Develop technologies for drinking water treatment
Facilities are available for evaluating the presence of contaminants in drinking water, and testing the effectiveness of their removal or inactivation using membrane and/or AOP technology on various types of source water.
SOWC Supported Facilities
Mobile Advanced Oxidation Process Platform
The Mobile Advanced Oxidation Process Platform (AOP) contains custom treatment units (e.g., UV, ozone or solar energy) on mobile skids to allow for transportation to field sites. The AOP processes are evaluated for the ability to remove or neutralize emerging contaminants, both chemical and microbiological. Pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds are key current interests.
Mobile Membrane Pilot
The University of Waterloo’s Mobile Membrane Pilot Plant is skid-mounted for transport to field sites. It contains parallel treatment trains that can employ up to three different types of membranes to either mimic current treatment practice or evaluate new technologies or designs. Operating protocols to minimize membrane fouling or otherwise extend membrane life are of key interest.
Pathogen Resilience Platform
The Pathogen Resilience Platform at Wilfrid Laurier University uses state-of-the-art microbiological techniques to determine the response of pathogenic organisms to stresses induced by different treatment processes or conditions and evaluate changes in pathogen susceptibility or resilience to disinfection.
The equipment in the Drinking Water node is enhanced by skilled technical support and research leads within the node that have extensive knowledge on improving drinking water quality through the development and evaluation of conventional and novel treatment processes.
Other Partner Institution Facilities
Tay River Field Site
Queen’s University’s Tay River Field Site is located near Perth, Ontario, and is a tributary of the UNESCO Heritage Rideau Canal System. The site contains a variety of natural and anthropogenic stressors and contains comprehensive groundwater instrumentation, weather stations and has been extensively mapped. This site supports research into the impacts of agricultural activity, climate change and contaminant sensitivity in bedrock aquifers.
SOWC’s Equipment Plays Integral Role in Drinking Water Treatment Research
Dr. Susan Andrews – SOWC Node Leader Profile
SOWC Supported Facilities
Mobile Advanced Oxidation Process Platform
The Mobile Advanced Oxidation Process Platform (AOP) contains custom treatment units (e.g., UV, ozone or solar energy) on mobile skids to allow for transportation to field sites. The AOP processes are evaluated for the ability to remove or neutralize emerging contaminants, both chemical and microbiological. Pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds are key current interests.
Mobile Membrane Pilot
The University of Waterloo’s Mobile Membrane Pilot Plant is skid-mounted for transport to field sites. It contains parallel treatment trains that can employ up to three different types of membranes to either mimic current treatment practice or evaluate new technologies or designs. Operating protocols to minimize membrane fouling or otherwise extend membrane life are of key interest.
Pathogen Resilience Platform
The Pathogen Resilience Platform at Wilfrid Laurier University uses state-of-the-art microbiological techniques to determine the response of pathogenic organisms to stresses induced by different treatment processes or conditions and evaluate changes in pathogen susceptibility or resilience to disinfection.
The equipment in the Drinking Water node is enhanced by skilled technical support and research leads within the node that have extensive knowledge on improving drinking water quality through the development and evaluation of conventional and novel treatment processes.
Other Partner Institution Facilities
Tay River Field Site
Queen’s University’s Tay River Field Site is located near Perth, Ontario, and is a tributary of the UNESCO Heritage Rideau Canal System. The site contains a variety of natural and anthropogenic stressors and contains comprehensive groundwater instrumentation, weather stations and has been extensively mapped. This site supports research into the impacts of agricultural activity, climate change and contaminant sensitivity in bedrock aquifers.
Dr. Susan Andrews – SOWC Node Leader Profile