EPE, the Netherlands, June 6. 2012 -- A wastewater treatment facility has been opened in the Dutch town of Epe which has been labeled a world first for full-scale municipal treatment using Nereda technology.

The full scale application comprises the selection of specific micro-organisms that grow in compact granules. The granular biomass settles quickly, which is said to make it easier to separate from the treated water.

The granular technology was invented at Delft University of Technology (see Water & Wastewater International article) and the National Nereda Research Program was established as a joint effort by the university, DHV, STOWA and six Dutch water boards to bring the new technology to maturity.

The development of Nereda and its full-scale application in the Epe sewage treatment plant were partly funded by NL Agency under the InnoWATOR and Water Framework Directive innovation programs.

Other Nereda plants are under construction in the Netherlands for the Rijn & IJssel Water Board and the Regge & Dinkel Water Board, while in South Africa a Nereda plant is being built in the Stellenbosch region.

Joop Atsma, the Dutch State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment, who attended the opening ceremony, said: “The Netherlands can be proud of this invention. We are the first nation in the world to tackle water treatment in such an innovative manner. Because this technology consumes less energy, it is more sustainable and cheaper. The development of this technology stands as a perfect example of what can be achieved when the public sector, universities and the private sector come together to develop smart solutions.”

The name Nereda derives from the Greek ‘Neraida’, a water nymph and daughter of Nereus, the Greek god of the sea. In Greek mythology Nereda represents the qualities of purity and immaculacy, a reference to the quality of water produced by the new technology.

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