Water cleaning system scoops top award

A Manchester invention that provides a low-cost and continuous way of cleaning water has scooped a major industry award.

The Arvia water treatment process, which allows the continuous removal and destruction of toxic and non-biodegradable pollutants, scooped the Water Award in the Institution of Chemical Engineers’s Awards for Innovation and Excellence 2008.

Arvia Technology was founded by Dr Nigel Brown and Dr Ted Roberts of the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science at The University of Manchester at the beginning on 2007.

The company was spun out of The University of Manchester’s School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science with assistance from UMIP, the University’s commercialisation and intellectual property arm.

The accolade from IChemE is given for particular attention to water use, clean-up and re-use, with emphasis on the impact on environment, including resource use, recycling and water reduction.

Dr Nigel Brown said: “The Arvia process offers a significant breakthrough in truly cost-effective removal of organic micro pollutants. It offers a sustainable replacement for activated carbon, which is traditionally used for this process.

“The system’s ability to increase reuse and recycling of water has global potential where water is an increasingly scarce resource. Our unique process enables cost-reductions across a wide range of industries

“The supply of safe water to the world’s people, animals and plants will be an over-riding concern of the 21st century. This means reducing pollution and ensuring, in an affordable manner, a sufficient supply of uncontaminated water.

“It is a great honour to receive this award. In contributing to solving a world-wide problem, I feel we have registered a notable achievement and I hope we can make a small yet significant, contribution to a healthier world.”

The Arvia process relies on an adsorbent material called Nyex and operates without any mechanical moving parts. Nyex is electrically reactivated for continuous re-use and all pollutants are destroyed, leaving no secondary waste requiring further treatment

Dr Brown says the process is extremely cost-effective for removal of low concentration of organics, as cost is directly linked to the quantity of micro pollutants to be removed from the incoming effluent.

Arvia Technology has just received £800,000 of new investment from a mixture of private individuals, the Liverpool Seed Fund and the UMIP Premier Fund – a multi-million pound fund dedicated to the commercialisation of outstanding businesses coming out of The University of Manchester – and has just installed its first demonstration unit on a water company site.

Notes for editors

A photograph of the Arvia team receiving their award is available on request.

Dr Brown is available for interview.

For more information please contact Alex Waddington, Media Relations Officer on 0161 275 8387.

UMIP – www.umip.com

The UMIP Premier Fund - http://www.theupf.com

Liverpool Seed Fund is part of the Merseyside Special Investment Fund, which is managed Alliance Fund Managers. For more information see http://www.afm.uk.com.