Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/155925
Cambrian Innovation is bringing its bioelectric wastewater treatment system to Northern California wine country. Clos du Bois Tests New Bioelectric BY T E t e c h n o l o g y c o n ve r t s p o llutan than into me ts e fuel D RIEGER, SENIOR FEATURE EDITOR ambrian Innovation of Boston, Mass., and Clos du Bois Winery in Geyserville, Calif., have cooperatively field-tested the world's first industrial-scale bioelectric wastewater treatment system. A demonstration scale system was installed and operational at the winery during the 2012 crush, and it continued to operate successfully through the summer of 2013, processing 10% of the winery's total wastewater output. Dr. Matthew Silver, a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is CEO of Cambrian Innovation, a spinout company from MIT that commercializes environmental products and technologies based on newly discovered electrically active microbes. The phenomenon of bacteria capable of direct electric transfer was discovered in 1999. 42 r Treatment System stewate Wa V I N E YARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT | Silver said the EcoVolt bioelectric system is a relatively smallfootprint anaerobic wastewater system that treats water for reuse and can significantly reduce energy costs and cut a winery's carbon dioxide emissions by 2 kilograms (kg) per case of wine production. The system can also reduce wastewater solids levels to save time and money compared with processing or transporting them for disposal. According to Silver, existing wastewater treatment systems nationwide consume more than 3% of the total electricity used annually in the United States. The average U.S. winery produces 12-23 gallons of wastewater per case of wine produced. This wastewater is commonly treated in aerated ponds that consume significant electricity to power pumps and cover acreage that might be put to better use. Or wastewater is sent to the sewer Sept - Oct 2013 Cambrian Innovation CEO Matthew Silver stands in front of the EcoVolt treatment system at Clos du Bois Winery. Photo: Ted Rieger w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m