13 minute read
Portrait of UVOX/REDOX CEO Barbara Berson
The sun as a shining example
Barbara Berson, CEO and owner of Wapure International GmbH/UVOX Redox® technology, explains the concept of the UVOX Redox® system passionately. She supports her story with illustrations and graphs held up to the camera on her laptop—an advanced course in water purification using ultraviolet light. As a listener, it is not hard to share her enthusiasm. “It is actually the most natural form of water purification—through the reproduction of sunlight.” Portrait of a relatively new Water Alliance member.
Berson is Dutch, but worked in Germany for a long time. At the beginning of this year, together with Paul Poels, she founded UVOX Benelux BV in Linne [in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands] to regain a foothold in her native country and to supply turnkey systems. The UVOX Redox® system has two patents: the UVOX Redox® basic patent and the UVOX Redox® flexbank patent for public drinking water and communal wastewater. The latter is now being further developed and produced with UVOX Benelux BV. Berson’s father, Johannes Berson, also has a key role in that development. Berson sees numerous advantages in moving to the Netherlands. “The collaborations we enter into with and through the Water Alliance also have a lot of added value. We cannot do it alone. The Netherlands is a country of water, and the Water Alliance has an incredible amount of knowledge. The Dutch are enterprising and often dare to think a step further. The Water Alliance enables us to engage in an open dialogue and optimize solutions together.”
Three processes in one
UV light has long been used to purify water, but not in the way the UVOX Redox® system does it. A single UVOX lamp performs three cleaning processes. In the air phase, air is irradiated with UV light with a wavelength of 185 nanometers (nm). In this process, oxygen is converted into ozone. Ozone oxidizes, rendering viruses, algae and bacteria harmless. As the UVOX lamp also emits UV light with a higher wavelength of 254 nanometers, two additional cleaning processes take place in the water phase. UV disinfection takes place and the created ozone is converted into hydroxil radicals. In technical terms, that conversion is called the advanced oxidation process (A.O.P.), which alleviates the need for an ozone filter. An even greater benefit is that the resulting free radicals tackle micro-pollution and even resistant microorganisms in the
water. Think of the degradation of dangerous substances in water, such as pesticides, drug residues, hormones, etc. “All sorts of things end up in our water—residues from contraceptives and painkillers, but also things like sunscreen in swimming water. The UVOX Redox® system deals with all of that. We also recently had a study done on what our system does to the SARS-CoV-2 virus (coronavirus), and it destroys 99.99% of the virus.”
UVOX Redox® systems do not use any chemicals, which makes them very durable. They do not change the pH value of the water and the systems only require minimal maintenance. “Our products are highly versatile. They are perfect for public pools, because they virtually eliminate the need for chlorine to keep the water clean. This allows the water to be reused. UVOX Redox® can also be used in the industrial sector for process water, drinking water and communal waste water, Legionella prevention, in aquaria, or water for washing or irrigating crops. There are also applications in air purification, such as CO2 reduction around intensive livestock farms.”
Drinking water is a basic right
but her drive runs much deeper than that. “Our blue planet is incredibly vulnerable and we have to do everything we can to protect it. Water pollution and scarcity problems are arising all over the world. We want to contribute to solutions. Access to clean drinking water should be a basic right for every person. UVOX Redox® makes water purification easy, so we can create possibilities for the use of cleaner drinking water in countries where drinking water is scarce. Our products can be used for air purification to help combat CO2 emissions and can also be used to combat micro-pollution that poses a threat to public health. If we can contribute even a little bit to a better, more sustainable world with UVOX Redox®, we are happy to do so.”
the uvox redox® system
Heavenly Water
In March this year, Groningen-based jenever manufacturer Hooghoudt and water technology company Drop2Drink Water Solutions (member of the Water Alliance), presented a world first: jenever made from rainwater. The match-up of the two companies came about through mediation by the Water Alliance. The innovation’s development was made possible with HORIZON 2020 funding as part of the Value Added Innovation in Food Chains (VIDA) project, and is possibly a key step towards smarter use of the world’s scarce supply of fresh water.
Alderman Chakor of the municipality of Groningen with the first bottle of rainwater jenever. Behind her, left: Arno Donkersloot. Right in the background Johan Bel. Photo: Jan Buwalda
Check Drop2Drink Water Solutions and Hooghoudt on WaterProof TV: “Rainwater is an excellent source of water available to everyone. With water shortages increasing worldwide, it is great to be able to work on something like this”, says Johan Bel of Drop2Drink Water Solutions. “With the Drop2Drink unit, we have developed a safe and easy method to save water in industry. It was a wonderful adventure, but it takes guts and tenacity. Ultimately, it also takes a launching customer who feels the same urgency as you do.”
“Only by innovating, taking on challenges and fully understanding what you stand for are you able to remain relevant to future generations as a family business”, says Arno Donkersloot, CEO of Hooghoudt, explaining the company’s commitment. “Innovation and technology are part of that, as they enrich the craft of distilling. Creating the world’s first jenever from rainwater fits perfectly with the journey of discovery started by Grietje and Hero Jan Hooghoudt in 1888.”
The Drop2Drink unit provides users with their own fresh water supply. The treatment system ensures 100% microbiologically safe water. Rainwater is purified with a microfilter, activated carbon filter, membrane filter (UF) and UVC unit —all in a single step. Bel: “The membrane filter is selfcleaning and constantly monitors its own performance to guarantee the water quality. But a UVC unit provides additional microbiological purification for additional security. With the system, we can achieve vast water savings for the food and beverage industries.”
The Netherlands boasts very high quality drinking water, which is cheap, compared to many other places in the world. Nevertheless, there is an urgency to use fresh water more sparingly, Bel explains. “Even the Netherlands is starting to feel the increasing pressure on the water supply. Other parts of the world are already much worse. Climate change is putting increasing pressure on the world’s fresh water supply, and it is time to introduce these kinds of innovations worldwide.”
The first production run of rainwater jenever is a limited edition batch of 700 bottles of ‘premium young jenever’.
Waterbedrijf Groningen has five production locations and supplies 44 billion litres of freshwater to over 575,000 private and business customers. The company also produces industrial water through the joint venture North Water and, together with WMD, formerly Waterleidingmaatschappij Drenthe, owns WLN, formerly Waterlaboratorium Noord. Waterbedrijf Groningen also has various heat projects. Riksta Zwart has been managing director since 2014. Ronald Wielinga of WaterCampus Leeuwarden interviewed her.
RIKSTA, YOU HAVE BEEN MANAGING DIRECTOR OF WATERBEDRIJF GRONINGEN FOR OVER SIX YEARS NOW. WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS AT WATERBEDRIJF GRONINGEN DURING YOUR TENURE AS MANAGING DIRECTOR, BOTH WITHIN THE COMPANY AND IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT? One critical development in recent years is that we have brought the outside world in. We now have a much better understanding of what is going on around us. We work closely with important stakeholders, such as the Hunze en Aa and Noorderzijlvest water boards.
In addition to the urgency of the energy transition, we also see increased attention to the need for a water transition. The sufficient availability of high-quality drinking water is under pressure. Our society uses increasing amounts of water—partly due to economic growth and partly due to increasingly dry and hot summers as a result of climate change. As a water company, we have developed a roadmap with regional parties. The main goal is to secure the drinking water supply in Groningen sustainably and actively contribute to a province where water production, nature, agriculture, economic developments and quality of life reinforce each other.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST BARRIERS CURRENTLY DELAYING THE ACHIEVEMENT OF YOUR OBJECTIVES? We need to invest heavily in our infrastructure in the coming years—things like replacing pipelines and renovating production installations. We also feel a social responsibility to invest in making our business operations more sustainable. Also, as I indicated before, we are in a water transition. Social changes take a lot of time. Raising awareness and reducing water consumption are long-term processes that must be implemented with conviction before a water company can lay claim to scarce new resources. With the water transition, we are aiming to complete all steps simultaneously.
WHAT ROLE DOES INNOVATION PLAY IN SOLVING THESE CHALLENGES? Innovation is essential. Let me give a few examples. Innovative approaches and purification techniques are essential when supplying custom water to industry, such as the use of effluent from the WWTP. Another example is reducing our CO2 footprint; one way of achieving that is the reduction of CH4 emissions from groundwater extraction. After the test phase, we are now designing the groundwater treatment
plant. WLN also developed the PCR method, an accredited method used to detect low concentrations of pathogens in drinking water. It is much faster than culture methods, providing our customers with a quicker answer about the biological safety of drinking water. KWR recently applied this technique to detect COVID-19 in sewage.
IN ADDITION TO THE INNOVATION NECESSARY TO TACKLE CHALLENGES, WATERBEDRIJF GRONINGEN ALSO FACES OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, SUCH AS THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE CAN LEVERAGE DATA. WHAT OTHER TECHNICAL CHANGES DO YOU SEE IN STORE FOR THE DRINKING WATER SECTOR, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, FOR WATERBEDRIJF GRONINGEN? Our sector has been digitalizing for a long time. We are using smart algorithms for our production and distribution processes. The challenge lies less in producing data than in translating it into valuable information that we can use to predict vulnerabilities in our distribution network. Combining data is also important; by combining social media data from our customers regarding water outages in our area with our >>
internal operational data, we can quickly determine the location and size of an affected area. In addition to preventing calamities, decisionsupport software will also play an important role in deciding whether or not to replace pipelines. Drinking water networks last approximately 80 years. You don’t want to replace them too late, but you certainly don’t want to replace them too early either. Decisionsupport software can be of great help here. It should also be noted that good data analysts are essential for the whole digital transition.
IN MY INTERVIEW WITH CONSTANTIJN VAN ORANJE, HE INDICATED THAT ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE WATER INDUSTRY IS CHALLENGING BECAUSE A LOT OF THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE WE COULD BRING TO THE MARKET BELONGS TO PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS. DRINKING WATER COMPANIES, SUCH AS WATERBEDRIJF GRONINGEN, ARE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS, EVEN THOUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS NECESSARY TO INCREASE THE SECTOR’S ECONOMIC IMPACT AND SOLVE SOCIETAL CHALLENGES. HOW DO YOU STIMULATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION? Water companies are enterprising utilities. While we certainly try to encourage our employees at Waterbedrijf Groningen, it is always to develop the social interest we have established as a public limited company. We encourage our employees to be creative and develop solutions to the challenges we face as a water company.
NATURALLY, AS A WATER COMPANY, YOU DO YOUR BEST TO STIMULATE ENTERPRISING BEHAVIOUR AMONG YOUR EMPLOYEES, BUT IN THE CONTEXT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP, I’M TALKING MORE ABOUT NEW BUSINESS. MANY WATER COMPANIES, INCLUDING WATERBEDRIJF GRONINGEN, PARTICIPATE IN SUBSIDIARIES. WHAT IS THE STRATEGY BEHIND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE ACTIVITIES? WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE UP CERTAIN ACTIVITIES AND NOT OTHERS? WHERE DO THE BOUNDARIES LIE? The decision to participate in a subsidiary, such as North Water or WarmteStad, is made in agreement with our shareholders. The request often even comes from the shareholders. We consider whether participating will contribute to our objectives as a water company. For example, North Water allows us to supply customized water to industrial users in our supply area, which positively affects the availability of our sources for the supply of drinking water. That contributes to our intended water transition. In other cases, such as heat networks, our shareholders ask us to play a role in the energy transition because of our expertise and experience. Don’t forget; we have 141 years of experience in infrastructure management and soil knowledge and expertise. Heat networks have a lot in common with the infrastructure we currently manage.
The drinking water supply always has the highest priority when considering participations. Other activities are placed in separate legal entities to prevent associated potential risks from affecting our drinking water customers.
INNOVATION AND SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHING A WATER TECH COMPANY IS A HIGHLY COMPLEX MATTER. IT OFTEN REQUIRES LARGE INVESTMENTS, MARGINS ARE RELATIVELY LOW, AND MANY CUSTOMERS ARE RISK-AVERSE—MANY ENTREPRENEURS DEVELOPING A TECHNOLOGY STRUGGLE TO TURN AN INTERESTED END-USER INTO A FIRST CUSTOMER. WATERBEDRIJF GRONINGEN COULD BE A LAUNCHING CUSTOMER. IF A COMPANY WANTS TO TEST ITS INNOVATION ON YOUR PREMISES, IS THAT POSSIBLE? IF SO, HOW SHOULD THEY GO ABOUT THAT? WHAT ARE THE DIFFICULTIES IN THESE PROGRAMMES? Yes, we are very open to that, in principle. I would say get in touch—we are always happy to meet with entrepreneurs, not just for Waterbedrijf Groningen. We also have an extensive network, including our subsidiaries, such as WLN and North Water, and other organizations in the region and the rest of the country. make long-term investments. Our infrastructure must be reliable and sound. After all, we have to provide safe and reliable drinking water 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. But that does not mean we are not open to new, innovative technology. That much is clear from the challenges we face as an organization.
DON’T PROCUREMENT REGULATIONS HAMPER YOU? It has to be legally correct, of course, but there are plenty of options when it comes to innovations, such as a test site or at one of our other entities. If the innovative solution provides added value, it will score highly during any tendering procedures.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE WATER COMPANY AND ONE OR MORE PARTNERS TO DEVELOP AN INNOVATION THAT COULD BE COMMERCIALIZED? SPECIFICALLY, A SITUATION WHERE THE WATER COMPANY WOULD CONTINUE TO PLAY A ROLE IN THE COMMERCIAL PHASE. WOULD WATERBEDRIJF GRONINGEN BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE FINANCIALLY IN A TECH COMPANY? As a water company, we are happy to share our knowledge and join forces as partners. We are frequently involved in European projects, and we always play a role in your annual WaterCampus Business Challenge for starting entrepreneurs, for example. However, we will not engage in commercial activities on behalf of the water company—that’s not our role. But please, consider this an invitation to contact us when entrepreneurs want to exchange ideas with us about something they are developing.
