regeneration is also helping to 

lower ongoing operational costs. 

to overcome early design challenges 

and respond to changes during the 

design and construction process. 

As a result, a product that has 

performed to specification since its 

installation was delivered. 

The John Holland-KBR team added 

that of the five tendered solutions, 

the technology of the HRS BDS 

stood out including technical 

support to help develop the project 

further with Melbourne Water, from 

initial concept to a functional design. 

Since it was commissioned, the HRS 

BDS has been performing well and 

meeting its performance targets, 

with no breakdowns or interventions. 

The upgrade project has improved 

the reliability and quality of the 

biogas supply to the power station 

at ETP, providing more confidence 

in its ability to provide more than 

36,000MWh of thermal energy 

for process heating. This means a 

reduced reliance on natural gas, 

making the overall operation more 

self-sufficient and reducing overall 

emissions. 

Images: HRS 

Ella Taghavi 

Project manager and technical lead at HRS 

Heat Exchangers 

The HRS BDS formed part of a wider 

upgrade to the biogas handling 

equipment at Melbourne Water’s ETP 

ROBUST AND RELIABLE 

From being awarded the contract in 

July 2021, it took less than 12 months 

for HRS to install this BDS on site, 

with commissioning completed 

in June 2022. The company’s 

experience in project management, 

construction and logistics enabled it 


IN THE FIELD 

EuroTec Water awarded 

2nd UF membrane 

replacement in Indonesia 

DSS first UF train with the 

capacity of 100m 3 /hr 

on ETUF-9060F membranes 

(Image: EuroTec) 

EuroTec Water has been awarded the 

second batch of ultrafiltration (UF) 

membranes to replace the existing second 

UF train — with the capacity of 110m 3 /hr 

on Kristal K600ER UF membranes — with 

its ETUF-9060F UF membranes in Dian 

Swastatika Sentosa (DSS) Indonesia. 

In 2020, EuroTec Water supplied the first 

batch of ETUF-9060F UF membranes 

to replace DSS first UF train — with the 

capacity of 100m 3 /hr on Kristal K600ER 

UF membranes. Four years of operation till 

date, its UF membranes have reportedly 

demonstrated reliability and performance 

in achieving the UF outlet turbidity of less 

than 0.2 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit 

(NTU), Silt Density Index (SDI) of less than 

3 and Trans-Membrane Pressure (TMP) 

of less than 0.3bar constantly. As such, 

when DSS second UF train was due for 

replacement in early 2024, EuroTec UF 

membranes was selected again. 

The demineralisation water treatment plant 

(WTP) in DSS was built to treat water from 

the nearby Ciujung river in the factory’s 

power plant. The overall treatment includes 

processes like clarifier, mixed media filter, 

activated carbon filter, UF membrane, 

reverse osmosis (RO) membrane and ion 

exchange. 

EuroTec Water is a Singapore membrane 

technology company specialising in 

developing and manufacturing high 

anti-fouling polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) 

hollow fibre (HF) UF membrane. Its 

innovation and membrane technology 

know-how supports solutions that address 

water problems in a multitude of applications 

— such as drinking water purification, 

desalination, surface water treatment and 

recycling of wastewater — earning the trust 

of many long-term clients. 


IN THE FIELD 

Tigernix’s smart and 

integrated digital water and 

wastewater framework for 

Townsville, Australia 

Typically, water and wastewater utility 

systems are convoluted, asset-heavy 

networks that demand high-tech 

solutions to overcome limitations faced 

by infrastructure system managers, 

maintainers, decision-makers and 

investors. This is why Tigernix’s artificial 

intelligence (AI)-based asset solutions 

were employed by Townsville City 

Council in Townsville, Queensland, 

Australia. Tigernix solutions facilitated 

the council by harnessing simulative 

digital twin; big data analytics models; 

Geographic Information Systems (GIS); 

Internet of Things (IoT); AI; machine 

learning (ML); real-time Application 

Programming Interface (API); industrial 

sensor instrumentation services; as 

well as cloud-driven and predictive 

and prescriptive models to maintain 

and manage stupendous water and 

wastewater infrastructure networks 

conveniently. 

CHALLENGES 

Before adopting Tigernix water 

and wastewater asset solutions, 

Townsville’s water and wastewater 

departments faced several 

challenges in managing their 

infrastructure effectively. Assets 

were susceptible to various 

environmental factors such as 

temperature changes, moisture 

levels, natural disasters, and air 

pollution, affecting their longevity and 

operational efficiency. 

Additionally, there were challenges 

in meeting ISO 55000 standards and 

regulatory requirements related to 

water quality, asset maintenance, 

and environmental standards without 

real-time monitoring and predictive 

capabilities. 

There were difficulties in accurately 

monitoring the condition and age 

of diverse assets such as dams, 

turbines, pumps, pipelines, and 

motors. Traditional age-based 

approaches were insufficient in 

predicting failures and prioritising 

maintenance. Allocating budgets 

also proved ineffective due to 

uncertainties in asset performance 

and lifespan, leading to unexpected 

expenditures and financial strain. 

A lack of real-time data on asset 

conditions and performance reactive 

Tigernix’s water 

dashboard 

(Image: Tigernix) 


IN THE FIELD 

maintenance practices also led to 

higher costs, risks, otiose efforts and 

service disruptions instead. 

Due to the inadequate innovation 

harnessed by Townsville City Council 

to handle an abundance of data 

flowing from disparate sources 

and formats, they faced a plethora 

of inefficiencies that could lead to 

safety hazards and environmental 

damage that could affect public 

trust. These challenges underscored 

the need for a comprehensive 

solution. 

TIGERNIX WATER AND 

WASTEWATER ASSET SOLUTIONS 

Tigernix collaborated with asset 

custodians of Townsville City Council 

to understand the infrastructural 

elements, environmental changes, and 

asset environments that contribute 

to the deterioration of the basin 

infrastructure and the water level and 

quality of the Ross River Dam. Tigernix 

enabled a simulative digital twin with 

3D elements to enable an interactive 

platform for asset managers in the 

Townsville City Council to get historical, 

real-time, and predictive readings of 

the parameters and asset management 

strategies of the Ross River Dam. It is a 

highly interactive model with immersive 

capabilities that can be elaborated 

more interactively using augmented 

reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) 

technologies if required. 

The team also developed an AI model 

that can predict the blue-green algae 

(BGA) blooms before they appear 

in the potable water bodies of the 

Townsville Area. BGA blooms are 

health hazards for humans, pets, 

birds, aquatic wildlife and plants, and 

this problem has resulted in a loss 

of the community’s trust. To tackle 

this problem, Tigernix developed 

an algorithm that can study the 

environmental changes of the water 

bodies, predict water zones that are 

more susceptible to being infected by 

BGA blooms, and request treatment 

in such critical zones before the algal 

bloom appears. 

Another essential feature of Tigernix 

water and wastewater asset 

solutions for water system players 

is its capability to allow city-wide 

geographical views on geospatial 

mapping tools. One can exploit 

the spatial analytical capabilities 

of its solutions to gain real-time 

computerised asset data of terrestrial 

databases by utilising a GIS layer. 

This feature enables a digital map 

of one’s water and wastewater 

infrastructure systems and highlights 

simulated areas in terms of risks or 

anomalies to help maintenance crews 

pinpoint failures easily. The solution 

is compatible in being upgraded with 

remote sensing satellite technologies, 

which can later be developed to 

trigger alerts and notifications in case 

of emergency or deviation from the 

predetermined courses of action. 

Tigermix solutions also allow utility 

infrastructure system custodians 

to leverage big data to digitise 

information systems (IS) for better 

operational and maintenance 

strategies. Tackling big data helps 

key stakeholders of infrastructure 

systems to view linear asset dynamics 

and utilise a ‘workload-less’ asset 

management system. Tigernix water 

Tigernix office 

(Image: Tigernix) 


IN THE FIELD 

and wastewater asset solutions 

allow asset custodians to employ 

asset networks and technologies 

cost-effectively and capture 

information proactively and 

lucratively. 

Water and wastewater utility 

facilities that rely on legacy 

systems are restricted in boosting 

the rising service rates that are 

rising with the surge of demands 

by target consumers. Tigernix’s 

asset solutions are compatible 

with employing IoT technology to 

detect loopholes, monitor levels of 

tanks, and determine the amount 

of water and wastewater stored. 

The IoT technology also analyse 

whether the quantities are stored in 

the required amounts to meet the 

dynamic service demands. 

As data on the water and wastewater 

infrastructure systems will be 

collected from disparate sources 

and in different formats, the need 

for APIs should be considered 

too. This technological feature 

maximises the use of big data to 

access analytics-ready data and 

channel it to suitable applications 

without any delay. APIs can retrieve 

information from the appropriate 

target sources and smartly migrate 

data to suitable sources regardless of 

the utility department, data location 

or functionality. With API, Tigernix 

prevents wasting data resources as 

it allows data tacklers to use or reuse 

existing data without impacting data 

sources. 

Tigernix water and wastewater 

frameworks are trained and 

battle-tested to comply with 

ISO 55000 standards that help 

asset custodians remain intact 

with the quality standards of their 

infrastructure. The ISO standard 

is a systemised set of rules and 

obligations that helps asset 

managers understand the intricacies 

of three main parametric pillars of 

their assets, namely risk, cost and 

performance. With a comprehensive 

lens to their parameters, the asset 

decision makers of the Townsville City 

Council were able to conveniently 

keep track of their asset spread, even 

the hard-to-reach assets. 

The predictive maintenance 

strategies of Tigernix solutions 

are one of the keys to ensuring all 

water infrastructure assets meet 

the premium overall equipment 

effectiveness (OEE) standards. 

Predictive maintenance strategies 

utilise a multitude of efficiencies 

enabled by Industrial IoT (IIoT), AI and 

predictive technologies to predict 

asset risks, failures and delays 

based on historical and current 

asset information. Tigernix water and 

wastewater asset solutions house 

AI-based asset prediction models. 

Predictive parametric readings 

not only predict asset risks and 

performances but also the quality 

and level of service required based 

on the real-time water demands 

of one’s target consumers. This 

system’s predictive capabilities 

are integrated with watershed 

behaviours to address the impact 

of climatic changes on asset 

conditions and performances. It 

takes many parametric readings at 

different phases from catchment to 

reticulation that impact assets into 

account before predicting its current 

condition, such as moisture levels, 

rainfalls, inflow and outflow rates, 

gate water distributing behaviours, 

flow schedules and many other 

environmental, maintenance, 

structural and construction-based 

parameters. 

Prescriptive analytics is a 

recent technological upgrade 

from its precursor — predictive 

analytics. This capability allows 

asset managers, investors, and 

administrative decision-makers 

in the water and wastewater 

system to make the best decisions 

based on actual scenarios. This 

technology accumulates real-time 

and historical information gathered 

from various water main assets 

maintenance activities and leverages 

that intelligence to suggest the 

most apt decisions to overcome 

impending asset failures and risks. 

This technology makes guaranteed 

decisions in diagnosing and taking 

the necessary asset refurbishing 

actions. 

Finally, Tigernix is also able to tailor 

reliant and error-free investment 

profiles. This solution enables 

two types of investment profiles: 

AI-based investment profiles and 

user-defined investment profiles. The 

shared access of this feature enables 

top-level external stakeholders 

like ministers and mayors to view 

whether the required actions are 

taken at the right time by the right 

people in the right way and within the 

predetermined budget. The smart 

AI-based investment profiles have the 

propensity to diagnose the imminent 

investments allocated on the water 

infrastructures to optimise usability till 

near-zero functionalities. On the other 

hand, the user-based Investment 

profiles allow users to tailor their 

own based on essential budgetary 

requirements self-reliantly. This 

solution will investigate mitigation 

plans and classify asset risks based 

on the financial overlay set by the 

chosen scalable investment profiles. 

Therefore, Tigernix’s smart and 

integrated asset solutions are 

software designed to assist various 

water and wastewater management 

stakeholders at Townsville City 

Council. It addresses the needs of key 

stakeholders across the water and 

wastewater infrastructure lifecycle, 

from catchment to distribution and 

reticulation. 


IN THE FIELD 

Membrane bioreactor 

(MBR) plants enable 

Mandai Wildlife Reserve to 

reuse animal wastewater 

By Tse Yau Shing, director, projects, Binnies Singapore 

For decades, Singapore has 

grappled to secure a sustainable 

water supply for its growing 

population. However, scarcity has 

not bred limitations; Singapore has 

become a global leader in water 

security through innovative and 

pioneering technologies. From 

rainwater catchment areas, and 

water reclamation capabilities to 

desalination plants, Singapore 

continually innovates to ensure that 

its population enjoys a consistent 

water supply. Alongside the ‘Make 

Every Drop Count’ campaign — one 

of the world’s most comprehensive 

water sustainability movements — 

Singapore aims not just for water 

security but also to foster a culture of 

conservation. 

This article showcases a unique 

water reuse project commissioned 

by the Mandai Wildlife Reserve — 

home to Singapore’s zoological 

attractions — which received a 

Distinction Award in the 2023 Global 

Water Awards (GWA) ‘Water reuse 

project of the year’ category. Mandai 

Wildlife Group’s initiatives focus on 

conservation and sustainability, with 

a commitment to manage operations, 

employ technologies and advocate 

responsible and sustainable use of 

resources as part of its environmental 

sustainability policy. 

The Mandai Wildlife 

Reserve wastewater 

recycling plant 

(Image: Mandai 

Wildlife Group) 


IN THE FIELD 

In 2016, the Mandai Wildlife Reserve 

comprised the Singapore Zoo, Night 

Safari and River Wonders, formerly 

River Safari. Plans to rejuvenate the 

area into an integrated nature and 

wildlife destination saw Mandai Park 

Development (MPD) announcing the 

addition of two new attractions: Bird 

Paradise and Rainforest Wild. To 

improve wastewater management 

and water reuse across the 

parks, MPD sought to upgrade 

the infrastructure to minimise 

environmental impact, promote 

resource conservation, and facilitate 

controlled water reuse. 

The objective was to convert zoo 

animal wastewater into high-grade 

water suitable for non-potable 

applications within the park, such as 

recharging water features, washing 

the grounds and animal enclosures, 

as well as irrigation. This involved 

replacing the existing wastewater 

treatment facility, which utilised 

an oxidation ditch, with two animal 

wastewater recycling plants (WRPs). 

CHALLENGES 

Unlike domestic wastewater, the 

Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s zoo 

animal wastewater comprises 

mainly washing water from 

animal enclosures and backwash 

water from ponds in the existing 

attractions. These are low in organic 

contents but moderate in dissolved 

solids and nitrogen contents, 

making biological treatment 

challenging. Additional concerns 

include the risk of animal-borne 

pathogens in the wastewater and its 

reliability in producing high-quality 

recycled water for the intended 

reuse applications. 

Case studies and data were 

unavailable as this is a first-of-its-kind 

zoo animal wastewater reuse case in 

South East Asia. With uncertainties 

around the design parameters, 

treatment effectiveness, and 

degree of pathogen reduction and 

chemical pollutant removal across 

the proposed treatment concept, a 

pilot plant was required to validate 

the design concept for a full-scale 

application. 

APPROACH 

After formulating a wastewater 

management strategy and 

conducting pre-consultation with 

various government agencies 

to develop the recycled water 

standards — which were then 

non-existent — for Mandai Wildlife 

Reserve, Binnies Singapore 

designed and developed the 

treatment concept, ensuring 

reliable and consistent production 

of high-quality effluent to fit the 

intended non-potable controlled 

reuse within the facilities. Binnies 

Singapore conceptualised a 

treatment approach which included 

preliminary treatment, a MBR, UV 

disinfection, and chlorine disinfection 

technologies. This multiple-barrier 

approach was adopted to address 

concerns of animal-borne pathogens 

in the collected wastewater, and 

treatment effectiveness. This 

multiple-barrier approach involves 

an integrated, multistep treatment 

system that minimises treatment 

failure risks while producing recycled 

water that addresses concerns of 

animal-borne pathogens and is safe 

for reuse — the configuration also 

provides footprint compactness. 

Binnies also developed a preliminary 

design, tender specifications and 

the MBR pilot validation testing 

protocol; and was responsible for 

pilot testing, supporting construction 

management and commissioning 

supervision of the WRPs. 

MBR PILOT VALIDATION 

An MBR pilot validation plant with 

an average capacity of 1m 3 /hr was 

constructed and operated for three 

months to verify the adequacy 

of the proposed MBR treatment 

concept and evaluate its ability to 

meet water quality and log reduction 

requirements. The MBR pilot was 

designed and equipped with the 

same membrane module and 

operated to simulate the full-scale 

plant. 

Testing was conducted to validate 

how well the proposed MBR system 

reduced living organisms, while 

UV inactivation studies, to assess 

the safe microbial load of the 

wastewater, were performed using a 

collimated beam. 

MBR PILOT VALIDATION RESULTS 

The MBR pilot validation plant 

successfully demonstrated that the 

proposed treatment concept was 

capable of achieving the stringent 

recycling water standards set for 

Mandai Wildlife Reserve, with

IN THE FIELD 

Test item Result Unit Test method — APHA 

methods are according to 

the American Public Health 

Association’s 2017 Standard 

Methods for the Examination 

of Water and Wastewater, 

23rd edition 

Performance 

specification for 

DAWTP West and 

O&M services 

Fig. 1: Lab report of 

a sample taken at 

the product water 

tank of the full-scale 

treatment plant, 

22 Feb 2023 

pH value, 24.0°C 7.3 pH Units APHA 4500 H+ B 6-9 

Turbidity 0.10 NTU APHA 2130 B

IN THE FIELD 

How Grundfos 

solar pumps 

saved a large 

South African 

olive farm 

lakes up into drip irrigation systems. 

However, there was one problem, 

according to Pieter Coetzee, owner 

of Assegaay Bosch Ranch. “We were 

up against a failing South African 

electrical supply situation, where we 

have what is called ‘load shedding’ in 

South Africa. It is rolling blackouts,” 

he said. 

These blackouts have occurred for 

more than a decade — every day 

for 2-4hrs. “Lately, we have had 

occurrences where it is 12hrs a 

day. It is impossible with 750kW of 

pumping system to wet all our olive 

groves without a true and predictable 

electricity supply.” 

If the farm wanted to keep the 

pumps running, they had to use 

diesel-driven standby generators. 

Farm manager Marnus Dippenaar 

added that if they did not run the 

diesel generators, the trees were 

only getting about half the amount of 

water they needed to survive. “That 

is very expensive,” said Coetzee. “It 

is unsustainable.” 

THE SOLUTION 

The green solution reportedly 

became South Africa’s largest, 

single-axis-tracker solar-powered 

irrigation system. Three and soon four 

arrays of photovoltaic (PV) panels 

provide 750kW of peak power to 

Grundfos pumps at holding dams by 

each array. The farm pumps 3,000m 3 

of water from the reservoirs into 

Grundfos CR 

boosting system with 

the renewable solar 

inverter drive (Image: 

Grundfos) 

In the heart of South Africa’s arid 

Little Karroo, 26km down a road in a 

mountain valley lies the Mont Rouge 

Olive Estate. In its years, the grove 

– owned and operated by Assegaay 

Bosch Ranch — harvests 2,100 

tonnes of olives, which equates to 

about 300,000L of olive oil and few 

hundred kilograms of table olives — 

produced in a small factory onsite. 

A patchwork of 120,000 olive 

trees covers 200 hectares in the 

valley and hills. Average rainfall is 

only 150mm/year, but the adjacent 

Rooiberg mountains get 10 times that 

amount. It is that water that feeds 

the plantation, in the form of two 

rivers. The rivers run into holding 

dams below the farm. 

For the past decade or more, the 

olive farm has been challenged 

getting that water in a dependable 

way to its trees. Previously, the 

ranch pumped water from the 

storage dams midway up the farm 

and then farther to a large holding 

dam on top of a hillside at the highest 

point of the farm daily. At 50,000m 3 , 

the manmade lake holds the water 

equivalent of 20 Olympic-sized 

swimming pools. “That plateau dam 

essentially becomes our battery 

for the solar system,” said Coetzee. 

“Once we have the water trapped 

there, it is a matter of opening a valve 

and we can gravity feed all our groves 

with drip irrigation.” 


IN THE FIELD 

THE SYSTEM 

“This farm is 200 hectares of mixed 

olives and every drop of water that 

is used to irrigate passes through 

a solar pump,” said Hannes Van 

Niekerk, CEO of SAW Africa, the 

system designer and supplier. “It is 

[an] easily maintainable system.” 

Van Niekerk said that SAW Africa 

has been using Grundfos solar 

pumps since 2002 when the SQ Flex 

was released. For the first many 

years, it was mainly used for off-grid 

applications like cattle farming and 

small-scale irrigation — around 

2kW. “Today we can build systems 

that are more than 1,000kW.” 

The solar panels power Grundfos 

pumps with variable speed drives. 

The system can work off-grid or in 

hybrid mode if grid power is also 

available. “It enables us to pump in 

areas where traditionally you would 

not have any option to pump water. 

We can irrigate fields in areas where 

previously it would not be possible,” 

added Gerrit-Jan Cronselaar, 

CTO at SAW Africa. In the case of 

Assegaay Ranch, it made it possible 

to bypass the unreliable grid power 

during the long daylight hours. 

What reportedly makes the PV 

system unique at the olive farm 

is that the solar panels are not 

installed at fixed angles. “The 

solution we came up with is 

using a single-axis tracker,” 

said Cronselaar. “Your energy 

production is determined by the 

angle that you have your solar 

panel towards the sun. By using a 

single axis tracker, we follow the 

sun, and what that translates to is 

instead of getting 6hrs worth of 

solar production, we can get 11hrs 

of full production.” 

Cronselaar added that the longer 

production time increases pump 

efficiency. “We can have a lower 

peak demand because we have got 

more hours to pump the water that 

we need, and that comes to a 

more cost-effective solution.” The 

single-axis tracker is said to allow 

the farm to get 30% more water during 

the day than a fixed-type PV panel 

structure allows. 

THE OUTCOME 

The PV irrigation system was installed 

in 2021. Its benefits can be felt in 

different ways. Coetzee said, “As we 

stand here today, we can call ourselves 

carbon neutral — maybe even carbon 

negative. We cultivate 200 hectares 

of olives. We produce more electricity 

than we consume.” 

According to farm manager Marnus 

Dippenaar, when the previous pumps 

had to start again every time the power 

came back on, there were vacuum 

problems, water hammer and more. 

However, with the system itself, he said 

that there was no more pipe burst even 

after a year and a half. Furthermore, 

the holding dams allow any sediment 

to sink down to the bottom, meaning 

the drip irrigation lines do not clog so 

easily. Coetzee also added that this will 

be a huge saving, and its solar array 

and pumping system will “become an 

asset and not a liability”. 

Grundfos NK65-250 end-suction pumps, 

which move water from one of the main river 

reservoirs to a holding dam partway up the 

farm’s hilly terrain (Image: Grundfos) 


FOCUS 

Protecting Chesapeake Bay 

by centralising data for public 

insight and scientific analysis 

By Erik Larsen, product marketing manager for Aquatic Informatics 

CBL associate professor Dr Jeremy 

Testa said, “The sensors gave us a lot 

of immediate, raw information, but we 

also wanted to use the data to estimate 

ecosystem conditions and report the 

data openly in real time. To achieve this, 

you need continual capturing and near 

real-time processing of data.” Turning 

massive amounts of raw data into usable 

information requires modern software 

to centralise and validate the quality 

of the data using algorithms, and then 

provide access to all stakeholders in an 

easy-to-understand format. CBL chose 

the Aquarius platform that is used by 

monitoring agencies around the world to 

acquire, process, model, and publish data 

in real time. 

Once plentiful seagrass meadows are now being monitored for restoration (Image: Aquatic Informatics) 

The University of Maryland Centre for 

establishing baselines for changes in the 

Environmental Science has been collecting estuary. Some 25,000 observations were 

data since 1938 at its founding laboratory, collected with thermometers, hydrometers 

the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) and wet chemistry between 1938-2010. 

located where the Patuxent river meets the In 2011, CBL evolved to a modern system 

Chesapeake Bay. CBL is the oldest publicly involving multiparameter sondes. In 2016, 

supported marine laboratory on the east the lab received a grant from the National 

coast and a leader in research on fisheries, Science Foundation to deploy new sensors 

estuarine ecology, environmental chemistry to monitor the conditions of the Patuxent 

and toxicology. 

river, which expanded the frequency and 

breadth of data collected to move beyond 

Through the years, CBL has accumulated basic water temperature and salinity to also 

an enormous amount of historical data at its include solar radiation, current velocity, 

research pier, including some of the longest chlorophyll-a — an index of algal biomass, 

records of salinity and water temperature dissolved oxygen (DO), and other physical, 

on the US coast dating back to 1938. This chemical and biological environmental 

measurement programme, initiated by CBL measurements. But this expansion of the 

founding director Reginald Truitt, has proved data collection programme did not come 

invaluable to scientists and important in without challenges. 

“Migrating all our data into one central 

platform was much easier with Aquarius. 

Interfacing our data logger with Aquarius 

for real-time data acquisition was 

almost seamless,” said Dr Testa. The 

new software automatically imports 

and integrates sensor data, giving CBL 

a continuous stream of environmental 

intelligence without manual input or 

output. Some of this information is of 

interest to the public as they plan their 

recreational activities in the area, and it 

also provides an opportunity for scientists 

to discover relationships between the 

different data sets. 

“Having the data in Aquarius has made 

it easy to organise information and 

calculate parameters, such as the 

likelihood of sea nettles,” added Dr Testa. 

Sea nettles are a stinging jellyfish that can 

be painful to humans and in some cases, 

people can have an allergic reaction to 


FOCUS 

their venom. CBL was able to leverage 

the analytical capabilities of Aquarius to 

predict the likelihood of sea nettles based 

on a known relationship between salinity 

and temperature and their presence. The 

public can now go onto the CBL web portal 

to see the likelihood of sea nettles before 

swimming or boating on the bay. 

The portal is customisable with visual 

dashboards showing the live data, along 

with graphs showing the conditions of the 

past week as well as links to live webcams 

and local weather conditions. There is 

more potential for the portal to evolve with 

interactive mapping, allowing visitors to 

zoom into locations for a more granular 

look at data and colour-coding features 

to make it easy to visualise contextual 

information, speeding up analysis. 

CBL also accesses a real-time data 

feed from the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for 

tide and weather, and the US Geological 

Survey Stream Gauging. “Integrating data 

from other platforms was a motivator 

to move all our data to the cloud using 

Aquarius,” said Dr Testa. “From an IT 

standpoint, having a cloud solution has 

taken a lot of the IT burden, like updates, 

security and access off of our plate, 

allowing us to focus on science and 

research.” 

Community outreach is an important 

component of any research discipline, and 

it is a central focus for the team at CBL. 

Giving access to real-time environmental 

conditions and showing the related 

consequences, helps the public to see the 

relevance of changes in water conditions. 

Historically, the Chesapeake Bay had a rich 

ecosystem with seagrass meadows, oyster 

beds and species of birds and aquatic 

life, but this declined in the seventies. 

Measuring water conditions over long 

periods of time helps to identify patterns 

and short-term consequences of events. 

“Deepening the public’s understanding of 

how intricately connected our ecosystems 

are, brings a sense of responsibility to 

protecting it,” added Dr Testa. 

THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR SCIENTIFIC 

ANALYSIS 

CBL conducts many research projects 

on coastal marine ecology, including 

eutrophication, nutrient cycling, and 

DO dynamics. “We are especially 

interested in the interactions between 

biological, chemical, and physical 

processes in coastal ecosystems,” said 

Dr Testa. Scientists use a combination 

of experimental efforts, historical data 

analysis, and coupled biogeochemicalhydrodynamic 

modelling studies to 

examine these aspects of estuarine and 

coastal aquatic science. These efforts 

are enriched because source data 

are managed in Aquarius and readily 

available for stakeholders to work with 

through the lab’s online portal. 

In the late part of 2018 and early 2019, 

a historic rain event took place that 

dropped the salinity down to 6 parts 

per thousand (ppt) for an extended 

period of time. The normal range is 11- 

16ppt. The response to this event was 

surprising both in how fast it changed 

and how long the bay took to recover 

to normal levels. “The platform gives us 

the tools we need to work on predictive 

modelling which is increasingly 

important as climate change has 

brought changes in precipitation and 

associated freshwater inflow. If we can 

be better prepared, we can influence 

better outcomes,” added Dr Testa. 

CBL Aquarius web portal (Image: Aquatic Informatics) 

The software has a unique portfolio of 

capabilities for error detection, data 

cleansing and flagging, automatic bias 

corrections, and rating shift management. 

These automated procedures eliminate 

the majority of tedious manual data 

workup processes. By automating quality 

assurance and quality control activities, 

CBL can have greater confidence in 

sharing this information with other 

researchers. 

Dr Testa’s vision is to integrate data 

from other sites in the region to 

create a collaborative, real-time water 

measurement programme. This will 

further CBL’s capabilities for baseline 

measurement and forecasting on a much 

larger scale. “Aquarius makes it easy 

to manage all kinds of environmental 

information from different sources. We can 

add new measurements for water velocity, 

turbidity, carbon dioxide, photosynthetic 

light and chlorophyll levels from the 

different labs. Having quality-assured data 

at our fingertips opens the door for us to 

augment other researches,” he added. 

“The platform has helped us to leverage 

our history, we have what seems to be 

a bottomless toolkit of new capabilities 

allowing us to go deeper with our 

research and expand collaboration with 

all our stakeholders, knowing that our 

data footprint is safe and accurate,” 

Dr Testa said. 


FOCUS 

Shaping the future 

through a century of UV 

technology innovation 

By Ken Kershner, global commercial director, Nuvonic 

disinfection purposes. These discoveries 

marked the beginning of harnessing 

UV’s germicidal power for practical 

applications, shaping its future role in 

various industries. 

In 1924, The British Hanovia Quartz Lamp 

was founded in Slough, marking the start 

of commercial UV lamp production. This 

introduction provided UV light sources 

for medical, food processing, and water 

treatment industries, improving hygiene 

standards. Hanovia’s focus on quartz 

lamps laid the groundwork for future UV 

technology innovations. 

In 1939, low-pressure mercury discharge 

tubes were introduced, enhancing 

germicidal UV irradiation’s efficiency. 

This development led to higher-intensity 

UV-C light, crucial for rapid disinfection 

in various sectors. It expanded UV 

disinfection applications to water 

Once plentiful 

seagrass meadows 

are now being 

monitored for 

restoration (Image: 

Nuvonic) 

While not always in the spotlight, 

the UV technology sector has made 

strides in the past century. What 

began as basic uses such as in the 

medical field, UV technology has 

evolved into vital roles like advanced 

water treatment and more. As Nuvonic 

marks its 100th year in business, it 

reflects on a century of contributions 

to UV technology. Starting as Hanovia 

in 1924, the company has grown into 

a reputable player in UV lamps and 

systems. This milestone highlights 

Nuvonic’s commitment to innovation 

and customer-centric solutions. 

Looking back, Nuvonic’s progress 

serves as a springboard for future 

advancements in UV technology, 

benefitting industries globally. 

PIONEERING UV TECHNOLOGY 

ACHIEVEMENTS 

In the late 1800s to early 1900s, pivotal 

discoveries laid the groundwork for 

UV technology’s role in sterilisation 

and disinfection. In 1801, German 

physicist Johann Wilhelm Ritter first 

discovered UV radiation, setting 

the stage for understanding its 

properties. Fast forward to 1877, 

British physiologist Arthur Downes and 

scientist Thomas P. Blunt observed 

sunlight’s bacteria-killing abilities, 

sparking interest in light’s effects 

on microorganisms. Finally, in 1902, 

German ophthalmologist Ernst Hertel 

identified UV-C’s potency in microbial 

eradication, distinguishing it as the 

most effective UV wavelength for 

treatment, air purification, and surface 

sterilisation. 

1955 saw the launch of a portable 

fluorescent UV lamp, transforming 

actinotherapy for skin conditions. Its 

portability made UV therapy more 

accessible, leading to advancements 

in medical UV devices for precise 

dermatological treatments. 

The 1981 acquisition of Hanovia by 

Halma marked a new phase of growth 

and innovation for the company. This 

strategic move fuelled cross-industry 

collaborations and accelerated product 

development, positioning Hanovia as a 

player in UV solutions across healthcare 

and industrial sectors. 


FOCUS 

In 1995, Berson’s InLine model 

revolutionised UV systems by 

integrating UV technology directly 

into industrial processes, optimising 

efficiency and reliability. This 

innovation drove widespread 

adoption of UV disinfection solutions 

in large-scale applications. 

The 2017 consolidation of Hanovia, 

Berson, and Aquionics streamlined 

operations and facilitated knowledge 

sharing, leading to accelerated 

innovation cycles. This integration 

strengthened market competitiveness 

and positioned the combined entity as 

a provider of UV solutions globally. 

In 2022, the rebranding to Nuvonic 

represented a century-long 

journey of expertise and innovation 

in UV technology. It reflected 

its commitment to continuous 

advancement in addressing evolving 

challenges and opportunities in UV 

applications, with a vision for shaping 

the future of UV technology. 

IMPACT OF UV TREATMENT 

ACROSS INDUSTRIES 

UV technology is quietly transforming 

industries, ensuring the safety and 

quality of everyday items often 

overlooked. In the beverages sector, 

UV treatment is integral to maintaining 

product quality, safety, and longevity. 

Water, a foundational element in 

beverage production, undergoes 

UV treatment to eliminate harmful 

organisms, ensuring it meets strict 

quality standards for consumption. 

This disinfection process is crucial 

for maintaining hygiene and safety in 

beverage manufacturing. 

longevity, contributing to safe and 

delicious beverages. Alcohol-free and 

alcoholic beverages also benefit from 

UV treatment, ensuring purity, taste 

consistency, and microbial safety. UV 

technology plays a role in maintaining 

taste consistency in alcoholic drinks, 

addressing potential bacterial 

contamination that can alter taste and 

quality. 

Beyond beverages, UV treatment is 

vital in food production and bottle 

washing processes. It ensures water 

purity, protects reverse osmosis (RO) 

membranes, and removes chlorine 

and ozone from beverages, enhancing 

taste and safety. Its influence also 

expands to aquaculture, where it 

treats water to ensure aquatic life’s 

health and safety. This extends to the 

fish we consume, contributing to a 

safer food supply chain. 

UV treatment is essential in 

pharmaceuticals, eliminating harmful 

microorganisms and ensuring 

medication safety and efficacy. In 

the cosmetics industry, UV treatment 

safeguards product safety in personal 

care items like shampoos and skincare 

products. Leisure facilities including 

swimming pools use UV treatment to 

enhance water quality and safety. This 

eliminates chlorine-resistant organisms 

and improves air quality around 

pools, offering patrons a hygienic and 

enjoyable experience. In electronic 

device manufacturing, UV treatment, 

especially total organic carbon (TOC) 

reduction, prevents contamination 

during chip production, enhancing 

device performance and longevity. 

A FUTURE OF CONTINUED 

INNOVATION 

Advancements in UV technology 

include LEDs, which change the 

fit, form, and function compared 

to traditional UV, and research 

into mercury-free alternatives for 

environmental sustainability. 

UV-222nm technology is being studied 

with claims of it being safe for humans. 

It holds promise for enhanced UV 

treatment safety. Nuvonic prioritises 

sustainability in its operations. The 

company’s UV solutions promote 

environmentally-friendly practices 

by reducing the need for chemical 

disinfectants and minimising waste in 

various industries. 

Nuvonic’s 

commitment to 

sustainability aligns 

with global efforts 

towards a greener 

and healthier planet 

(Image: Nuvonic) 

UV treatment extends its reach to 

bottled drink production, safeguarding 

against harmful microbes and ensuring 

consumer confidence in product 

safety. Additionally, UV treatment 

of sugar syrup in soda production 

ensures ingredient purity and product 


HOTSEAT 

A new index for evaluating 

the circular economy of water 

countries. However, some advanced 

Asian nations like Singapore, Japan, and 

South Korea are also part of this top tier. 

Singapore, in particular, stands out 

as a role model in water circularity, 

ranking third in the study. Despite 

being 170th among 190 countries 

in terms of freshwater availability, 

Singapore has made remarkable 

strides in water management, aiming 

for water self-sufficiency by 2061. 

Water circular economy 

index ranking for 132 

studied countries divided 

into 4 categories (Image: 

The circular economy 

of water across the six 

continents, Chemical 

Society Reviews, 

2024, 53, 4333-4348) 

Swiss scientists Mohammad Peydayesh 

and Raffaele Mezzenga from ETH Zurich 

have introduced an index for quantifying 

the circular economy of water. Published 

in Chemical Society Reviews, the journal 

of Royal Society of Chemistry, this index 

is founded on three fundamental pillars 

of the water circular economy: reduction 

— using less water; optimisation — 

efficient use of water; and retention — 

preserving water, materials, and energy. 

The researchers evaluated eight 

indicators: water stress, tap water price 

per gross domestic product (GDP) 

per capita, water use efficiency, the 

degree of integrated water resource 

management implementation, the 

proportion of safely treated domestic 

wastewater flows, the total population 

with access to safe drinking water, 

drinking water quality, and the proportion 

of hydrological basins showing significant 

changes in surface water extent. Notably, 

all these indicators align with the targets 

of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, 

which aims for clean water and sanitation 

for all. 

Based on this index, the researchers 

assessed the water circular economy and 

water management status across 132 

countries on six continents. They ranked 

and categorised the countries into four 

groups: top, upper middle, lower middle, 

and bottom. 

Peydayesh, senior scientist and lecturer 

at ETH Zurich, said that the leading group 

primarily includes European and Oceanian 

Singapore’s innovative approach 

includes designing efficient water 

cycles and diversifying water sources. 

The country utilises local catchment 

water, imported water, desalinated 

seawater, and reclaimed water through 

its NEWater plants, both of which rely 

on reverse osmosis (RO) technology. 

Over the past two decades, these 

efforts have reduced water stress and 

increased water efficiency. However, 

challenges remain, such as high energy 

consumption, potential environmental 

impacts, and the need for careful 

brine discharge management. To 

mitigate CO2 emissions from water 

treatment plants (WTPs), Singapore is 

transitioning from natural gas to more 

sustainable solar energy resources. 

To evaluate these solutions, 

the authors conducted a life 

cycle assessment (LCA) on the 

environmental impact of water 

treatment in Singapore. They found 

that while switching to solar energy 

reduces CO2 emissions, it has 

adverse effects on terrestrial and 

freshwater ecotoxicity and urban 

land occupation. These findings 

underscore the importance of holistic 

design and engineering in water 

solutions, ensuring that the transition 

to clean water and clean energy does 

not negatively impact other planetary 

boundaries. 


HOTSEAT 

Contactless water 

quality sensors system: 

A versatile large data 

aggregator for dedicated 

AI models 

By Choo Chun Keong, director, NexusBit Integral 

CHALLENGES 

Recent advancements in dedicated 

artificial intelligence (AI) models 

offer potential to revolutionise 

water resource management, 

paving the way to more effective 

predictive water management 

strategies. However, the success 

of these strategies hinges on the 

availability of large, accurate and 

timely water quality data, particularly 

from natural sources like reservoirs 

and lakes. Acquiring real-time 

water quality data from these 

outdoor water sources presents 

challenges due to deployment 

issues at the data source — 

specifically, the deployment of 

in-water probes. These probes 

are continuously exposed to 

the harsh water environments 

and biofouling, necessitating 

frequent on-site maintenance to 

ensure data reliability and prevent 

measurement drifts. In contrast to 

typical environmental Internet of 

Things (IoT) deployments such as 

temperature or air quality sensors 

which are maintenance-free, simple 

to deploy, and easily scalable; water 

quality sensor deployment poses 

unique challenges. Water conditions 

such as current flow and corrosion 

along with safety considerations 

during maintenance demand careful 

attention. These practical limitations 

impede the vast and scalable 

aggregation of reliable water quality 

data that are essential for big data 

analytics and dedicated AI models 

training. 

One of the hurdles the industry 

encounters in adoption AI is the 

lack of extensive and granular water 

quality data, compounded by the high 

cost associated with data acquisition. 

Water quality management, therefore, 


HOTSEAT 

has remained reactive rather than 

proactive, hindered by inadequate 

data to transition to predictive 

approaches. Without addressing 

these challenges, the industry 

remains constrained, unable to fully 

capitalise on the potential of AI. 

INNOVATION 

NexusBit Integral, a Singapore-based 

company, has introduced the Eagle 

series of contactless water quality 

sensors to tackle these challenges 

head on. It is a water tech startup 

nurtured by Ripple2wave, a local 

startup incubator backed by Enterprise 

Singapore and Singapore’s national 

water agency PUB. 

The emergence of economical 

contactless water quality sensor 

technology marks a leap forward in 

environmental monitoring. These 

sensors offer an approach to 

gathering water quality parameters 

without direct contact with the water, 

overcoming deployment issues such 

as harsh water environments, sensor 

fouling and reducing maintenance 

requirements and costs. 

operational costs and extend the 

lifespan of monitoring infrastructure. 

Additionally, AI-driven insights 

enable proactive interventions 

to safeguard water resources, 

preserve ecosystems and ensure the 

availability of clean water for future 

generations. 

APPLICATION 

NexusBit Integral, in collaboration 

with PUB, spearheaded the 

development and deployment of 

contactless water quality sensors 

for real-time monitoring. The 

distinctive contactless nature of 

these sensors has unlocked novel 

yet straightforward deployment 

methods previously not feasible with 

conventional in-water sensors. 

For example, these sensors have 

been mounted on rooftops of 

buildings, overlooking the water 

body below for long-term water 

quality monitoring. Additionally, such 

measurement stations can also be 

swiftly installed on land structure 

like flyovers and bridges without 

elaborate underwater structures, 

thus further expanding the 

possibilities of scalable water quality 

monitoring. 

Presently, this technology is also 

deployed on aerial drones for 

the mapping of water quality in 

reservoirs. This approach enables 

the acquisition of large amounts of 

water quality data over vast areas, 

with real-time data upload to a 

central data lake during flight. 

The integration of advanced 

features and versatile deployment 

options in contactless sensors 

enables a multi-layered approach 

The Eagle series and 

various installation 

methods 

Contactless sensors pave the way 

for more reliable data collection, 

providing a robust foundation for 

aggregating extensive dataset — 

a key resource for dedicated AI 

models in water management. 

Moreover, contactless sensor 

systems contribute to sustainability 

efforts. By minimising the need 

for on-site maintenance and 

mitigating sensor degradation from 

biofouling, these systems lower 

Weighing under 450g and featuring a compact and portable design, 

these sensors are integrated onto aerial drones with uncompromised 

flight endurance 


HOTSEAT 

1 

to aggregating water quality data. 

This complements the capabilities 

of conventional sensors and 

broadening data coverage by 

enhancing data collection from 

remote areas and extending spatial 

coverage (Fig. 1). 

Our contactless sensors operate 

on the principle of remote sensing, 

extracting water parameters from 

the back-scatter ambient light 

interacting with the particulates in 

the water, which is water-leaving 

reflectance. This enables precise 

measurement of multiple water 

parameters in a single sensor, 

including turbidity, chlorophyll-a 

(Chl-a), colour dissolved organic 

matters (CDOM) absorption, and 

other potential detections like 

surface oil and scum. 

Operating without physical contact 

with the water also aids the 

accuracy of measurement. These 

operational datasets span over 

a period of more than two years 

across various reservoirs and 

different ambient/ site conditions 

(Fig. 2). 

CONCLUSION: FROM 

MEASUREMENT TO 

PREDICTION 

Solutions like contactless 

water quality sensors are 

transforming water resources 

management. By overcoming 

the constraints of conventional 

in-water probes, these sensors 

enable extensive and scalable 

data acquisition, unlocking the 

potential of using dedicated AI 

models to propel water quality 

monitoring towards prediction 

and proactive water resource 

management actions. 

Additionally, contactless measurement 

simplifies sensor deployment and 

maintenance requirements, typically 

reducing costs by more than 50% 

compared to in-water approaches. This 

not only boosts monitoring efficiency 

but also contributes to sustainability 

efforts by minimising environmental 

impact. Through continued innovation, 

we can leverage these technologies 

to tackle intricate water resource 

challenges and propel towards a future 

of predictive water quality management. 

Images: NexusBit Integral 

2 

1 Fig. 1: Multiple 

layers of water 

quality data 

aggregation 

for extensive 

coverages 

2 Fig. 2: The strong 

correlation between 

operational 

contactless sensor 

measurement 

and accredited 

laboratory test 

results 


Bringing a new vibrancy to Singapore’s growing water industry 

NEWSLETTER OF THE 

SINGAPORE WATER ASSOCIATION 

[Trade fair] AsiaWater 2024 

23-25 Apr 2024, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC), Malaysia 

SWA organised the Singapore pavilion at the 

13th edition of AsiaWater in Kuala Lumpur, 

Malaysia. The pavilion hosted 14 companies 

within a 249m 2 exhibition space, benefiting 

from a grant subsidy of up to 70% on booth 

participation fees. 

The three-day event offered business 

prospects for Singaporean exhibitors, providing 

a platform to showcase water-related expertise 

and solutions. The exhibitors engaged with 

solution providers, exchanged best practices, 

and stayed abreast of global trends. 

A positive outcome was a Memorandum 

of Understanding (MoU) signing between 

Singapore-based company Adzaan Consulting 

and Deca Solutions based in Malaysia. The 

next edition of AsiaWater will be held from 

7-9 Apr 2026 at KLCC.


[Event] Coastal Protection and Flood Resilience Institute 

(CFI) Singapore engagement with the industry 

25 Apr 2024, Enterprise Singapore 

The event kicked off with an opening address 

by SWA vice-president of general affairs 

Charles Quek. More than 12 distinguished 

guests were present, including national water 

agency PUB coastal protection director, Khoo 

Hazel; PUB InTEC director, Michael Toh; and 

Enterprise Singapore executive director, Simon 

Lim. 

Prof Adrian Law, executive director of CFI 

Singapore, presented a welcome address and 

Prof Koh Chan Ghee, CFI Singapore director of 

research, led a sharing session on innovative 

approaches and research insights. Participants 

were then divided into breakout sessions 

covering five different domains that they had 

selected for more in-depth discussion. 

These sessions facilitated focused 

conversations and allowed participants to 

delve deeper into specific topics, fostering 

collaboration and idea exchange. As the event 

drew to a close, James Lam — chair of the 

coastal protection ProTem committee — gave 

a closing remark before the event ended with 

light refreshments. 

[Event] Networking and sharing session 

with delegation from YiXing city, China 

26 Apr 2024, Singapore Water Exchange (SgWX), Singapore 

SWA, in collaboration with the Singapore 

Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China 

(SingCham), hosted a high-level delegation 

from YiXing city, Jiangsu province, China. 

SWA vice-president Marcus Lim kickstarted the 

event with his opening address, followed by a 

welcome address by SingCham chairman, 

Ong Tze Guan. The session focused on 

exploring the opportunities for Singaporean 

companies in China's environmental sector, 

particularly within YiXing’s Environmental 

Science and Technology Park (ESTP). 

Attendees gained insights into the industry 

landscape in China such as the avenues for 

market entry and strategies for successful 

partnerships. The event featured engaging 

discussions, including a Q&A session and 

a MoU signing ceremony, symbolising our 

commitment to fostering strong bilateral ties. 

Special thanks to our esteemed guests from 

YiXing city for their presentations and to the 

attendees for their participation. SWA looks 

forward to future collaborations and exciting 

opportunities ahead.


[Event] Ulu Pandan water reclamation plant (WRP) tour 

2 May 2024, Singapore 

SWA and PUB hosted a tour at the Ulu Pandan 

WRP, organised by the Young Water Professional 

(YWP) committee. The tour, led by Eugene Chua 

from Asia Supply and Jiawei Ng, general manager 

of the WRP department, PUB; provided a deep 

dive into Singapore's water infrastructure. 

The group, comprising mentees from the SWA 

YWP mentorship programme, embarked on 

a journey to explore the heart of the water 

reclamation. They delved into the intricacies 

of the Integrated Validation Plant (IVP), 

witnessing firsthand the processes driving 

Singapore's water sustainability efforts. We 

explored the Egg-Shaped Digesters (ESD) 

which transform waste into valuable resources. 

A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved for 

making this educational journey a memorable 

one! 

[Event] The 51st Singapore Water Industry Nite (SWIN) 

Sponsored by Xylem Water Solutions Singapore 

16 May 2024, PUB Recreation Club, Woodleigh Park, Singapore 

Sponsored by Xylem Water Solutions 

Singapore, the 51st edition of the SWIN 

took place on Thursday, 16 May 2024 at the 

PUB Recreation Club. The evening started 

with welcome address and updates by SWA 

president Chew Men Leong. This was followed 

with opening remarks by Phek Chuan Siow 

from Xylem Singapore and presentations 

by Soh Yeow Chong from PUB about the 

industry development initiatives. Dr Goh 

Zhongxian from Standards Development 

Organisation also shared about Singapore 

standards for water quality, efficiency, and 

reuse. 

A networking dinner session ended the night, 

fostering connections and collaborations among 

90 attendees. SWA extend our gratitude to 

our speakers, participants and Xylem for their 

generous sponsorship. We look forward to 

continuing our efforts in advancing the water 

industry.


UPCOMING SWA ACTIVITIES 

[Trade fair] IndoWater 2024 

18-20 Sep 2024, Jakarta International (JI) Expo, Kemayoran, Indonesia 

The 18th edition of IndoWater 2024 expo and forum will be held from 

18-20 Sep 2024 at JI Expo, Kemayoran, Indonesia. This is said to be 

the biggest expo and forum for the fast-growing water, wastewater and 

recycling technology sector in Indonesia. 

Whether it is to conduct market feasibility studies, seek local partners 

and distributors, increase existing market share in Indonesia, or 

simply maintain relationships with key clients while looking for new 

opportunities with foreign partners, IndoWater is the event to attend. 

The expo will gather top professionals in the water and wastewater 

industry. Government officials, regulators, water and sewerage 

companies, manufacturers, industrial users and industry experts will be 

present to look for cost-effective solutions for the growing Indonesia’s 

water sector. 

Grant support of up to 70% from Enterprise Singapore can be given to 

exhibitors. For more information, reach out to jasvinder@swa.org.sg. 

SWA WELCOMES NEW 

MEMBERS 

(joined from April-May 2024) 

Ordinary 

1. Shanghai Kaiquan Pump (Group) Co Ltd 

Individual 

1. Sarah Lopez 

Associate 

1. WatSan Analytics 

2024 EVENTS CALENDAR 

We look forward to your support in 2024. Download the event calendar: 

www.swa.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Events-Calendar-2024. 

V2-1.pdf. 

For queries, please contact SWA at 65150812 or enquiry@swa.org.sg. To 

stay connected, visit www.swamember.com or www.swa.org.sg. Follow 

us on Telegram, LinkedIn, Instagram and WhatsApp. 

JOIN SWA 

SWA welcomes organisations from the water and wastewater industry to 

join as either ordinary, associate or institutional member. 

Sign up at www.swa.org.sg/membership/sign-up-online

ON OUR RADAR 

Building 

flood barriers 

with Muhr 

1 

Erhard Muhr — a German company from 

Brannnenburg, Bavaria — has two divisions of 

the company: Bulk and Hydro. The company 

supplied to many water, wastewater and 

hydropower projects around the world. 

With its expertise in huge metal structure 

for isolating and controlling of water, 

Muhr has clinched projects in Singapore, 

the Philippines, and Sri Lanka for water, 

wastewater and flood protection like polder 

and aqueduct. In 2017, Muhr was awarded 

to supply roller gates to Deep Tunnel 

Sewage System (DTSS) Phase 2 from 

PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency. 

Muhr also supplied penstocks, stoplogs, 

emergency gates and trash rack cleaning 

machines to the Pulau Tekong polder project 

in Singapore. 

Muhr have also invested in developing a 

new product with research partners such as 

Technical University of Munich for its hydro 

shaft concept and river cleaner. Hydropower 

plant is designed to generate a significant 

amount of electricity with a 2m head, while 

the river cleaner keeps the river open to 

traffic by removing the bulk of the trash from 

the water. 

The company has also added on to its existing 

range of trash rack cleaning machines, sluice 

gates, stoplogs, gates, hydraulic actuation 

systems and other customised solutions. 

In 2018, the management of the company 

decided to develop a new product range for 

flood protection. 

The flood protection system is made from 

marine grade aluminium for its mobile system 

or reinforced glass in its fixed system as an 

alternative for low flood depth. This allows 

the system to be deployed easily in time of 

predicted flood for protecting communities 

1 During deployment of 

the 5.4m flood barrier 

(Image: Muhr) 

2 Completion of 

5.4m flood barrier 

(Image: Muhr) 

and cities. The flood protection system can 

also be used to protect factories, especially 

those located in flood prone areas. 

The choice of material is due to its 

lightweight and high strength properties. 

The weight-to-strength ratio of aluminum 

is better than that of stainless steel, with 

aluminum being approximately one-third 

the weight of stainless steel for a similar 

strength level. The lightweight beams are 

reportedly able to be deployed quickly 

when resources such as crane and heavy 

machinery are limited and difficult to 

manoeuvre. The flood barrier product has 

been segregated into three product lineups: 

professional, engineered and high capacity, 

which have been designed to withstand a 

maximum flood height of 2.1m, 4m and 6m 

respectively. 

Muhr has designed flood barriers according 

to DIN 19569-4: 2000-11 EU German 

standard, ensuring they can withstand an 

impact of a point load of 14kN when placed 

at any position within the system. According 

to this standard, the maximum permissible 

leakage is generally very low to ensure the 

effectiveness of the barriers in preventing 

water ingress. The exact leakage rate 

limit can vary depending on the specific 

requirements and applications, but it typically 

stipulates that the leakage should not exceed 

2 

0.3L/min per meter of barrier sealing length. 

The pumps collect water through ground 

seepage, rain and leakage through the seal 

of the barrier. At Muhr, the design of all flood 

barriers is confirmed with external statical 

calculations and additionally tested in load 

and leakage tests. To ensure the quality of 

flood prevention products, the company has 

also obtained the EN 1090-3 Execution of 

Structural Aluminium Components (EXC3) 

certificate. 

Since rolling out the flood protection system, 

Muhr has supplied various projects in 

Europe. One example is the project made 

in Passau, Germany. In order to protect 

private sector factory and private houses, 

Muhr identified the area that is required 

to be protected on site with the customer. 

Eight sector of the factory was installed 

with the flood protection system, having a 

total length of 152m and various flood depth 

ranging from 0.9-5.4m. After the required 

embedded part is installed, it took a crew of 

6 men in about 5hrs to deploy the system. 

The mobilisation of flood barrier column and 

beam to the defence line were not included 

in the deployment. 

With the development of the flood barrier, 

Muhr has added another product to its range 

of hydromechanical product. The company 

looks forward to collaborating with customers 

globally. 


ON OUR RADAR 

Lutz Pumpen’s new battery 

increases safety and flexibility 

with aggressive liquids 

The new B3 battery from Lutz Pumpen 

enables safe mobile working with 

aggressive liquids without the need to 

compromise on pumping performance 

compared to cable-connection versions. 

Equipped with a brushless DC motor, the B3 

battery-powered drum pump has an output 

of 320 watts. This electric motor provides a 

delivery rate of up to 180L/min and a delivery 

head of 11.8m water column. 

“In developing the new B3 battery, we have 

succeeded for the first time in making the 

performance of a battery-operated drum 

pump comparable to that of cable-connected 

versions,” said Takumi Nasu, head of 

development, Lutz Pumpen. “This leap 

in performance makes the new model 

of the battery product range interesting 

for industrial applications requiring high 

delivery rates.” 

He added that the absence of a cable — 

which can quickly constitute a tripping 

hazard or cause a short circuit — makes the 

battery-operated drum pump safer and more 

flexible. 

The B3 battery is simple to operate. The 

user secures the tubular pump tube in the 

container via an adapter with a screw cap. 

Switching on the drum pump activates a 

high-performance propeller, which generates 

a flow channel with up to 10,000 revolutions 

per minute (rpm). The liquid flows through 

the pump tube into a hose and can be dosed 

manually via a nozzle. An optional flow meter 

ensures precision. 

One battery charge is enough to empty a 

200L drum 14 times in around 15mins. At a 

lower speed, a 1000L IBC container can be 

pumped out 5.8 times in under 51mins. “With 

a noise level of 70dBA — lower than that 

of a vacuum cleaner — the B3 battery is 

quieter than many electrically powered 

pumps currently available on the market,” 

said Nasu. “This is easy on employees’ 

nerves and prevents fatigue.” 

CONFIGURED LIKE LEGO: MOTORS CAN 

BE COMBINED WITH A NUMBER OF 

PUMP TUBES 

Lutz Pumpen opted for a modular design 

in order to enable deployment of the B3 

to pump as many different liquid media 

as possible. This modularity enables 

combination of a range of individual 

components: a 1.2kg motor with 

removable battery, a pump tube that can 

be screwed on via a handwheel, a hose 

and a dosing gun. 

For example, the pump tube is available 

in several versions. Whilst models made 

of polypropylene (PP) are suitable for 

low-viscosity acids, sodium hydroxide 

and ammonia water, those constructed 

from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) 

are deployed with concentrated alkali 

solutions and acids such as chloric acid 

and sulphuric acid. Aluminium models on 

the other hand are used in conjunction 

with diesel, heating oil and hydraulic oil. 

Its US Food and Drug Administration 

(FDA)-compliant stainless-steel model is 

deployed with liquids in the food industry. 

The maximum viscosity of the pumped 

media is 700 millipascal-seconds (mPas). 

The pump tubes are manufactured for 

use in canisters, drums or containers 

in the standard immersion depths of 

500mm, 700mm, 1,000mm and 1,200mm. 

On customer request, Lutz Pumpen also 

produces lengths from 300-3,000mm for 

special containers and pump sumps. 

According to Nasu, the option of 

combining the modular battery motor with 

an eccentric screw pump for the pumping 

of highly viscous media is provided from 

Lutz Pumpen. “This is currently unique in 

the industry,” he said. 

The B3 battery can also be combined with 

hybrid mixing pumping tubes and residual 

emptying pump tubes. This enables the 

simultaneous mixing of liquids during the 

pumping and emptying of drums down to 

the last tenth of a litre. 

The drum pump pumps 

up to 5,800L electrically 

with a single battery 

charge more quietly 

than a vacuum cleaner 

(Images: Lutz Pumpen) 


SHOW PREVIEW 

“DMS Universe 

is the future of technical 

knowledge exchange” 

When COVID-19 cancelled in-person 

events, DMS Universe was built to 

change the way end users, vendors, 

system integrators and agents all 

over the world communicate. As 

an online professional networking 

platform for technical knowledge 

exchange in the energy industry, 

DMS Universe connects these 

stakeholders together. This platform 

is accompanied by its technical 

events hosted around the world, 

known as its galaxy forums. 

“The concept of DMS Universe is that 

you talk to your fellow colleagues in 

the industry everyday online, then 

you meet once a year in person at 

the galaxy forums in the country of 

the engineering discipline community 

that you belong to,” said Mohammed 

Loch, president and CEO, DMS 

Global. 

Compared to traditional trade shows 

which are massive and held once a 

year, DMS Universe galaxy forums are 

about bringing specific engineering 

disciplines together to create a 

community on a regular basis, 

according to its president and CEO. 

Its next event is the DMS Universe 

Instrumentation, Control and 

Automation galaxy forum, which 

will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

from 10-11 Jul 2024. Bringing 

technical knowledge exchange and 

technologies at the exhibition and 

conference, the Malaysian community 

will be able to network in-person, as 

well as foster long-term collaboration 

under one roof. 

“Even though COVID-19 accelerated 

digital transformation into our everyday 

lives, the future is hybrid,” he said. “Our 

plan is to have hundreds of in-person 

events around the world along with 

thousands of people using the online 

platform on a daily basis. DMS Universe 

is the future of technical knowledge 

exchange.” 

Launched in the Middle East, DMS 

Universe is now focusing on creating 

a community in South East Asia to 

engage with end users such as PUB, 

Singapore’s National Water Agency and 

Malakoff in Malaysia. Apart from the 

water industry, the team covers oil and 

gas, refining, petrochemical, chemical, 

power and renewable sectors. 

1 

2 

1 One of the DMS 

Universe galaxy 

forums hosted in 

Malaysia 

2 DMS Universe 

Malaysia 

Instrumentation, 

Control and 

Automation 

galaxy forum will 

feature technical 

sessions and 

workshops 


SHOW REVIEW 

Stormwater and Wastewater 

Conference Saudi Arabia 

progresses upcoming 

infrastructure projects 

Partnering with the Ministry of Municipal, 

Rural Affairs and Housing (MOMRAH), the 

Stormwater and Wastewater Conference 

Saudi Arabia — from 28-29 May 2024 at 

the Jeddah Hilton — addressed the issues 

of stormwater management, flood risk 

mitigation, wastewater treatment, and reuse 

in the context of Saudi Arabia’s rapid urban 

development. 

Key stakeholders — including representatives 

from Jeddah municipality, Riyad municipality, 

National Water company, NEOM, Diriyah Gate, 

and King Abdullah Financial District — shared 

insights into their current and upcoming 

projects. 

The conference was opened by His Excellency 

Hassan Asiree, Deputy Minister for Projects 

and Public Health from MOMRAH, followed 

by a keynote address by MOMRAH providing 

insights into stormwater management and 

sustainable drainage. 

The opening panel then focused on 

developing sustainable future cities and 

the role of critical utilities and waste 

management infrastructure, featuring experts 

from MOMRAH, WSP, AECOM, and Stantec. 

This was followed by a wastewater treatment 

panel which was moderated by AtkinsRealis, 

with senior executives from NEOM, National 

Water Company, and Emerson to discuss 

best-in-class practices. 

A further discussion focusing on driving net 

zero in wastewater treatment was held on 

the second day, which were joined by C-level 

executives from Roshn, SUEZ, Dorsch Holding, 

Stantec and Acumen Consulting. Senior 

level executives from project owners and 

consultants also came together to discuss 

best practices in building climate resilient 

stormwater and flood risk mitigation 

infrastructure. 

The Deputy Mayor of Jeddah municipality 

shared insights into Jeddah’s pioneering 

stormwater drainage programme, while the 

National Water Company discussed its 

five-year project portfolio and 

advancements in wastewater treatment 

technology. Jacobs presented design 

solutions for water circulatory systems 

from Singapore, and AtkinsRealis shared 

strategies to optimise bioresources 

recovery and sludge reuse based on 

UK-based projects. IDOM discussed the 

recycled water master plan for the Royal 

Commission of Jubail and Yanbu. 

Additionally, WSP addressed challenges 

in implementing wastewater treatment 

and reuse strategies. Finally, Project 

Management Institute KSA Chapter 

focused on best practices in stakeholder 

management for mega stormwater 

projects. At the conference, there was 

also a session on managing odour 

control around wastewater treatment plants 

(WWTPs) by a regional expert. 

The event sponsors such as Saudi Amiantit 

Company, Omnix/ Autodesk, and Advanced 

Telecommunications Solutions and Services, 

presented solutions for effective water 

management at the conference’s technology 

showcase. Apart from that, the project 

showcase sessions featured ongoing and 

upcoming sustainability-driven projects such 

as Riyad Municipality’s stormwater drainage 

programme, King Abdullah Financial District’s 

sustainability project, Diriyah Gate’s WWTPs, 

and the Fayoum Wastewater Expansion 

Programme with Stantec as a primary 

consultant. 

The conference concluded with a fireside 

chat that focused on the progress made 

in the National Water Strategy and the 

path forward. Positing itself as an annual 

calendarised event for the sustainable 

water management industry, Stormwater 

and Wastewater Conference Saudi 

The conference featured 

a diverse array of project 

showcases, case studies, 

and panel discussions 

Arabia continues to progress upcoming 

infrastructure projects in the kingdom. 


SHOW REVIEW 

Singapore International Water 

Week (SIWW) and CleanEnviro 

Summit Singapore (CESG) 2024 

conclude with strengthened 

global alliances 

Hosting over 30,000 attendees, 

SIWW 2024 from 18-22 Jun 2024 and 

CESG 2024 from 19-21 Jun 2024 saw 

the announcements of partnerships, 

calls for tender and for research 

grants, and facilitated numerous 

Memorandum of Understanding 

(MoU) signings towards building a 

greener, more climate-resilient and 

sustainable future amidst resource 

scarcity globally. 

To this end, the two events have 

paved the way for several initiatives, 

rallying the industries to take 

ownership to tackle environmental 

and water challenges. 

“As a unique global platform that 

brings together governments, cities, 

utilities, and industry from the region 

and the world, the 10th edition of 

SIWW marked a milestone as one of 

the most successful editions yet,” 

said Ryan Yuen, SIWW managing 

director. 

“As we progress towards our 

national and global sustainability 

goals, we continue to navigate 

the complexities of climate 

change and sustainability. This 

is why platforms such as CESG 

are crucial in forging pathways 

for collaboration and innovation,” 

added Kwok Wai Choong, CESG 

managing director. 

SIWW 2024 

Climate adaptation is a new key 

pillar of SIWW 2024. Minister for 

Sustainability and the Environment 

and Minister-in-charge of Trade 

Relations Grace Fu made the call for 

closer partnerships between the public 

and private sectors in addressing 

coastal and flood risks at the inaugural 

Coastal and Flood Resilience Leaders’ 

Summit on 20 Jun 2024. 

At the summit, the award of the 

second tranche of research projects 

under the Coastal Protection and 

1 

Flood Resilience Institute (CFI) 

Singapore was announced. The 

second tranche of eight projects 

will facilitate the implementation of 

coastal protection infrastructure. 

The awarded projects encompass a 

spectrum of research areas including 

monitoring and simulation of the 

coastal environment and impacts, as 

well as assessing coastal engineering 

solutions and nature-based 

approaches for coastal defense. 

Serving as a three-way intermediary 

between the industry, institutes of 

1 The Joint Opening 

Ministerial 

Plenary of the 

CESG and SIWW 

2024 

2 Minister Grace 

Fu announced a 

RFI for alternative 

disposal 

technologies 

and the launch 

of a tender 

for a second 

large-scale FPV 

project at Pandan 

reservoir, during 

her joint opening 

address 

3 Minister Grace Fu 

and World Bank 

managing director 

of operations 

Anna Bjerde at 

the launch of the 

Singapore Water 

Centre 


SHOW REVIEW 

2 3 

higher learning, and government agencies, 

the Singapore Water Association (SWA) 

will launch a new coastal protection 

chapter, to foster collaboration 

among companies and support the 

implementation of coastal protection 

infrastructure. 

In conjunction with the new coastal 

protection chapter, SWA will sign a tripartite 

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 

CFI Singapore and the Forum for Climate 

Change Adaptation (FCCA). This MoU 

aims to bring expertise from both industry 

and academia and will strengthen closer 

collaboration. 

National water agency PUB has also 

launched an open Request-for-Proposal 

(RFP) to seek solutions to support 

Singapore’s coastal protection and 

flood management efforts. This grant 

call is under the applied research 

pillar of Coastal Protection and Flood 

Management Research Programme, 

established in 2023. 

The Singapore Water Centre by the 

World Bank Group in partnership with the 

Singapore government was also launched 

at SIWW. The centre will leverage 

Singapore’s expertise in urban water 

management to support the water sector 

in countries in the region and beyond. 

Among the 10 MoUs signed at SIWW 

2024, there was a MoU between PUB and 

Aarhus Vand — a Danish water utility — 

to advance knowledge exchange, in the 

areas of innovation, energy-efficient used 

water treatment, resource circularity and 

climate resiliency. 

Two key announcements were made at 

SIWW. Firstly, a tender for the development 

of a 55 megawatt-peak (MWp) floating 

solar photovoltaic (FPV) system at Pandan 

reservoir was announced. Floating solar 

panels on the reservoir’s surface will be 

installed, adding to Singapore’s renewable 

energy capacity, while ensuring there 

continues to be adequate space for 

recreational water activities in the Pandan 

reservoir. 

Secondly, a tender to expand Changi 

water reclamation plant (WRP) was also 

announced. In line with PUB’s efforts 

to invest in used water infrastructure, 

the expansion, estimated to cost about 

S$2bn, will raise Changi WRP’s used water 

treatment capacity by up to 96 million 

gallons per day (MGD). 

“We are confident that the knowledge 

sharing, thought leadership, and strategic 

collaborations that came forth from the 

event will continue to drive actionable 

solutions towards solving the world’s most 

pressing urban water and associated 

climate challenges,” added Yuen. 

CESG 2024 

At CESG 2024, the Sustainability Summit 

on 19 Jun 2024 — themed ‘Towards a net 

zero city’ —convened industry leaders 

to discuss policies, innovations, and 

international collaborations for advancing 

low carbon transitions and addressing 

environmental challenges. 

Plenaries focused on accelerating climate 

action and decarbonisation ahead of 

COP29, highlighting resource resilience 

and sustainability issues across the APAC 

region. In her opening address, Senior 

Minister of State for Sustainability and 

the Environment Dr Amy Khor reiterated 

Singapore’s commitment to sustainability 

to secure a healthy future for generations 

to come. 

Singapore’s $90m boost for the 

environmental services industry through 

the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) 

was announced. The grant will accelerate 

the adoption of technological solutions 

and equipment to strengthen innovation, 

improve productivity and create quality 

jobs. There were seven signings of MoUs 

at CESG2024 to advance opportunities in 

technology, innovation and co-creation of 

solutions for the clean environment and 

sustainability space. 

A new Closed-Loop Partners Network 

by SembWaste — a first-of-its-kind 

platform in Singapore aimed at fostering 

industry partnerships to advance a circular 

economy, and Enviro Tech Innovation 

Hub — a ‘living laboratory’ to advancing 

sustainable environmental cleaning and 

integrated facilities management by 

co-creating and test-bedding solutions, 

planning and carrying out initiatives 

for workforce upskilling and talent 

development, were also launched at CESG 

2024. 

In a world increasingly defined by pressing 

environmental challenges, the managing 

directors of both events echoed the 

role of collaborative platforms, such as 

CESG and SIWW, to continue to move the 

dialogue for global sustainability and water 

management. The next edition of SIWW and 

CESG will return in 2026. 


WHAT’S NEXT 

Events calendar 

2024 

JULY 

3 – 5 July 

Thai Water Expo, Bangkok, Thailand 

10 – 11 July 

DMS Universe Malaysia Instrumentation, 

Control & Automation Galaxy Forum, 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 

30 July – 1 August 

Pump & Valves Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia 

AUGUST 

11 – 15 August 

IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, 

Toronto, Canada 

28 – 31 August 

Water Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia 

SEPTEMBER 

4 – 6 September 

IWRA Islands Water Congress, 

Tórshavn, Faroe Islands 

18 – 20 September 

Indo Water Expo & Forum, Jakarta, Indonesia 

NOVEMBER 

6 – 8 November 

Vietwater, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 


Sustainable Environment Asia, 



Water Loss Asia 2024, 


2025 

DECEMBER 

8 – 12 December 

IDRA 2024 World Congress, Abu Dhabi, UAE 

11 – 13 December 

Aquatech China, Shanghai, China 

JANUARY 

14 – 16 January 

World Future Energy Summit, Abu Dhabi, UAE 

29 – 31 January 

InterAqua 2025, Tokyo, Japan 

FEBRUARY 

17 – 20 February 

WWETT 2025, Indiana, US 

25 – 26 February 

World Water-Tech Innovation Summit 2025, 

London, UK 

MARCH 

11 – 14 March 

Aquatech Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands 

19 – 21 March 

Water Philippines, Manila, Philippines 

APRIL 

21 – 23 April 

IE Expo, Shanghai, China 


ADVERTISER’S INDEX 

ADVERTISER 

PAGE 

DMS GLOBAL 15 

EUROTEC WATER PTE. LTD. 7 

GUANGDONG LIANSU TECHNOLOGH INDUSTRIAL CO LTD 

OBC 

HARBIN FIRSTLINE ENVIRONMENT TECHNOLOGY CO.,LTD 9 

INDOWATER 2024 1 

NX FILTRATION 31 

PUMP & VALVES INDONESIA 2024 63 

SEKO UK LTD 

SUEZ ASIA 

IFC 

FC 

SUSTAINABILITY ENVIRONMENT ASIA (SEA) 2024 5 

VIETWATER 2024 

IBC 

WATER & WASTEWATER ASIA 3 

XYLEM ANALYTICS 64

Water & Wastewater Asia July/August 2024

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