Successful Completion of the Sustainable Development Technology Canada Project

Three years ago, Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) announced a $2M investment in a novel electrotechnology approach developed by E2metrix to significantly reduce phosphorus and ammonia concentrations in municipal wastewater treatment.  We are proud to announce the completion of this project today.

Many Canadian municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have reached their designed capacity limits due to a significant increase in population and to shortfalls in infrastructure investments. Moreover, because these WWTPs were not designed to remove residual nutrients, nitrogen (as ammonia) and phosphorus (as phosphate) are released back into surface waters, causing toxic algal blooms and other detrimental effects on local ecosystems.

Canadian regulatory agencies have been imposing more stringent limits on discharge of these contaminants and as a result, municipalities are implementing tertiary-treatment systems. With the unique composition of E2metrix’s proprietary anode, phosphorus concentration can be significantly reduced by low energy electrocoagulation to meet  existing regulations and the more stringent forthcoming regulations. In addition, the process demonstrated nearly total removal of pathogenic microorganisms as well as emerging toxic, refractory compounds. Among these contaminants: stimulants such as caffeine and cotinine; medications such as acetaminophen, and certain anti-depressants (Desmethylvenlafaxine and Venlafaxine), or even insecticides and herbicides.

The funding provided by SDTC allowed E2metrix to develop a large-scale demonstration of this new technology to create cleaner communities and enable wider adoption in municipalities across Canada. Electro-oxidation has positioned itself as a very promising technology for the removal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known under the acronym PFAS.  This approach would eliminate the need to manage by products, a “game-changer” for the PFAS decontamination market.

“Even in the midst of the global challenges presented by COVID-19, I have never been more hopeful about the future because of the exciting and groundbreaking innovation happening here at home. I am proud to see the success of E2metrix’ novel technology to improve the process for wastewater treatments, and protect our ecosystems.”

-Leah Lawrence, President and CEO, Sustainable Development Technology Canada