Connected System Enabling Lake Water Purification at Lower Cost

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Connected System Enabling Lake Water Purification at Lower Cost

The ClearWaterPMPC project, which has been funded by the European Union, has achieved a marked improvement in the water quality of lakes infested with noxious algae, by using a low cost device that can be controlled remotely. The system has already been installed in a number of countries.

Environmentally friendly methods of maintaining good water quality in lakes are much in demand these days, given the spread of blue-green algae, also known by the name of cyanobacteria. These algae blooms cause unpleasant pollution in bodies of water and produce toxins which are a dangerous health hazard. This observation prompted a small Netherlands-based company calledLG Soundto apply for European Union funding to run theClearWaterPMPCproject. LG Sound's idea was to develop an effective low-cost solution for tracking and treating the growth of this type of algae.

An effective connected system

Under the two-year ClearWater project, LG Sound developed itsMPC-Buoy. The buoy is equipped with ultrasonic transmitters and sensors linked to a server. Ultrasound is a tried and tested way of dealing with blue-green algae and this method has also proved more effective than using chemical additives or aeration. The MPC-Buoy also stands out from rival devices in terms of its price-quality ratio. In addition to low installation costs, this specially-equipped buoy has the advantage of being linked to a server enabling remote tracking and monitoring of the data collected.

Conclusive results

MPC-Buoy was first installed in two lakes in Poland for a pilot phase which began in 2012. The buoys have been supplying data readings every ten minutes and have provided detailed information on water quality. A comparison with the water quality in other lakes in the vicinity has served to underline just how effective the ClearWaterPMPC system is. The local lakes where the MPC-Buoy was not installed show a concentration of algae nine times as high. Local residents have even said that the water is now clearer than it ever used to be. Since the conclusion of the pilot phase, the MPC-Buoy system has been patented and successfully installed in Poland, Ireland, the UK, the United States and Japan.

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