Manufacturers constantly develop new and improved wastewater treatment technologies. A key question is how and where to test and prove them before going to market.
Traditionally, the process includes bench scale and pilot testing, the latter phase often requiring cooperation from a municipal wastewater treatment plant. Now, the Southern Ontario Water Consortium (SOWC) and partners have developed a more effective and streamlined avenue for technology testing and demonstration.
The partnership involves the SOWC, Western University and the cities of London and Guelph. At London, an $8 million center of excellence has been created within the Greenway Wastewater Treatment Plant that enables research and testing with real-world, full-scale flows. At Guelph, a facility is outfitted to perform bench scale and pilot tests.
The concept makes it easier for companies to arrange for and complete pre-market testing and demonstration. In particular, it frees them from establishing their own partnerships with cities or utilities to establish test sites and it removes the need for permitting of tests from regulators.
Evelyn Allen, manager of industry partnership development for the SOWC, and Geordie Gauld, division manager of wastewater treatment operations with the City of London, talked about the new centers of excellence in an interview with Treatment Plant Operator.
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