VWM GmbH – Vienna Water Monitoring Solutions (VWM) announced that it won the Innovation Competition at the 2016 Singapore International Water Week (SIWW). The award recognizes VWM’s development of ColiMinder, a technology that allows bacterial contamination in water to be measured and fully automated in 15 minutes.
VWM also received the Audience Award at SIWW 2016. Earlier this year, headed by Managing Director and Founder Wolfgang Vogl, the team won the Innovation Competition of the 2016 International Water Summit in Abu Dhabi.
"Conventional laboratory methods take 24 hours to detect the presence of E. coli bacteria, intestinal bacteria that serve as indicators of fecal contamination. The ColiMinder accomplishes that fully automatically in just 15 minutes,” said Vogl. “The boost in safety and the significant economic benefit—with a saving potential of up to 50% in processing costs—are globally unique. This was confirmed once again when the company won the Innovation Competition at one of the world's most important trade fairs for water management."
SIWW 2016 attracted more than 21,000 participants who have posted revenues totaling 10 billion euros. At SIWW, VWM displayed the ColiMiner’s process. It is based on the measurement of specific metabolic activities that allow four key microbiological parameters to be measured: contamination levels of the fecal indicator Escherichia coli, coliform bacteria, enterococci and total bacteria. Measuring total bacteria is especially important in the case of process water and cooling water.
The water can be analyzed directly and immediately. It takes 15 minutes to determine the level of bacterial contamination. This technology makes it possible to provide microbiological water quality as "online parameters" for automatically monitoring and controlling processes.
"If it takes hours or days to detect microbial contamination, as is the case with conventional methods, you always have to assume the worst possible contamination level and take appropriate disinfecting measures,” Vogl said. “The rapid results of the ColiMinder now make it possible to match the disinfection process precisely to the actual contamination level. The real contamination is often much lower and requires far less effort to achieve disinfection. Costs can be cut by up to 50%."
VWM also offers online access to measured data, automated reports, and online services and support, where VWM monitors the equipment and ensures that it is working properly. VWM offers ColiMinder tests as a service (e.g. for evaluating or optimizing water-treatment processes and systems).
Source: VWM GmbH - Vienna Water Monitoring Solutions
