Algae Control Solution earns Water Innovation Award

LG Sound (Netherlands) is one of the four winners (top photo) of the WssTP Water Innovation SME award that were announced during the Water Innovation Europe 2014 conference in Brussels, Belgium, on 25 and 26 June.

The award was received because LG Sound is a small company that successfully developed and commercialised its MPC-Buoy, a floating device for algae control by combining continuous water quality monitoring, telemetering and ultrasound technology.

WssTP is the European technology platform for water, initiated by the European Commission in 2004 to encourage collaborative, visionary and integrated research, development and innovation for the European water sector.

The WssTP aims to stimulate the engagement of small companies (SMEs) in the development of innovative water technologies and therefore organised this year for the first edition of the Water Innovation SME awards in Europe.

The innovation and technology board selected several SMEs whose innovations were identified as best practices with a high market potential in their field of application.

The innovations were evaluated on basis of their innovativeness, market potential and exploitation strategy.

During the water innovation conference, WssTP announced four winners. Besides LG Sounds, these included:
● Amphiro (Switzerland) is a start-up company which operates in the field of smart water metering. 
● OxyMem (Ireland) has developed the OxyMem technology, a Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor which is capable of achieving up to 95% oxygen transfer efficiency in waste water treatment.
● Sansox Oy (Finland) is a relatively young company that aims to commercialise its four-stage oxidative system, Oxtube. Oxtube aerates or mixes any gas with water or any other liquid efficiently.

The MPC-Buoy is a floating device to fight algae bloom in surface waters, such as ponds, lakes and drinking water reservoirs.

It works autonomously, 24/7, as it can monitor the water quality by measuring several parameters every 10 minutes, including Chlorophyll α (green algae), Phycocyanin (blue-green algae), pH, TSS, dissolved oxygen and temperature.

This data is delivered real time through radio, GPRS or 3G. By using a web-based software, a clear overview of the water quality will be provided. Based on these data, a bloom can be predicted a few days ahead.

Based on the received information, ultrasound transmitters are activated and/or optimized. By using ultrasound pressure, algae and cyanobacteria are controlled.

Ultrasound pressure disturbs the buoyancy of the cyanobacteria, causing them to sink to the bottom and die.