Microvi’s Cost-Effective Nitrate Treatment System Provides Clean Water to Rural Communities

Microvi, in partnership with the City of Modesto and global nonprofit climate-tech accelerator Elemental Excelerator, is successfully operating a Microvi MicroNiche Engineering™ (MNE) nitrate treatment system in Modesto, California. The continuous bioreactor system is meeting the goals of the treatment system by reducing nitrate levels of 7 mg/l to less than 3 mg/L. 

“We’re big believers in the solutions Microvi develops to help communities deliver safe, clean drinking water, and seeing these results in Modesto validate our beliefs, ” said Kim Baker, Director of Innovation, Elemental Excelerator. “As climate challenges continue to impact the water supply, it’s critical that these technologies are adopted by the marketplace to ensure equitable access to drinking water everywhere.” 

The Microvi MNE 50 gallons per minute (gpm) system is a solution that can easily be implemented for smaller water utilities in need of an effective nitrate treatment system. By utilizing Microvi’s technology, these utilities gain better access to efficient and cost-effective water treatment critical to keeping nitrate levels to a minimum. This is especially applicable for the Central Valley of California, which has been challenged by decades of agricultural use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers and is home to many smaller water utilities.

“This has been a great opportunity for the City to experience the latest in treatment technology to reduce nitrate levels.  The Microvi MNE treatment system has allowed the City to have another tool in our tool belt to consider when dealing with the contaminants that we experience in the valley,” said Robert Davalos, Senior Civil Engineer, City of Modesto.

Some key outcomes demonstrated through the Modesto project and applicable for a typical Microvi MNE 50 gpm system: 

  • Up to 9500 lbs of nitrate per year can be removed by the 50 gpm unit (which scales up as the size of the system increases).

  • The 50 gpm plant can provide up to 52 million gallons of potable water annually and can meet the potable water needs of over 470 families

  • The Modesto plant would save over 195 million 1L water bottles per year

  • The plant would prevent approximately 4.8 million gallons of non-hazardous waste compared to a regular biological system. A similarly sized ion exchange system would generate 500 thousand gallons of hazardous waste, while an MNE system produces none

  • Water produced by the Modesto plant would cost at least 60% less than water produced by a similarly sized ion exchange plant

  • Design-Bulid-Own-Operate model significantly reduces cost to utility

  • Average delivery time of 3-6 months

The Microvi MNE nitrate treatment system, equipped with the latest IoT technology allowing for remote monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive analytics, is a cost-effective alternative to the expensive removal and disposal process.

By using novel biocatalytic composites (MNE biocatalysts) to intensify and extend the life of biological processes, the Microvi MNE technology maintains a controlled population of microorganisms at a much higher density than existing technologies. The design and operation of the systems are simple with no complex process controls and do not produce additional solids, reducing energy and carbon requirements.

About Microvi

Microvi is a transformative biology company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that delivers next-generation biotechnologies for the water, wastewater, bio-based chemicals, biofuels and biopharma industries. Microvi offers commercial technologies around the world to reduce waste, increase productivity and provide disruptive economics across the value chain. Learn more at www.microvi.com. 

About Elemental Excelerator

Elemental Excelerator advances solutions to climate change and deploys them in the communities that need them the most. Each year, it finds 15-20 companies that best fit its mission and funds each company up to $1 million to improve systems that impact people's lives: energy, mobility, water, agriculture, and beyond. To date, it has awarded over $36 million to 99 companies. For more information, please visit elementalexcelerator.com.

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Contact:

Microvi Marketing
info@microvi.com
+1 (510) 344-0668

 

 

Ameen Razavidrinking water, nitrate treatment, Microvi MNE