NI Water cleans up at IoW NI Innovation Awards

NI Water projects have secured first and second place in this year’s Institute of Water (IoW) NI Innovation Awards – the first time in the competition’s 10-year history that the top two prizes have gone to the same company!

The accolades were bestowed to the Derg Pilot Plant and Rathlin Island Water Treatment projects in recognition of their unique and innovative nature.

The Derg Pilot Project – which pipped the Rathlin Project to the post to lift first prize and go forward to the IoW’s National Innovation Awards – is an innovative mobile testing facility developed by NI Water’s Trevor Cousins built in partnership with local companies Lowry Building & Civil Engineering, Clinty Chemicals and RPS.

Trevor Cousins with Roisin McDade, Water Quality Scientist, at the Pilot Plant at Derg WTW

The Pilot Plant has been specially designed to allow it to be set up at any NI Water site to replicate the water or wastewater treatment process. It works offline, without affecting the water treatment process and allows the rigorous testing of the treatment process. Through real-time data collection and analysis, this pilot will allow NI Water staff to measure how effective each treatment process is before considering it as a permanent solution.

This forward-thinking approach means that the most effective and efficient treatment solutions can be determined and incorporated into future NI Water capital works programmes.

The Pilot Plant was initially established at Derg Water Treatment Works (WTW) in September 2020 to investigate potential treatment processes to address compliance issues around the herbicide MCPA and other chemicals used in the water treatment process.

The ability to reuse this innovative Pilot Plant at various treatment works, to improve the water treatment process is one of its greatest benefits. The whole plant can be relocated to other water treatment sites, with only set up costs incurred at each site.