This project proposes a modular, scalable, and high-impact intervention to structurally transform water resource management in a food processing facility located in the state of Texas. In this region, characterized by growing competition for water and increasingly strict regulations, the facility still operates under a linear water consumption model, relying on municipal or well water for processes such as rinsing, sanitation, and Cleaning in Place (CIP), followed by discharge without recovery or internal treatment.
By implementing controlled-pulse electroporation technology, developed and validated for industrial applications, the project will capture segregated streams of low-salinity wastewater, treat them efficiently without chemicals or membranes, and recirculate the water within the facility for non-potable uses. This modular solution operates inline, requires minimal space, and integrates flexibly into various industrial configurations.
The intervention is designed following the Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting (VWBA 2.0) approach, complemented by Water Quality Benefit Accounting (WQBA), ensuring a robust framework for traceability, impact validation, and auditable data generation. The ultimate goal is to significantly reduce external water withdrawals, minimize wastewater generation, and enhance the facility’s operational water resilience.
The food industry requires large volumes of water with high microbiological and physicochemical quality, especially for product rinsing, production line cleaning, and CIP systems. These critical hygiene operations generate wastewater with variable loads of organic matter, protein residues, fats, detergents, and disinfectants.
In this case, the facility operates under a linear water consumption model, where water is captured, used once, and discarded, with no recovery strategy in place. This model persists due to three structural factors common in agro-industrial settings:
Although operationally simple, this model is environmentally inefficient and increasingly unsustainable amid chronic aquifer overexploitation, reduced surface availability, and growing pressure from environmental authorities to demonstrate responsible water management. The combined effects of climate change, source degradation, and increasing inter-sector competition underscore the urgency of transitioning to circular water use models in the industrial sector.
An in-situ treatment and reuse system is proposed, featuring a compact design, automated operation, and modular scalability, enabling direct integration into the operational layout of food processing facilities. The solution consists of three interlinked functional modules operating continuously:
The treated and stabilized water complies with standards for reuse in internal non-critical applications such as external equipment cleaning, floor washing, ambient humidification, and indirect cooling systems. The system also enables real-time monitoring and visualization of recovered volumes, water savings, and quality improvements via an IoT interface connected to the cloud.
The implementation is structured in three consecutive phases, with an estimated total duration of 9 months. Each phase is designed to progressively validate technological components, integrate them into plant operations, and precisely measure water and quality benefits. Technologies used include high-frequency electroporation, dual UV systems, multi-stage physical filters, and IoT sensors for real-time monitoring. This approach ensures full traceability of impacts via the Aqua Positive platform.
Phase 1 – Engineering and Laboratory Testing (2 months): This phase involves comprehensive characterization of internal wastewater, differentiating between cleaning, rinse, and CIP flows. Parameters such as COD, turbidity, E. coli, total dissolved solids (TDS), temperature, and conductivity are measured. These data define the baseline and optimal capture points. Based on this information, the treatment hydraulic system is designed and technological modules (electroporation reactor, dual-pass UV, and physical filtration unit) are dimensioned. Laboratory tests validate treatment efficiency on representative samples.
Phase 2 – Installation and Commissioning (1 month): This phase includes physical installation of treatment modules in bypass configuration on existing return lines, ensuring no disruption to production. IoT sensors for flow, turbidity, ORP, and temperature are installed, and automatic control and safety shutdown protocols are configured. Commissioning includes hydraulic testing, operational stability trials, and an initial microbiological validation to ensure compliance with reuse standards. The phase concludes with full system verification under real load conditions.
Phase 3 – Operational Monitoring (6 months): Once stabilized, continuous monitoring begins. Operational (volume treated, energy use per m³, effective runtime) and quality parameters (turbidity, COD, E. coli, chlorides) are tracked. Monthly sampling campaigns are validated by external labs, and data are audited by a certifying body for VWBA/WQBA verification. All information is digitally recorded on the Aqua Positive platform, ensuring complete traceability and automated reporting for internal and external stakeholders.
This comprehensive approach, combining innovative treatment, digital control, external auditing, and traceability, ensures the project delivers tangible water benefits while meeting the technical and documentation robustness needed for replication and scaling across other industrial sites.
This project emerges as a technological and innovative solution to address the critical water challenges faced by a food industry located in Texas, within a region prioritized for sustainable water management. The facility, engaged in food product transformation and packaging, currently follows a linear water use scheme, drawing water from external sources and discarding it after a single use in cleaning, sanitation, and production. This model results in high volumes of effluent and unsustainable dependence on increasingly scarce water resources, particularly given the overexploitation of the Ogallala Aquifer.
In response, the project proposes the design and implementation of an in-situ water treatment and reuse system based on controlled-pulse electroporation technology. This approach removes pathogens and contaminants without the need for chemicals, membranes, or large infrastructure. The solution includes three main stages: selective capture of lightly contaminated water, electroporation treatment, and final polishing via physical filtration and UV disinfection. The entire system operates modularly, automatically, and is equipped with smart sensors for real-time visualization, measurement, and control.
The project is developed in three phases: engineering and lab testing (2 months), installation and commissioning (1 month), and operational monitoring (6 months). Each phase includes specific activities such as effluent characterization, microbiological validation, IoT sensor integration, operational adjustments, field sampling, and external verification. Key monitored parameters include treated flow rate, energy consumption, microbiological inactivation efficiency, and treated water quality (COD, E. coli, turbidity, TDS). Control is performed continuously with automated records and digital traceability via the Aqua Positive platform.
This intervention is structured under the VWBA 2.0 methodology to quantify the volume of recovered water replacing external withdrawals, and complemented by WQBA to demonstrate improvements in treated wastewater quality. An annual net recovery of over 5,000 m³ of water is projected, with permanent benefits as long as the system remains operational. Additionally, the project directly supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 6, 9, 12, 13, and 17), and lays the foundation for replicating the model at other industrial sites in the region.
With this initiative, the aim is not only to reduce pressure on local water resources, but also to position the company as a leader in responsible water management, technological innovation, and impact traceability through the Aqua Positive Marketplace.
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