Tomato Grower Partnership R. and C. Van Marrewijk in the Dutch village of Berlikum will test an innovative system for waste water treatment. The installation is based on a novel combination of mutually reinforcing techniques. The Frisian project group ‘Drain Water Purification Greenhouse Berlikum’ has tested this combination in the Water Application Centre (WAC) in Leeuwarden.
It has been found that the objective, removing up to 95 per cent of the pesticides from waste water at half of the cost of conventional methods is feasible. The firm Water Waves will build the new plant, for which a patent application has been submitted, in the coming weeks in Berlikum.
Hybrid technology
The project group has tested various combinations of technologies. Measuring results have shown that a hybrid technology of the Fenton reaction and an ultrasound assisted UV-treatment gives the optimal result. The new system is modular so that it can be applied on any scale. When the results are also good, Water Waves will start a certification process in order to bring the product to the market.
Drain Water purification project Greenhouse Berlikum
The project is initiated because of the new purification requirements for residual streams for the greenhouse farming industry by January 1, 2018. The purification requirement means that growers must remove 95 per cent of the pesticides from the blowdown. With the conventional techniques, this represents a major investment for individual market gardeners. The goal of the project is to reduce the treatment costs for individual market gardeners by using innovative technology and by striving for a collective provision.
The Drain Water Purification project is a collaboration between LTO Glaskracht Nederland, LTO Noord, the municipality Menameradiel, Wetterskip Fryslân, Easy Measure BV, Water Waves BV, Van Hall Larenstein and the Centre of Expertise Water Technology (CEW), with support from the province of Friesland.
