SPECIAL FEATURE


drain TRADER


TestingWasteWater to find COVID


In July 2020, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology announced a standardised UK systemfor detecting coronavirus inwastewater, to provide an earlywarning of future outbreaks, reducing the reliance of testing large populations. Sewage surveillance is one of themost promisingmethods to identify hotspots. The virus can be detected in the sewerage andwastewater supplies and indicate the potential for amajor outbreak. Using sensors to detect pollutants inwastewater is not a newconcept. Currently, facilities require checks of pollution levels such asCOD, BOD, and tracemetals. Instant identification of viruses in thewastewater can narrowlocations to a potential outbreak, preventing further harm before the virus has had a chance to take hold.This type of sensor networkwill have a lasting positive impact onmany communities. TheUK detection systemis being orchestrated by theUK government, consultingwith universities,water companies and public research bodies. It aims to act in a similarway to that used in theNetherlands, run by the RIVM(the national institute for public health).This type of researchwill be beneficial as itwill provide the funding for developing newand creative sensor solutions tomonitoringwastewater from residential and industrial locations. Butwhy are newsensors useful? Themethods bywhichwaste-water companies have their supplies monitored for pollution incident identification have not changed in many years.These tried and tested processes require aworker to physically remove a sample, store it, and then take it to a labwhere it is analysed. For some pollution identifying contaminants, this process fromstart-to-finish can take up to 10 days.As a result, it is common to log pollution incidents after it has had an impact on the community and environment.This raises the question -why the sensors cannot operate remotely? If they could, theywould provide continuous monitoring levels, and give thewaste-water companies a chance to identify pollution incidents earlier.Themain barriers to adoption are


50 drain TRADER | August 2020 | www.draintraderltd.com


simple: a lack of funding and a lack of desire to change.However, the plight ofCOVIDwill likely be thematch to start this change. IDTechEx predicts that themonitoring of thewater andwaste-water industrywill be over £2Bn by 2030.Thesemonitoring sensorswill be beneficial to the population and their surrounding environments.Overall, although there are sizeable start-up costs, research by IDTechEx predicts that the benefitswill outweigh these costs. Continuousmonitoring ofwaste-water systems occurs in other industries (such as semi-conductormanufacturing), tomonitor trace metals.These sensors and technologies could be used in potablewater andwaste-water supplies for similarmonitoring.Not only this, but waste-water plantswhich closelymonitor their processes can also increase their power efficiency. Pumps and blowers, for example, can be run at higher power levels onlywhen they are required, based off monitoringmeasurements.The introduction of sensors into these industries can lead to increases in efficiency for the plants, reduction in pollution fromcontaminants orwastematerials, andmore.The plight ofCOVIDhas highlighted this is amarketwhich can benefit fromthe collaboration between technology companies andwater andwaste- water providers. For a complete overviewof the sensors used inwaste-water, please refer to the IDTechEx report,“Sensors in theWater andWastewater Treatment Industries 2020-2030”.This report fallswithin theAgtech portfolio. This report includesmarket forecasts, player profiles, investments, and comprehensive company lists.This report is an essential read for those looking for a deep understanding of the use of sensors in thewater andwaste-water industries. IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Consultancy and Event products, helping you profit fromemerging technologies.


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