Pentair X-Flow selected for delivery Seaguard membranes for new Israeli RO desalination plant

March 29th, 2012 by nwp

Pentair X-Flow has signed an agreement with IVM Minrav Sadyt to supply Seaguard ultrafiltration (UF) membranes and skids to the Ashdod seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plant in Israel.

With a UF permeate capacity of 930 million liter/day (245 MGD), the plant will supply 100 million cubic meters of desalinated water a year. It will be the first potable water plant built under the government’s emergency plan for the water economy in Israel.

Once completed, Ashdod will be one of the largest SWRO plants with UF as pre-treatment in operation worldwide.

Israel-Spanish consortium to build swro
In November 2009, the IVM consortium, comprised of Israel’s Minrav Holding Ltd and Spain’s Sadyt, won the international tender from Mekorot Development and Enterprise Ltd to build the seawater desalination plant at Ashdod.

IVM will design, build, commission, and then operate the plant for two years. The plant is scheduled to be in full production by December 2013.

One of five large desalination plants
The desalinated water from the plant will amount to approximately 15 percent of Israel’s domestic water consumption. Once the Ashdod plant is completed, the five largest desalination plants in Israel combined will supply around 85 percent of Israel’s domestic water consumption.


The largest Israeli SWRO-plant is at Hadera (127 million m3/year)

UF filtration as pretreatment
The Seaguard UF membranes are to provide optimum pre-treatment for the RO membranes. Pretreatment with UF allows for higher RO fluxes and has a positive impact on all vital aspects of a SWRO plant.

The benefits of UF pre-treatment include consistent quality of the RO feed water, a significantly smaller plant design.

Low capital and operational costs
According to Pentair X-Flow their inline UF membranes were the preferred option on both capital expenditure (capex) as on operational expenditure (opex), when compared with single stage media filtration.

This press release was originally published on the website of Pentair X-Flow

More information
Pentair X-Flow
Enschede, the Netherlands
+31 53 4287000
www.xflow.com


Posted in News.

Football organization KNVB informs young African footballers on water and personal hygiene

March 27th, 2012 by nwp

The Dutch football organization KNVB started a water & sanitation project by football coaches advising African students on water and personal hygiene.

The project was launched during a special celebration of World Water Day at Wageningen University on March 22.

State secretary Ben Knapen announced a 13.5 million euro support on behalf of the Dutch government.

The other parties to this public-private partnership are UNICEF, Simavi, Vitens Evides, Aqua for All and AKVO. ‘This is a first-rate example of public-private cooperation,’ said state secretary Knapen.


State secretary Ben Knapen for international cooperation

Teaching not only football
With the initiative ‘Football for water, sanitation and hygiene’, the KNVB has made a flying start. This programme will provide clean drinking water and sanitation to pupils at 1,100 schools in Ghana, Mozambique and Kenya.

Additionally over 700.000 students will be advised on water and hygiene. This is part of Worldcoach project that teaches students in developing countries not only football but also ‘life skills’ such as respect, cooperation and decision making.

Extra chapters Life Skills manual
For the occasion of the water project the WorldCoaches Life Skills Manual .has been extended with five chapters on water and hygiene.

Worldwide over 500 football coaches are involved in the WorldCoaches project.


All photos: Bart de Gouw, copyright 2012 WUR CS/BdG

High expectations
In the case of the KNVB’s public-private partnership, the Dutch government will contribute 3.4 million euro annually in the first four years, and the private partners will double that amount. After that, the project should be able to run without government funding. Knapen is counting on more good pps-projects on water and sanitation (WASH). ‘If I’m right, around 40 parties are already drafting project proposals. I have high expectations of them.’

Secretary of State Ben Knapen endorsed the importance of water management in the future. Netherlands has under him a lot of knowledge on water management. Knapen launched a Sustainable Water Fund, where this year 50 million euro.

Famous Dutch football players
Also present at the celebration of World Water Day 2012, the Prince of Orange and Dutch football personalities Ruud Krol, Ruud Gullit and Ben van Marwijk congratulated the organisations and wished them all the best working together.

The Prince said he was delighted to see two important strong Dutch ingredients working together: Water and Football.

More information
World Coaches
www.worldcoaches.nl/en

KNVB
Oeds-Willem Miedema oeds-willem.miedema@knvb.nl
programma Football for WASH
Zeist, the Netherlands
+31 9008075
www.knvb.nl

Posted in News.

Expertise centre to tackle inert COD in waste water paper industry

March 27th, 2012 by nwp

Engineering company Colsen International and Voith Paper Environmental Solutions are in the process of establishing an expertise center in order to gather knowledge about water technologies which can tackle the problem of inert COD and in particularly humic substances.

Anaerobic processes are often prescribed as the first waste water treatment step for pulp and paper mill with high COD concentration (chemical oxygen demand) , in order to meet effluent requirements. The inert COD fraction in the waste water makes aerobic degradation often .

More stringent regulation
Industries are increasingly subjected to stringent discharge limits, for instance 50 mg COD L-1 in China. These limits are difficult to obtain with conventional anaerobic and aerobic waste water treatment technologies.

Humic substances
A relatively large fraction of inert COD remains in the effluent mainly as humic substances. This is especially the case with paper mill effluents which are often highly colored due to the humic substances and therefore need treatment.

Best available technology
Colsen conducted a feasibility study in order to list the available technologies and to be able to select for a specific case the best available technology not entailing excessive costs.

In the next phase, Colsen will develop and test new techniques which will be evaluated against the current technologies in order to improve the economic implications and environmental friendliness of removing inert COD from waste water.

This news item was originally published on the website of Colsen International.

More information
Colsen International
Hulst, the Netherlands
+31 114 31 15 48
www.colsen.nl/uk

Voith Paper Environmental Solutions
Ravensburg, Germany
+49 751 83 01
www.vp-environmental.de

Posted in News.

Salvage team Smit/Boskalis removes last oil from Costa Concordia

March 23rd, 2012 by nwp

The last oil is pumped from the cruise ship Costa Concordia. On The morning of March 24, at 07.30 CET, SMIT Salvage successfully completed its assignment on the removal of fuel from the Costa Concordia.

Over the last couple of days, the SMIT Salvage diving team was transferring heavy fuel oil from the last settling tank in the engine room. These last tanks were completed, closed and sealed off.

Pumping equipment to be demobilized
Acoording to Smit Salvage the entire oil removal process which lasted just over one month went smoothly and was executed in line with expectations. Most of the diving and pumping equipment is to be demobilized and brought back to Livorno onboard of the crane/work barge Meloria.

Smit Salavage will retain a small diving team and a diving foreman on the island under a so-called ‘caretaker contract’. The team will remain standby for designated emergency duties until a contractor is appointed for the removal of the entire ship

In mid-January the Costa Concordia capsized when it was too close to the coast of the Italian island.

Operarion stopped few times
Smit Salvage, a subsidiary of dredging company Boskalis, pumped 2380 cubic meters of heavy oil out of the ship wreck. Rough seas forced the company to stop the defueling operation a few times.

Measurements have shown that the water around the ship is not polluted.

The threath of an environmental disaster off the coast of Italy is over. This said mayor Sergio Ortelli of the island of Giglio on March 22.The mayor expects that the salvage of the 290-meter Costa Concordia will take ten to twelve months.

Read more on the defueling operation in our previous news item:
Costa Concordia: oil salvage operation under way again

More information
Smit Salvage
Rotterdam, the Netherlands
+31 10 454 99 11
www.smit.com


Posted in News.

Wageningen University hosts World water day 2012 in the Netherlands

March 21st, 2012 by nwp

Water and Food Security is the theme of World Water Day 2012 on Thursday 22 March.

Each day, huge amounts of water are sued to produce enough food to fulfil our daily requirements – often much more than we would expect. This demands more efficient use of water. After all, although water can be reused, it is not an inexhaustible resource. Access to water is especially under pressure in developing countries, where food supplies are adversely affected too.

The national celebration the World Water Day in the Netherlands takes place in Wageningen.

Aqua for All, Netherlands Water Partnership, Nutrient Platform, Rabobank, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Wageningen UR have organized an event with afternoon and evening programmes on the question ‘How can we bring the worlds of water and food closer together?’

Other events in the Netherlands are:

Delft: When love takes over
dance demonstration by WWD Flash Mob Dance in front of the city hall
Organized by Unesco-IHE

Genderingen: Oude IJssel Schoon
Excursion for school kids along the river Oude IJssel and a sun bottle boat race
Organized by Aquarius

Apeldoorn: Walking for water
Awareness and fundraising event with school children aged 10-13 that are sponsored by friends and family to walk 6 kilometres, while carrying 6 litres of water in a backpack
Organized by Rotary Walking for Water Apeldoorn

nation wide: Walking for water
Awareness and fundraising event with school children aged 10-13 that are sponsored by friends and family to walk 6 kilometres, while carrying 6 litres of water in a backpack. Participation of over 480 primary schools.
Organized by Akvo, Simavi, AMREF Flying Doctors, ZOA, Aqua for All

Internet: game launch GetH2O
Game to raise awareness for water scarcity in slums. The aim in the game is to build houses and manage the water supply while keeping the pollution in check
Organized by Butterfly Works

More information (in Dutch only)
www.wereld-water-dag.nl

Taking water and food sercurity beyond technology
The Dutch water sector has committed itself to excel globally in three vital areas. One such area is the sustainable water use for agriculture throughout the world.

The Dutch water sector and agriculture sector jointly develop new solutions for water reuse and better irrigation. Moreover farmers need sufficient water. This requires water management and good gtovernance.

In an interview IWRM-expert Koen Roest of Wageningen University explains the Triple-A concept for an integrated agri-aqua approach.

Read the interview with Koen Roest >>

Global celebration with UN FAO in Rome
The official global celebration of the World Water Day 2012 is with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. From 9.30 to 12.30 the FAO will hold ‘Morning Talks’ on the theme Water and Food Security, involving FAO’s Director General Mr. José Graziano da Silva, high-level officials, FAO experts and stakeholder representatives

In the afternoon there will be the presentation of the 4th edition of the United Nations World Development Report ‘Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk’ by the World Water Assessment Programme

More information (including all events world wide)
www.unwater.org/worldwaterday

Posted in News.

TenCate Geosynthetics project partner in Yellow River dike monitoring

March 20th, 2012 by nwp

TenCate Geosynthetics and AGT International have signed a letter of intent for collaboration on the installation of TenCate GeoDetect technology in a dike body at the Yellow River in Dayulan (Zhengzhou) in the Henan province in China.

TenCate GeoDetect is a monitoring system based on geotextiles with interwoven fibre optics, which registers changes in embankments and dikes. The system will be used in the AGT Flood Early Warning System.

Flood prognosis for timely evacuation
The AGT Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) will be employed to collect and analyse data on dike stability and deformations in the dike and on the risk of flooding. These will provide a basis for taking measures to prevent subsidence or dike failure as quickly as possible. The system is also able to do a flood prognosis and can assist decision makers in timely evacuation. It will provide the manager with information about the condition and stability of the dike.

Tracing possible defects
The future of TenCate Geosynthetics lies in offering solutions to geotechnical challenges by means of open innovation. ‘The collaboration of AGT International and TenCate Geosynthetics is another great example of open innovation within our industry’, states global group director Wally Moore. ‘The combination of our geosynthetics and sensor technology with partners such as AGT International gives us an innovative and differentiated approach to the tracing of possible defects in and problems with dikes and the hydraulic-infrastructural segment of our water and environmental activities.’


Experiments show that in case of an imminent dike breach the temperature drops and the breach can be detected up to five hours before it actually occurs.

Water management expertise
’By bringing Dutch know-how in water management, we are uniquely positioned with TenCate and other partners to implement this ground breaking system,’ says Pieter-Christiaan van Oranje-Nassau, head of AGT International in the Netherlands. ’Our solution collects real-time information from new and existing systems to generate a real-time assessment of the river conditions. Our advanced prediction and simulation software will generate alerts and recommendations to affected areas. Another key element for the full realization and success of the project is our commitment to turning key project findings into shared learning opportunities.’

Yellow River project in China
The project is being carried out by AGT International in partnership with TNO Operations. The project will have a duration of over one year. The commissioning authority is the Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC), which is responsible for the water management of the complete Yellow River. This river has a length of circa 5,000 kilometres through China.

Intelligent dike monitoring
For a number of years TenCate Geosynthetics, using TenCate GeoDetect, has been involved in projects with intelligent dike monitoring, including the IJkdijk project in the Netherlands.

TenCate GeoDetect has been tried and tested in hydraulic works structures such as embankment dams, canals and levees and is already used in the building of roads and railways and the construction of retaining walls, bridge abutments and underground constructions worldwide.

TenCate GeoDetect is patented and was specifically designed for geotechnical applications.

Once the project is successfully completed, the YRCC and AGT International will promote this solution to water and dike managers, including those in China.

This press release was originally published on the website of Ten Cate.

More information
Ten Cate Geosynthetics
Almelo, the Netherlands
+31 546 544 911
www.tencate.com


Posted in News.

Free visit to Rio+20 for young water professional with innovative idea for river delta areas

March 20th, 2012 by nwp

In preparation for the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012, the Delta Alliance invites young delta professionals around the world to present their solutions to the challenges which river deltas are facing.

The young professional with the best idea will be invited for a presentaton at the 2012 Rio +20 United Nations conference on Sustainable Development from June 20 to 22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

More resilience
Delta Alliance is an international network organization, based in the Netherlands, with the mission of improving the resilience of the world’s deltas. With increasing pressure from population growth, industrialization and a changing climate, it is more important than ever that these valuable and vulnerable locations increase their resilience to changing conditions.

The organization invites all young professionals to join the competition and present the sustainable and integrated Delta solution at Rio+20.

In line with the 2012 Rio+20 theme ‘Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication’, Delta Alliance is looking for innovative and creative solutions to deal with the acute challenges that deltas around the world are facing.


Coastal protection, sea level rise, morphological changes, soil subsidence (Ombrone delta)


Wetlands preservation, fishery, agriculture, rural development (Mekong delta)


Rivers, flood control, shipping, urban developments, industry, waterfronts, recreation (Brisbane river)

Addressing challenges in an integrated manner
Proposed solutions should address two or more of these challenges in an integrated manner, contribute to the reconciliation of social, natural and economic function, and demonstrate the added value of integrated (spatial) planning.

Participation is open for young professionals from all backgrounds up to an age of 35 years. The contribution (poster and a paper) will be assessed by an international, interdisciplinary expert commission.

Visit to UN Rio+20 conference
The winners of the award will be invited to present their solutions in front of an international audience at the 2012 Rio +20 United Nations conference on Sustainable Development from June 20 to 22 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Travel and hotel costs will be provided by Delta Alliance.

Winners will also receive tailor-made organisational and financial support to further develop their solution in cooperation with internationally renowned organisations in the Netherlands and the other Delta Alliance Wings.

Deadline for submission: 31st of March 2012.

Winners of the award will be informed on 15 May 2012.

Look for the more details on the website of Delta Alliance.

More information
Delta Alliance
Wim van Driel, programme manager, info@delta-alliance.org
+31 317 482 308
www.delta-alliance.nl

Posted in News.

Consultancy firm Witteveen+Bos to draft a waste water re-use plan for Hebron

March 20th, 2012 by nwp

The Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) asked the Dutch consultancy firm Witteveen+Bos to make a plan for the re-use of waste water in de Hebron region.

The contract with the PWA-authorities was signed on March 6. Witteveen+Bos will conduct the study together with the Palestine office of the Jordanian engineering firm CEC Sajdi & Partners.

The project is partly financed by the World Bank. The plan must be ready for implementation within a year.

Waste water released unthreatened
Currently up to 95% of the waste water in the Hebron region is released unthreatened. The water ends up in the Hebron river leading to the pollution of both surface and ground water. This situation makes it impossible for the Palestine water authorities to gain water for drinking and agricultural purposes.

Israeli-Palestine agreement needed
The reconstruction of the Hebron Waste Water Treatment Plant will be a very important first step in the rehabilitation of the Hebron river. Israel has been trying to solve the problem of the Palestine waste water unilaterally.

However, fair and effective solutions must be agreed on by both Israelis and Palestinians, in full cooperation. Only joint management and monitoring of the sewage by both sides will enable a real, long term resolution for the issues of the Hebron river.

More information
Witteveen+Bos
Deventer, the Netherlands
+31 570 69 79 11
www.witteveenbos.com


Posted in News.

Oasis to launches first water cooler with Philips InstantTrust disinfector inside

March 20th, 2012 by nwp

Oasis International announced its new partnership with Philips Lighting for the integration of the InstantTrust UV-disinfector in its water coolers. The first water dispensed from coolers can be disinfected instantly and efficiently, on-demand with the Philips InstantTrust solution and will soon be available in the Oasis Kalix water cooler, the Aqua Pointe and VersaFiller® bottle fillers.

Quick disinfection
Philips InstantTrust disinfects water as its being dispensed, up to 4 liters/minute, its simple and quick disinfection process is ideal for water dispensing solutions such as OASIS’ bottle refill stations and water coolers. Its unique design works independently of water temperature, disinfecting both hot and cold water on-demand.

Entire Oasis’ product line
The new Philips InstantTrust solution is designed to fit point-of-use water delivery solutions including taps, water pitchers, under-sink water filters and portable counter-top systems. Oasis and Philips keep working closely to make it possible to integrate the InstantTrust into its entire product line.
The Kalix will be the first of the Oasis water cooler line to include Philips InstantTrust. It’s the industry’s only cooler with the revolutionary Pressure Vessel Direct Chill (PVDC) system, in a stylish, modern design.

Cleaner and better-tasting water
John Kucharik, CEO and President of OASIS states: “We’re very proud to be working in partnership with Philips Lighting and providing this unique, state-of-the-art UV disinfection technology in our water coolers and bottle fillers. By adding Philips InstantTrust into our water coolers and bottle fillers we’re the only company to offer a solution that disinfects water just before it’s served. This partnership exemplifies our commitment to developing innovative water-friendly solutions that provide fresh, great-tasting, safer water for everyone, everywhere.”

Hendrik-Jan Dreuning, Global Marketing Director UV Purification at Philips Lighting stated: “Philips is committed to enhancing people’s health and well-being, and thanks to InstantTrust, we can ensure cleaner water is always within reach: anytime, anywhere. We’re pleased to be working Oasis, a global company that offers innovative solutions for water coolers, and look forward to a rewarding partnership. Together we’ll be making safer water available for people around the world.”

The latest Oasis coolers featuring Philips InstantTrust were unveiled at WQA Aquatech 2012 in Las Vegas.

More information

Philips Lightning
Eindhoven, the Netherlands
+31 40 275 6529
www.lightning.philips.com

Oasis
Columbus, Ohio, USA
+1 800 646 27 47
www.oasiscoolers.com

Posted in News.

6th World Water Forum – Sustainable water solutions: no easy fix

March 18th, 2012 by nwp

‘Time for Solutions’ was the title of the sixth World Water Forum (WWF) in Marseilles. A programme the Netherlands heartily endorsed.

Not with quick fixes, but with sustainable, integrated solutions that take into account a region’s needs and circumstances and which merge multiple disciplines.

Sustainable water solutions are not always the cheapest, nor are they the most obvious. But they are the most effective.

Sharing the Dutch expertise
Sustainable water solutions are always high on the agenda in the Netherlands; on-going development of expertise as it is the key to safety and livability in a low-lying delta. At the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille it shared this expertise on:

  • water governance
  • integrated approach to water issues
  • the advantage of sustainable international partnerships
  • building with nature
  • sustainable innovations

Follow the news on the World Water Forum
During the World Water Forum this site published a series of news-items on the Dutch participation.

Read more news and background on the special page of the 6th World Water Forum


Posted in 2012-WWF Marseille (9), Features, News.

« Older Entries

Search for

 

Recent Posts

 

Participate

 

Categories

 

Tags

agriculture Aquatech Arcadis Australia awards Bangladesh Boskalis China climate adaptation coastline Colombia delta Deltares DHV dredging drinking water flood protection fresh water supply Fugro Grontmij harbours HKV Consultants India Indonesia Italy Netherlands Paques PWN Technologies rivers Room for the river Royal Haskoning Royal HaskoningDHV sanitation Singapore TU Delft UK Unesco-IHE USA Van Oord Vietnam waterfront water management water treatment Witteveen+Bos X-Flow
 

United Dutch water expertise

 

Archives