Technology Identification and Evaluation of Water Treatment Processes

The identification and evaluation of new and novel water treatment technologies in the water industry is very important as it plays a crucial role in ensuring the performance, efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of water treatment processes. With the increase in different water related challenges we face such as growing water demand, water scarcity and water pollution issues, the adoption of new, advanced treatment technologies is essential for optimising water resource management.

Prior to conducting a technology evaluation, stakeholder engagement is essential to understand the needs of individual client stakeholder groups and to develop a thorough understanding of the expectations and challenges that they face with the respect to the potential adoption, integration, and operation of new treatment technologies. All key stakeholder groups need to be identified and included in this activity. Such groups should, where appropriate, include both internal and external stakeholders so that technology evaluation criteria can be developed to reflect the requirements of all groups.

The technology evaluation process should be tailored to reflect the needs of the stakeholder groups but will typically include a thorough examination of a range of criteria such as performance, environmental impact, alignment with circular economy objectives, and cost effectiveness of the technology. The use of these evaluation criteria, in combination, enables the scoring, ranking, and shortlisting of the most suitable technologies for addressing specific water challenges and contributes to a better water treatment infrastructure.

Determining the performance of new and novel water treatment technologies is one of the key aspects of the technology evaluation process. The performance evaluation examines the capability of individual technologies to achieve the required performance objectives, for example, removal of pathogens, contaminants and impurities present in the water.

Understanding environmental impacts of the treatment technologies represents another important aspect of the technology evaluation process. The selection and adoption of sustainable treatment technologies will help in reducing the energy consumption, carbon footprint and help in mitigating adverse impacts on our ecosystems. Prioritising sustainability in the selection of treatment technologies will help water companies to achieve their sustainable water management objectives and help in safeguarding our natural resources for the future generations. Evaluating the energy consumption, carbon footprint and the overall footprint of the technologies will help the water industry in contributing towards their sustainability goals aligning with their initiatives in combating climate change and preserving the ecosystem.

Cost effectiveness of the technologies is another important aspect of technology evaluation process. The adoption of new and novel treatment technologies will involve significant financial investment from the water industry. An assessment of different aspects such as the life cycle costs, capital expenditure, operational expenditure and the resource recovery options can help water companies to implement new and novel advanced treatment options with a clear understanding of financial costs and benefits. For the successful integration of these technologies, creating a balance between expenditure and performance of the technologies is crucial.

A bespoke technology identification and evaluation process, aligned to meet stakeholder group needs, will provide a shortlist of the most promising technologies. These technologies should be trialed at pilot scale to demonstrate and validate their effectiveness, prior to adoption.

The outputs from a well-designed technology identification and evaluation process, validated by pilot scale trials, provides decision makers with reliable, evidence-based information to make good decisions regarding the adoption of individual treatment technologies, ensuring that the selected treatment processes are effective, reliable, sustainable and represent good value.

As the water challenges in the world continue to increase, it is important to create a strategic and clear-cut evaluation of new and novel technologies to ensure a resilient water infrastructure for the future.