Ostrava tests nanotechnologies in drinking water distribution
Water
The Ostrava Waterworks and Sewerage Company (OVAK), with NANO Zone as its supplier, is the first in the EU to test nanotechnologies in drinking water distribution. The extraordinary application of nanotechnology-based titanium dioxide aims to verify the effect and reliability of nano-spray in relation to hygienic water stabilization. The test is conducted in the Ostrava-Hošťálkovice water tank and, given that it is a pilot test, the water tank chamber is strictly isolated from the water supply network and the water distribution to customers. The project will take one year and will involve water quality monitoring by chemical analysis. Its aim is to gain knowledge about the potential to deploy the technology in drinking water distribution. The project under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry and Trade includes, among others, experts from the VŠB-TUO and the University of Ostrava.
OVAK is known for its innovative approach to water management. In the 2017 national competition “Smart Cities for the Future”, one of its latest projects, “Smart Meterin”, was awarded for its significant contribution to drinking water management. OVAK was also the national winner for the deployment of a unique foreign technology called “Ice pigging”, intended to clean water pipes with a mixture of ice and kitchen salt, which is approximately 1,000 times more efficient than other technologies in this field.
OVAK is a leader in the search for and application of modern technologies that improve the quality of water and services for the citizens of Ostrava, which is also confirmed by its involvement in the first EU test to verify the use of special nanotechnology-based coatings in drinking water distribution. Nanotechnology is a discipline whose principle is the manipulation of individual atoms so as to create substances and materials with non-traditional properties or objects composed of individual atoms. Its water industry application consists in the use of titanium-containing paint whose presence leads to the production of active oxygen, which burns organic matter, thereby improving the quality of water.
“Nanotechnology is a relatively young but progressive field. We are involved in research into how nanoparticles can help in the water industry and how effective and safe their use is”, said Ing. Vojtěch Janoušek, the General Director of OVAK, a.s.