MONTAGUE — Montague’s Island Water Technologies has just taken a step forward in its development with the completion of a two-year project with the Canadian Armed Forces that tested and validated the company’s solar powered modular wastewater treatment system.
“This summer, really, was the end of that project where we validated for the first time ever that you could treat wastewater using a renewable energy source. The wastewater was treated 100 per cent using solar systems,” said Patrick Kiely, co-founder and CEO.
The contract with the Canadian Armed Forces was for the design, development, installation, operation and validation of the system’s performance at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick. The contract also involved purchasing the REGEN 20 unit.
“When they send a team into Haiti or any other area of the world that’s in some sort of distress, they need to bring people with them and they don’t want to be contaminating water supplies when they’re there,” he said.
“So, they need to bring in logistical equipment, accommodations, energy solutions and water and wastewater solutions. There really wasn’t a product on the market where they could treat wastewater in an energy efficient or low-footprint way.”
The company manufactures modular solar powered wastewater treatment units – the REGEN 20 and REGEN 40.
Kiely explained that the REGEN 20 serves up to 150 people while another unit, the REGEN 40, serves about 300 people. The sale price is based on $1,000 per person, which works out to $150,000 for the REGEN 20 and $300,000 for the REGEN 40. The company has modular designs for up to 1,000 people, added Kiely.
The performance of the unit at CFB Gagetown puts the company in a good position as it bids for an upcoming Canadian Armed Forces initiative called Camp Sustain, he said.
“That’s where they’re looking to procure energy efficient technologies that will allow them to basically have a lower footprint and to be able to operate more effectively.”
The company was launched in 2014. As the business looks to grow and secure more contracts, Kiely said the number of staff would increase from its current number of 10 as well as provide opportunities for sub-contractors.
The company has also sold a system this year to a group based in Algeria and installed it in a remote mining community in the desert.
“They’re easy to install. They’re cost effective to ship. They arrive on site. They don’t need anything significant in terms of on-site preparation. We just need a gravel pad and then it takes three days or whatever to get them installed and operational,” he said.
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