Agricultural runoff is a huge concern. Keeping pesticides, nitrogen, and other chemical pollutants out of streams and groundwater supplies is a priority for keeping water safe and clean. If these pollutants get into the water supply, it can cause damage to ecosystems and make people sick.
One man, a professor at the University of Idaho, has developed a way to treat water contaminated by these pollutants through a mobile facility. This filter has an extra advantage. It can harvest the nutrients out of agricultural runoff and turn it back into usable fertilizer. Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology professor Greg Moller built the 9 ton, 40-foot long mobile facility with a grant provided by the Idaho Department of Commerce’s Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission.
Moller expanded on an earlier design he called reactive filtration water treatment. That water treatment system uses a filter of sand that is coated in iron. The iron-treated sand acts like a sponge that pulls pollutants out of the water. Municipal water departments around the world have been using Moller’s system.
Moller’s new device, known as Nutrient-Energy-Water Tech, adds a biochar powder that is treated with iron. The powder adheres to the pollutants in the water and allows them to be caught by the sand filter. The iron treated sand becomes infused with nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. This can then be converted into pellets that can be used as fertilizer.
How does your community deal with issues surrounding agricultural runoff? Can your water filtration system handle it? Make a call to Metro Water Filter and speak to our knowledgeable staff. We can offer solutions for your business or municipality for keeping agricultural runoff out of your drinking water.