The Technology

The patented PURIO technology is a continuous-flow water/suspended-solids primary separation system. The process mechanically separates suspended solids from liquids, without the use of membranes or filters To date, R&D expenditures and other expenses have exceeded $7 million CAD.

When the process is applied to residential wastewater, the solids can be further processed through various forms of bio-reduction technology including composting thereby creating a value-added by-product suitable for uses in agriculture, horticulture, or landscaping. The liquid in turn, can be further refined through bio-filtration or ozonation to reduce biological oxygen demand; and may be economically sanitized by means of Ultra-violet light or ozonation. The resulting product water meets stringent environmental disposal standards and becomes valuable for irrigation or other agricultural applications. The technology has been extensively, independently tested under actual residential wastewater reclamation conditions and has received a provincial approval for such use in Canada.

PURIO is confident that the same clarification equipment, because of its versatility has similar potential for the economical reclamation of process water normally disposed of in industrial and agricultural applications such as food processing. Ever-rising energy prices are providing an increasing economic incentive to processors to re-cycle water whenever possible. Processors are highly motivated to reduce or eliminate excess water disposal surcharges.

The technology is also capable of primary clarification of dirty surface water from ponds/rivers as a first stage in providing safe drinking water. Clarified water may be further sanitized by ozonation and polished by such means as Reverse Osmosis to become high-quality potable water. Its portability makes it ideal for mobile emergency response situations, such as floods where safe water supplies have been contaminated. Consultation with solar power generation companies has determined that the low power requirements of this technology make it possible for solar-powered operation.

Purio Patented Technology Advantages

Modular, Transportable, Variable-capacity
The PURIO technology is an advanced water/suspended solids separation technology for many reasons. It is a pre-engineered modular design offering a wide range of flexibility in its application. It is transportable, thereby offering the advantage of addressing temporary or moveable requirements such as site camps. Among the most important reasons is its variable-flow capability (up to 200,000 liters per day per module) that allows it to accommodate varying flow rates during its quiet operation. It can be stopped and started without loss of efficiency. Its highly reliable mechanical process eliminates any necessity to maintain strictly controlled, delicate biological processes required by various biological systems offered by competitors.

Closed, Odorless, Compact
This technology is closed and odorless allowing it to be located in populated areas. It has a small footprint, about the size of a regular parking space, so it can be located where real estate is valuable or where surrounding terrain prevents larger water/wastewater treatment equipment.

Efficient, Environmentally Friendly, Expandable
It is very energy efficient, in fact its low energy draw makes it ideal for solar power operation. It is environmentally friendly in that it does not introduce chemicals, such as chlorine into its product waters. This separation technology can be coupled with various components in the over-all treatment train. Our filterless separator extends the service interval and reduces maintenance on downstream polishing equipment to more economically produce a choice of water qualities that meet safe usage standards as may be required. By so refining and reclaiming wastewater, residential communities and industries have the opportunity to transform waste into a valuable resource. Beyond the humanitarian benefits, a host of economic benefits created by irrigation and other water-conserving, environmentally conscious uses becomes available. When applied to drinking water production, the improved efficiency of the operation translates into lower production costs, which in turn increases operating profits.

Independant Performance Evaluation Report

Exceeded Expectations
At a cost of over $250,000 the performance of the PURIO technology was monitored and evaluated by Canadian Environmental Technology Advancement Corporation-West (CETAC-WEST). The comprehensive evaluation report is similar in most respects to USEPA or ISO 14023 protocol. Operational data from the plant, actually serving the wastewater treatment needs of a community of 120 homes was evaluated over a nine-month period. This report, summarized on Table 1 below, confirmed the unit’s ability, alone, to meet “enhanced primary” treatment objectives in terms of BOD (biological oxygen demand) and TSS (total suspended solids). It exceeded expectations by reaching “tertiary” standards in phosphorus removal. The plant was not designed to address nitrification or nitrogen removal so it did little, as expected, in either.

Coupled with accessory components, the train met the even higher “tertiary” treatment efficiency in terms of BOD and TSS and phosphorus concentrations.

Table 1.

1Train includes Purio separator, rapid gravity sand filters, Waterloo Biofilters and UV disinfection.

Smaller-scale “Batch” unit developed and Sold
Its technology has been employed in a smaller scale “batch” version of the clarifier and is successfully operating on location. This unit produces clarified water for household use. The unit has now been serving a rural household in Canada for about three years with total success. The batch unit draws water from a lagoon (or dugout as it is sometimes called) that is overgrown by reeds, grasses and contains abundant wildlife. This raw water has a green color and a strong “wild” odor making it unfit for human use.

The water is drawn into the unit, clarified and stored in a cistern. The clarification process removes all color, and nearly all of the suspended solids to produce a clear, clean odorless product. No further treatment is required for its use in laundry, toilets and bath use. For drinking, this clarified water is then polished by means of a Reverse Osmosis system to produce high quality drinking water that is then passed through an Ultra-violet sanitizer to assure sterility.

The capacity of the batch clarifier unit is 1000 gallons (4000 liters) per day. The unit is fully automatic and requires only about $20.00 CDN per month in in-puts.

The product was able to out-compete regular filtration methods proposed by other companies and has proven its effectiveness over several years of trouble-free operation.