Enterprise Connect boosts options for water treatment specialist

Finding sustainable ways of improving water productivity has become a national priority. Water is regarded as one of our most critical resources. In order to preserve it, we need to find new ways to reduce water usage for agriculture and industry, protect our rivers and groundwater, and recycle urban and industrial wastewaters.

A Melbourne business that develops innovative and sustainable water management solutions is part of the solution. AvivaPure, a clean technology business from Notting Hill in Melbourne, specialises in developing water treatment and re-use solutions for a broad range of clients, involving bore water, industrial wastewater, rainwater, seawater, river water and brackish groundwater.

AvivaPure recently installed a 30,000 L/day plant at Parliament House in Canberra, using and treating wastewater from a cooling tower to reopen five water features closed down during the drought.

The company is working towards commercialising its patented ECube and antifouling technology. To assist in further research and development of its products, AvivaPure sought business advice from Enterprise Connect and undertook a business review. The advice and recommendations opened up new connections for the company with researchers from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Monash University.

AvivaPure Director Anthea Palmer said she contacted Enterprise Connect because she recognised the services offered could be beneficial to her business, especially in the early stages of product development.

Enterprise Connect put AvivaPure in touch with business advisers David Knipe and Stuart Wallace, and linked the company with the Researchers in Business program. This program helps to place researchers from universities or public research agencies into businesses to help develop and implement new commercial ideas.

AvivaPure collaborated with both the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Monash University to refine its water purification products.

“We could never have done it without Enterprise Connect,” Anthea said. “Stuart really listened to what we had to say and recommended we contact universities. So we did and three universities put up their hands immediately.”

With assistance from Enterprise Connect, AvivaPure made valuable connections with researchers and accessed their knowledge, expertise and specialised technology.

“Establishing connections with researchers has been vital for AvivaPure,” Anthea said. “It has enabled us to get one of our products tested and will provide us with published data that will ultimately help to commercialise that product.”

AvivaPure employed a PhD student and a professor through Researchers in Business. This collaborative approach allowed the student to build knowledge and experience, and AvivaPure to undertake research into the problem of membrane fouling in water treatment plants and to develop ECube.

Palmer said she expected the benefits of the collaborations to centre mostly on the development of AvivaPure’s products. However, AvivaPure has now formed lasting relationships with researchers at the universities, providing an opportunity for them to work together on future products and projects.

“Enterprise Connect provides stepping stones for businesses to improve collaboration and achieve innovations,” Anthea said.

Fact box - ECube

AvivaPure has developed a large-scale, solar- and wind-powered accelerated evaporator called the ECube. This device reduces waste brine, floodwater, process water and trade waste and is claimed to be a cost-effective alternative to evaporation ponds. The patented pending system is modular with capacities up to 50,000 L evaporation per day. A 50 m long ECube module is designed to evaporate approximately 10 ML/year of wastewater or brine.

Using wind and solar power, the ECube system can evaporate at up to 35 times more water than an equivalent evaporation pond. Waste salt sediments are crystallised and recovered, enabling full process sustainability.