Forward Water CEO Howie Honeyman: Real-world Results for Wastewater Treatment Technology

"Part of our mandate is to make water a piece of infrastructure as opposed to something that gets disposed of on a regular basis,” said Forward Water Technologies CEO Howie Honeyman.

Forward Water Technologies (TSXV:FWTC) plans to accelerate adoption of its water treatment technology through successful demonstrations and results from on-site projects, CEO Howie Honeyman said.  The company is installing its IFO mobile unit at a lithium carbonate production plant, a critical milestone that will demonstrate the technology in commercial settings.

In the context of Forward Water, "iFO" stands for "industrial forward osmosis," which refers to a patented technology developed by the company that uses a semipermeable membrane to extract clean water from challenging process streams like wastewater, utilizing minimal energy by leveraging the natural process of osmosis; essentially, it's a highly efficient method for water purification with applications in industries like lithium extraction where high-quality water is needed from concentrated brine solutions. 

"We'll be able to show economic viability not only in the lithium space, but in the wastewater space," he said.

Forward Water’s innovative approach to water treatment has the potential to fundamentally alter how industries manage wastewater with high brine content, offering a low-energy, cost-effective alternative, he added.

"We're a low-energy process that treats the same water streams that these high-energy processes do," Honeyman explained, noting the crucial differences between Forward Water's approach and that of existing technologies.

This low-energy consumption not only minimizes operational costs, but also significantly reduces environmental footprints, paving the way for more sustainable water management practices, he said. The implications are crucial for industries keen on reducing their carbon footprint while maintaining efficiency in operations.

Honeyman's emphasis on water as a reusable resource instead of a disposable one underscores a shift in how companies can perceive water management.

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• Forward Osmosis