Two International Partnerships Will Test New and Innovative Processes by Water Treatment Companies in 2015
Water treatment companies and experts are involved in two separate efforts that lend their services to international communities. The projects kick off this year to deliver water purification technologies to new markets around the globe — from the U.S. to Ethiopia and from Israel to Akron, Ohio.
Dow Chemical Co. announced at a press conference on March 12, 2015, that they plan to introduce these treatments to Ethiopia’s market within the next six months.
Zakia Bahjou, regional commercial manager of the Middle East and Africa Region at Dow Water and Process Solutions, said the company will provide these technologies for municipal, residential and industrial demographics in Ethiopia. Industrial applications include use for sugar, leather and beverage companies, in addition to purified tap water for houses and municipalities.
Davis and Shirtliff Trading Ethiopia PLC and Chemex PLC are the water treatment companies in Ethiopia that Dow will work with. Dow will provide them with ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis technologies.
Dow currently provides remediation and treatment equipment for suspended soils, salinity, hardness, trace elements and other water conditions.
“Treating water in developing countries presents unique challenges from source and type of power to continued operation and maintenance needs,” says Robert Kunzel, CEO/President, Ground Water Treatment & Technology, LLC (GWTT). “When US companies face and solve these challenges it results in innovation and efficiencies that improves process in the United States and thats a good thing.”
Meanwhile, officials in Israel have announced that their country will provide services to the city of Akron, Ohio, to augment its existing wastewater treatment and water purification processes.
Akron is partnering with a consortium of Israeli leaders in the public and private sectors for the Advanced Waste Water Treatment Demonstration Project, which will take place over the next three years. The project utilizes technologies developed by Israeli academics, government firms and private companies from Akron to help the city become a leader in water treatment innovation.
According to Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic, “This project will create new jobs and investment through business attraction, further our water initiative and place Akron in the forefront of water innovation and technology.”
The project will also allow Israeli companies to demonstrate their innovative solutions to common water treatment issues.
Akron will essentially serve as a test market for these new, advanced processes, which are being pioneered by five separate Israeli water firms.
Financing has been provided by the city of Akron and the Israeli firms involved in the experiment. The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, the Israel Export Institute and Mekorot, a national water company, will be providing technical support for the project.
