Current launched its first technology demonstration project in partnership with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD). The project will test San Francisco Bay Area-based Microvi’s MicroNiche™ Engineering (MNE) technology. This innovative technology uses densely packed natural microorganisms to efficiently treat used water and remove organics, ammonia and phosphorus, nutrients that in large quantities can harm water quality.
Current, a Chicago-based non-profit, is assisting the MWRD in evaluating the technical and economic merits of Microvi’s MNE technology as part of Current’s newly-launched technology demonstration program. Through its validation and demonstration services, Current delivers market-driven innovations by bridging gaps in water technology commercialization.
Microvi’s MNE technology uses an engineered polymer-biological composite to optimize the performance of water and wastewater treatment and other biochemical processes. It will be piloted at the MWRD’s O’Brien Water Reclamation Plant in Skokie, Illinois where its compact design can fit within the plant’s space-constraints. This water treatment solution is a low-cost and small-footprint system that promises to bring important benefits to MWRD.
Current’s technical and economic analysis of the MicroNiche™ Engineering technology helped MWRD see the potential value for their operations and identified key factors to help optimize the performance of Microvi’s MNE Technology when deployed at full-scale.