BSEE


WATER TREATMENT Sustainable Water Treatment, Inspired by Nature


In our August issue, we looked at how global wellbeing organisaon, Therme Group, was leading the way in sustainability and technology pracces in the world of wellbeing. Developing some of the largest waterbased aracons in the world, its facilies combine global tradions of thermal bathing with an indoor, biodiverse ecosystem. This creates the most advanced wellbeing resorts, recognised as vital pieces of social infrastructure.


aking inspiration from nature and placing water at the heart of the experience, Therme Group’s resorts offer everything from multi-sensory saunas and therapeutic mineral pools to state-of-the-art family attractions, fun and healthy activities and personalised wellbeing therapies. Here, we take a more in-depth look at Therme Group’s water processing system and how it uses natural processes to deliver a sustainable customer experience.


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Through complex recirculation processes, the source water in Therme Group’s facilities only has to be replenished at a rate of 10 to 15 percent per day. This approach is fundamental to Therme Group’s sustainable use of water, minimising consumption without compromising on water quality.


Officially certified by Institut Fresenius SGS for meeting the highest standards required for spas, health resorts and natural thermal spas, the perfectly clear, warm thermal water is one of the many unique features that sets Therme Group’s wellbeing resorts apart from anything else. Every Therme Group facility relies on a custom- designed water filtration system using cutting-edge technologies. This ensures that guests can enjoy the therapeutic benefits of crystal-clear, natural mineral water during each visit. Unlike other common systems, the filtration methods allow the natural thermal water to retain all its essential minerals, so there is no need for them to be added artificially after treatment. Therme Bucharest, the group’s most recently completed resort, welcomes 1.3 million visitors a year. It received the first LEED Platinum certification in the world for its industry category, making it the world’s first fully sustainable thermal resort. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, recognises best-in-class building strategies and practices in green building. A Platinum rating is equivalent to BREEAM Outstanding in the UK.


Integral to the operation of Therme Bucharest is the use of geothermal water, extracted from a depth of over 3,100m. Emerging from the ground at over 80 degrees, the geothermal water is used as a sustainable, year-round energy source for heating the facility. Then, after passing through a multi-step treatment system, it provides perfectly clear, warm, thermal water for the swimming pools, mineral therapy pools and wellness pools. The processes developed prepare the natural thermal water for use throughout the facility and also reprocess used water with incredible speed and efficiency, purifying and recirculating the entire volume of water in the pools four times every day.


26 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER DECEMBER 2020 Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


One of the water purification treatments used, ozonation, is the most effective treatment available and leaves no residue or odour. Oxidizing organic matter in water, it eliminates bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms and also acts as a disinfectant.


A multi-stage flocculation and filtration process removes unwanted deposits and minerals from the source water. Combined with a natural PH optimisation process, without the use of chemical additives, this ensures that the resulting water has a composition perfectly optimised for therapeutic use throughout Therme Bucharest. Also vital to ensuring a perfect environment of wellbeing is controlling water temperature. For this, the emission-free heat exchange process reduces the naturally occurring thermal water to a constant temperature, scientifically proven to deliver health and wellbeing benefits. In designing the water recirculation system, the engineers at Therme Group drew inspiration from natural processes, recreating in a matter of hours geological processes which would normally take hundreds of years. Natural materials and light chambers filter and clean the water, through multiple stages. The resulting recirculated water is as clean as the purest spring water, allowing guests to spend prolonged periods of time in the facility in complete comfort.


Driven by the latest technology, Therme Group resorts always meet the highest hygiene and safety standards for both guests and staff alike. The group is constantly developing new


approaches and working with public authorities to meet future health and wellbeing needs. This ensures long-term commercial viability and secures the role of Therme Group’s resorts as an essential piece of social infrastructure. The UK is currently a key focus for the group’s international development programme, with projects in progress across the UK, including sites in Wales, Scotland, Manchester and London. A truly unique concept for the UK, Therme Group received planning approval for the development of Therme Manchester earlier this year. With construction due to begin in 2021, the resort will be situated on a 28-acre site and is set to be around twice the size of Therme Bucharest. Taking the application of sustainability technologies to the next level of excellence, Therme Manchester will offer guests the same crystal-clear, perfectly pure water.


While the filtration systems in current Therme Group facilities throughout Continental Europe are recognised as being the leading industry standard, the group continues to investigate new approaches. To this end, Therme Group are looking at ground-breaking technologies such as graphene and CEDi Ion Exchange, allowing the customisation of water at the molecular level. Further technical details surrounding Therme Manchester will be made available throughout the course of the development. Therme Group also has active projects in mainland Europe, North America and Asia Pacific, with details to be announced soon.


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