Aquatech innovation award for ingenious processing hospital waste
Posted: Wednesday 15th October 2008
The winner of the Aquatech Innovation Award 2008 is the Pharmafilter concept for processing hospital waste water. The award was presented to Grontmij Nederland andPharmafilter BVduring the opening ceremony of Aquatech Amsterdam 2008, the world’s leading exhibition in the process, drinking and waste water technology sectors.
The expert jury praised the new concept for the way it combines all waste streams within a hospital rather than being restricted to water purification alone. The core principle is that the various waste streams are centrally digested with organic waste, which together supplies significantly more sustainable biogas energy. The Pharmafilter is therefore a solution for three environmental challenges: Clean water, reducing waste and countering climate change.
During the opening of the Aquatech Amsterdam 2008 exhibition on 29 September, jury chairman Cees Buisman also handed out the specific category awards to Severn Trent Services for its Smartmeter, Austcorp Water Technology for its Rainpure purification system and IPCO for its Ezidig cable detection. Aquatech Amsterdam 2008, the number one trade fair for the process, drinking and waste water industries runs between September 30 and 3 October in Amsterdam RAI.
A showcase example of today’s advanced water technology
According to jury chairman Cees Buisman, scientific director of the Wetsus water technology research centre in Leeuwarden (NL), the Pharmafilter is a showcase example of today’s advanced water technology for the way it goes further than addressing the purification of waste water. "There was some debate among the jury as to whether the Pharmafilter is actually a ‘water’ product, but its impact on surface water is so significant that we agreed that the filter system was the most innovative of all the entries."
“Great and at the same time astonished", reacts Eduardo van den Berg of Pharmafilter BV on receiving the award. Van den Berg is the inventor of the concept and as an outsider from the logistic sector; he is extremely joyful with the award. "It is a great recognition and a spectacular introduction for this new concept in the international water sector. It proves how important it can be for a good idea to think out of the box." Nico Wortel of Grontmij is truly surprised: "It is astonishing that we win this prestigious award for a relatively small project amongst so many renowned international water technology firms." Both Van den Berg and Wortel are convinced it will mean a big boost for the international development of the Pharmafilter concept.
Pharmafilter is an American patented purification system from Pharmafilter Company. The concept of fermentation (anaerobic digestion) and waste water purification is currently being further developed by environmental and engineering consultancy firm Grontmij and the Reinier de Graaf hospital in Delft (NL), with a focus on the processing of hospital waste. Disposable bedpans made of bioplastics, their contents and kitchen refuse are placed in a shredder. The mix of bioplastic, urine and leftover food is processed in a digester tank and converted to biogas.
The remaining wastewater is purified in a membrane bioreactor, while ozonation and activated carbon remove every trace of medicines and hormone disrupting agents. A trial installation is currently being tested at the Delft hospital.
In addition to the Pharmafilter, the jury found that all entries for the Aquatech Innovation Award were exceptionally innovative. “This represents a major development for the water market,” Buisman continues: "Innovation in the water sector is driven by pressure, whether from crises such as legionnaires’ disease, the introduction of new European regulations on wastewater, or the desire to attain the millennium development goals. These bursts of innovation are increasing as the attention for water continues to rise.”
The other winners are:
Process Control & Automation: Severn Trent Services with the SmartMeter SM150VR+, a water meter that takes a reading from the front door of a house without having to go inside, then writes and prints out a bill on the spot.
Point of Use: Austcorp Water Technology with the Rainpure RM20: Water purification system for offices and houses based on vapourisation.
Transport & Storage: IPCO with EziDig: A detection system for use with excavators that immediately signals the presence of underground metal pipes.
