On World Water Day, Future Water announced the winner of the 2022 Water Dragons competition. Supported by sponsors Hydrosave and new supporter wrc, the Dragons throughout 2022 came from investors, innovators, water companies and regulators. The innovators came from a variety of backgrounds and brought ideas from UK, Luxembourg and Canada, showing the international dimension that the competition is now developing.The six presentations included innovations featuring: carbon negative phosphorous removal with Algae; reducing Hydraulic loading in wastewater networks; enhancing rising main performance; intelligent vortex generator reducing carbon and operating costs; wastewater level monitoring system; improving wastewater treatment with micro-nutrients. In true ‘Dragons Den’ style, those pitching were given 8 minutes to explain what challenge they were addressing; what differentiated their product from others; why it was innovative; and the business case behind it.
Pitching companies:
Algaesys – Carbon-negative, algae based phosphorous removal from wastewater
Atkins – SMART-NETT solution for reducing hydraulic loading in wastewater networks
Intelligent Gels – Enhancing Rising Main Performance, reducing pollution event with innovative gel
Metasphere – ART sewer IoT Wastewater Level Monitoring Solution
SciCorp – micronutrient solution for improving wastewater treatment, reducing sludge handling and reducing energy costs
Commenting on the judge’s outcome, Alastair Moseley, Water Dragon Judge Chair & Future Water Board Member said: “All of the innovations presented to the Water Dragons judges, were high quality and all will have a part to play in the future transformation of the water sector. Choosing a winner was therefore extremely challenging but, in the end, it came down to the innovation that the judges felt was breaking new ground and doing something that hasn’t been available before.
Future Water has produced the first ‘Report Card’ for the water sector, focused on Pipes & Sewers and the winners presented a technology that has the capacity to transform the way we manage the performance of pipes, rising mains and sewer, and for that reason, Intelligent Gels was the winner. I am also delighted that the judges awarded highly commended to H2OVortex, for the Intelligent Vortex Generator and SciCorp for its micronutrient solution both pushing forward the boundaries of what is possible. Congratulations to both companies for their ingenuity and creativity.”
