Wessex Water Evaluates Microvi MNE for Ammonia and Nitrate Removal to Support AMP7 Strategy

HAYWARD, Calif., June 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Wessex Water and Microvi announced today a successful collaboration evaluating the efficiency of Microvi's innovative MicroNiche Engineering (MNE) treatment process for ammonia and nitrogen removal from wastewater. This potential solution is in support of Wessex Water's AMP7 project implementation process.

Ammonia and nitrogen are significant challenges globally for wastewater treatment. Without treating these pollutants effectively there are significant impacts on the natural habitats of flora and fauna.

Wessex Water has been operating Microvi's demonstration plant at one of its treatment facilities in Southwest England since March 2021.  The MNE process was initially tested for tertiary ammonia removal under winter conditions and will be tested for nitrate reduction over the coming summer months. In addition to demonstrating capabilities of the MNE technology in achieving the nitrogen consents for this site, this installation will also demonstrate the simplicity of its operation and maintenance.  

"The Microvi MNE process is an intriguing development in the field of sewage treatment. We have demonstrated that the process is extremely robust and reliable at achieving tertiary ammonia removal for sewage effluents. Technically, the process is simple to operate and maintain. We are now looking forward to testing how the process performs when configured for denitrification," said Silas Warren, Operational Integration Manager at Wessex Water.

"We are delighted to work with Wessex Water to demonstrate the capability of our innovative MNE technology across these two important applications.  By working closely with our customers, Microvi is focusing on paving the path for the adoption of innovative technologies that are disrupting conventional treatment methods in the UK," commented Ajay Nair, Microvi's Director of Commercial and Technical Strategy.

Microvi MNE technology intensifies biological processes while maintaining a controlled population of microorganisms responsible for the removal of the pollutants at a much higher density than existing technologies.

Microvi's wastewater technology has significant advantages over conventional wastewater treatment processes. It requires a smaller footprint and does not generate biological solids, while removing major pollutants such as BOD, ammonia, and nitrate. The MNE solution is operator-friendly, stable, robust, and can be used in existing infrastructure to increase treatment capacity.

About Wessex Water
Wessex Water is a regional water and sewerage business serving 2.8 million customers across the Southwest of England including Dorset, Somerset, Bristol, most of Wiltshire and parts of Gloucestershire and Hampshire. The company is owned by YTL Power International of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. YTL has demonstrated a long-term commitment to Wessex Water, enabling us to develop and continue to provide a first-class service to our customers.  Wessex Water is recognised by regulators as one of the leading water and sewerage companies in England and Wales

About Microvi
Microvi is a transformative biology company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that delivers next-generation biotechnologies for the water, wastewater, bio-based chemicals, biofuels and biopharma industries. Microvi offers commercial technologies around the world to reduce waste, increase productivity and provide disruptive economics across the value chain. Learn more at www.microvi.com. 

Contact:
Karin Kidder
VP Marketing, Microvi
+1 (510) 344-0668

SOURCE Microvi