The UK's first wastewater micropollutant removal plant that will start operating this year in Frankton, Warwickshire
The UK’s first pilot plant aimed at assessing the impact of different combinations of technology for micropollutant removal from wastewater technologies will start operating at Cranfield University’s campus in Bedfordshire this year.
The new pilot plant will be built and operated by water treatment experts Curio Water and will analyse samples of wastewater from the site, which produces effluent from teaching and research facilities, commercial businesses, halls of residence, and a hotel.
Technologies, including ozone, Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP), granular activated carbon (GAC), ultraviolet (UV), and nanobubbles will be used in a variety of combinations to remove substances such as common pharmaceuticals and antibiotics, cleaning detergents, PFAS (also known as forever chemicals), microplastics, steroid hormones and pesticides.
It will be the first time that all of these technologies have been used in combination with one another in order to identify the most effective approach to micropollutant removal.
This innovative project comes as UK water companies move to invest in micropollutant removal from wastewater before it is discharged to the environment – with Severn Trent building sites in Frankton, Itchen Bank and Ludlow. An upcoming Water Bill from the new government is also likely to strengthen regulations around micropollutants in line with measures seen in the EU and Switzerland.
To facilitate the project and strengthen its links to Cranfield’s scientists, Curio has also relocated its UK headquarters to a 1500 ft2 centre on the Cranfield University Technology Park.
The George Solt building at Cranfield University, home to the Water Institute
Howard Marles, Founder and Managing Director of Curio Group, said, “Cranfield University is home to some of the world’s leading experts in water science, and this move provides an opportunity for us to combine our expertise in developing new and innovative solutions to the growing problem of micropollutant removal.”
“Working here will allow us to hold pioneering events sharing our current knowledge and future findings with water scientists and industry specialists from the UK and around the world. Using the pilot plant will allow us to demonstrate how a full scale micropollutant removal plant using the latest innovations would operate.”
Curio plans to build a further ten pilot plants for water companies and effluent producers in the next twelve months to analyse waste water from sites across the UK, using remote monitoring to determine the requirements for future plants.
Professor Peter Jarvis, Head of the Cranfield Water Science Institute, added, “We are delighted that Curio has relocated to our Technology Park. This link-up will be mutually beneficial, providing Curio with access to our expertise and fantastic research facilities on water and wastewater treatment. For Cranfield, close collaboration with industry is of real importance to ensure that we continue to translate our research into effective solutions that make a real difference, particularly in matters related to the environment and the quality of our waterways.”
For more information contact:
Colin Hallmark / Fred Sculthorp
3:nine Communications
0207 736 1888
About Curio Group
Curio is a market leading specialist UV and ozone plant, equipment and service delivery company, providing products and services in two areas: water and malting.
About Curio Water
Curio Water provides ozone, UV and filtration services to the water industry, and has over 30 years’ worth of experience in water treatment applications globally. Curio provided engineering support for Europe’s first micropollutant plant for wastewater treatment in Neugut, Switzerland, which has been operational since 2014. The company is currently working with Severn Trent Water on the UK’s first waste water micropollutant plant at Frankton, Warwickshire, which is scheduled to come on stream in 2024.
For further information on Cranfield University please contact:
Media Relations, Cranfield University.
T: +44 (0) 1234 75 4999 | Email: mediarelations@cranfield.ac.uk
About Cranfield University
Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management. The most recent Research Excellence Framework results demonstrate Cranfield University’s excellence with 88% of research rated as world-leading or internationally excellent.
Water at Cranfield
Cranfield has over 40 years’ experience in the water sector and is recognised internationally for work in the science, engineering and management of water. In 2015, we were awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for education and research into safe water and sanitation for the world's poorest communities.
Cranfield’s work spans all aspects of water from clean supplies for domestic consumption, agricultural needs for food production, protecting and enhancing natural habitats or improving process engineering for manufacturing and industry. Activities are supported by world-class facilities, including a pilot-plant hall at the University’s own sewage treatment works, state-of-the-art soil and water laboratories, a grey water treatment pilot area, a managed borehole drilling site and soil and irrigation testing facilities.
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