New Australian technology creates clean water and re-usable solids at the same time

Victorian inventor Stephen Shelly has been announced as a finalist in INNOVIC’s International Next Big Thing Award 2009 for his Creative Water Technology, a ‘water cleaning’ system.

"The real cost for fresh water from a deslination plant is over $1.00 per ton and they only produce water,” Shelley said. “For $1.00 per ton Creative Water Technology can produce clean water, gypsum and salt that can be sold or re-used.”

The technology enables highly contaminated wastewater with contaminant levels of more than 300,000 ppm to be cleaned. Waste contaminated to that extent would otherwise have to be stored or chemically treated at 10 times the cost of the Creative Water Technology process.

At the same time, valuable commodities such as salts, oils and greases are extracted and separated by the technology for sale or re-use. Once processed, the extracted minerals are so dry they can be stored in a paper bag.

Ms Joss Evans, CEO of INNOVIC, the not-for-profit organisation that runs the International Next Big Thing Award, said Creative Water Technology already had export interest.

“Fresh water is a global issue,” she said. “Creative Water Technology is experiencing demand from Australia, China, India, Africa, the United States and the Middle East."

The technology has successfully completed field trials on-site in Alcoa's Point Henry aluminum smelter. The technology has also been externally validated by the Australian Sustainable Industries Research Centre.

Creative Water Technology is one of 25 finalists in INNOVIC’s International Next Big Thing Award 2009 — a competition to find and showcase the best new Australian and international innovations. Winners will receive over $60,000 in cash and prizes when they are announced on Thursday 2 July.

An exhibition of the finalists will be held at the Melbourne Museum in Carlton from Sunday 30 May to Sunday 12 July. The free exhibition is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.

The People’s Choice Award winner will be chosen by popular vote. Online voting is available at www.nextbigthingaward.com.

INNOVIC is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that provides a range of practical commercialisation services and free seminars to help people with new ideas. INNOVIC assists over 2000 innovators each year.

Award sponsors include: Davies Collison Cave, Rouse & Co, AusIndustry, DIIRD, MYOB Australia, City of Melbourne, CVP Film & Television, Hotel Windsor, IP Australia, KPMG, La Salle Matrix Thinking, Melbourne Museum, Australian Productivity Council, BSI, IMES — International Market Entry and KCA — Knowledge Commercialisation Australasia.