Modern Water plc, the owner of leading technologies for water and wastewater treatment and for the monitoring of water quality, has entered into a collaboration agreement with WEC Projects (Pty) Ltd, a leading South African EPC (engineering, procurement & construction) contractor which specialises in the provision of engineered solutions in the water and wastewater treatment sector.

Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, WEC Projects is active throughout the African continent.

WEC Projects will promote Modern Water's innovative and proprietary All-Membrane Brine Concentration ("AMBC") technology throughout the African continent.  

Brine is a by-product of many industrial processes and can pose a significant environmental hazard, both due to corrosive and sediment-forming effects of salts and toxicity of other chemicals diluted in it.

Technologies for treatment of polluted brine include evaporation processes, such as brine concentrators and crystallizers employing mechanical vapour recompression and steam. Traditional brine treatment, from recycling to Zero Liquid Discharge methods, is typically complex, multi-stage and costly, representing a significant cost to businesses. 

Modern Water's advanced technology allows customers to achieve higher brine concentrations than traditional membrane techniques, which significantly reduces the wastewater volume required for the subsequent brine crystalliser treatment. 

Simon Humphrey, Modern Water's CEO, said: "WEC Projects is a leading contractor in Southern Africa and we are glad to have found such a superb partner to promote our AMBC, adding to our other excellent partnerships in India with Advent Envirocare and with Sunup in China.

Our AMBC technology is proven to deliver a step-change in performance and is the key step in significantly reducing operating costs for customers and consequently lower operating costs."   

Commenting on the project, Wayne Taljaard, WEC Project's CEO said: "Modern Water's proprietary brine concentrator is an innovative solution capable of reducing waste-water treatment requirements and maximising clean-water reuse in a wide range of industrial applications, including mining, power, oil & gas and desalination plants.

Southern Africa is a potentially large market for AMBC since the area is host to numerous industry sectors, all of which are increasingly subject to strict water treatment regulations due to Southern Africa's severe water shortage."