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An waste water recycling process for hotels has been presented today at the Malta Council for Science and Technology.
The aim was to develop an innovative water recycling process for application in hotels in Malta and the Mediterranean.
Developed by engineer Marco Cremona, the system is based on the innovative Membrane BioReactor (MBR) waste water treatment process used in combination with the well-proven reverse osmosis (RO) process.
The waste water treatment process will make it possible to recover 70-80 per cent of the water bought in by the hotel.
The process will provide first class water up to to EU drinking water standards for the hotel rooms, also meeting all second class water requirements.
A HOTER test prototype (with a treatment capability of 15,000 litres day) was installed in a leading hotel in summer 2008.
The tests were successful and the project received international acclaim. Apart from featuring on Al Jazeera and France 5 TV, it was a finalist in the CNBC/Allianz Good Entrepreneur 2009 Competition for the Best Green Business in Europe, which propelled Mr Cremona to be shortlisted for the Stockholm Water Prize 2012.
HOTER won the Chamber of Engineers – Excellence in Industry Award in 2012.
Research Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Buontempo said research projects addressing national priorities such as water re-use and water conservation, should not only be promoted but implemented for the benefit of society.
He encouraged academia to work in close collaboration with the industry to research ways in making better use of resources, such as construction waste, which was an equally important issue due to the limited area on the islands.
MCST chairman Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said the council had been focusing very heavily on R&I in an attempt to improve the overall development and commercialisation potential of locally developed products and technologies.
A set of programmes, intended for researchers and enterprises, were identified to increase research, technological development and innovation activities.