InteliSpark client, Aclarity, LLC, wins a $1 million SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop a cost-efficient and comprehensive water treatment solution for industrial and municipal water.
Traditional water treatment systems are expensive, require high energy-use, and may result in harmful discharges to the environment. Aclarity’s patent-pending technology, developed at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, has the potential to revolutionize water treatment. This new technology uses an electrochemical design and destroys water contaminants on contact rather than merely separating out the contaminants. The innovative solution also has the potential for zero-liquid discharge/reuse operations. In zero-liquid discharge, all wastewater is purified and recycled, thereby leaving no discharge at the end of a water treatment process. Reduction in freshwater demand and the utilization of recycled water in agriculture are tremendous benefits of zero-liquid discharge.
In this phase II project, the research team, led by Julie Mullen, Founder of Aclarity, will optimize efficacy and efficiency in destroying contaminants, finalize large-scale device design, and develop a pilot system. This new technology has the potential for commercial success in many industries by reducing costs while also protecting the environment by saving energy and eliminating discharge.