MEI RAANANA, Israel, May 28, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High efficiency water treatment company Desalitech and the Israel Water Authority celebrated the cornerstone laying of a new municipal water treatment facility that will remove nitrates from well water, producing 2,400 cubic meters (or 634,000 gallons) per day of high quality drinking water for 18,000 people in the city of Raanana, Israel. The facility will purify water from a municipal well that has supplied drinking water for decades, but was closed because its nitrate content rose above limits specified in public health regulations.
The event was honored by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick as well as Mei Raanana Chairman of the Board Mrs. Deby Sluzky, Director General of Israel Ministry of Economy Amit Lang, Mei Raanana Vice President of Engineering Mrs. Rouska Nikolaev, Mr. Boaz Frydman, General Manager of Mei Raanana and Desalitech CEO Nadav Efraty.
The innovative plant will be designed and built by Desalitech for Mei Raanana, the Water Corporation of Raanana. Desalitech will supply a ReFlex™ water treatment solution, powered by proprietary CCD™ technology. The new plant will operate at a water efficiency rate (or recovery rate) of over 93% while consuming record-setting low amounts of energy. The water treatment solution is also touted for its flexibility and ability to automatically adapt to variations in well water conditions.
The project is the result of an Israeli Water Authority outreach program for the commercialization of advanced water technologies in the municipal sector. The goal of the program is to promote the leadership of the Israeli water industry by matching innovative products and municipal challenges, laying the framework for the collaboration between companies and municipal water corporations, and providing financing for project scale up. This unique venture has greatly contributed to the success of many Israeli companies with emerging technologies, while improving Israeli's water infrastructure. The project is also supported by Israel Newtech, the national program for promoting the water and renewable energy industries in Israel, led by Oded Distel.
With industry, agriculture and population growth putting water resources under tremendous strain worldwide, the need for more efficient, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective water supply and wastewater treatment solutions is imperative. Israel has long been known for high tech water projects, both public and private. In fact, Israel is highly regarded in the water industry for producing world-class water technology companies. Desalitech's highly efficient reverse osmosis products change the way many industries and municipalities treat water. The company's ReFlex reverse osmosis products are far superior to any other reverse osmosis systems, typically reducing water waste and waste generation by 50 to 75 percent and energy consumption by 35 percent while increasing the reliability and flexibility of operations. For this reason, top S&P 500 companies and leading water companies have already partnered with Desalitech to change the way they treat water.
The notoriety of such Israeli water technology companies has sparked the interest of many government leaders in Massachusetts, a state that is home to a growing water technology hub. The recently developed New England Water Innovation Network (NEWIN) led by Earl Jones, offers a sound environment for collaboration between high tech water companies. Water companies are also drawn to Massachusetts due to a flourishing water-related work force and Boston's position as one of the biggest innovation and technology investments centers in the world. These incentives as well as a local pro-green energy government provide ample encouragements for Israeli companies to choose Massachusetts as the launch pad for their global growth plans. This is resulting not only in positive outcomes for the companies, but also, for the economies of Massachusetts and Israel as companies flourish and create jobs on both sides of the ocean.
Desalitech is the most recent success story to come from this Massachusetts-Israeli affiliation. The effective penetration of Desalitech into the US and global markets began with the establishment of its US headquarters in Newton, Massachusetts near Boston in 2013. In about one year the company has ten folded it sales, was chosen to supply its water and energy saving products to top multinational corporates, entered strategic alliances with top global water treatment companies and more. This has been attributed in many ways to the support of the Patrick administration, including Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Alicia Barton, as well as the access to fund, talent pool and global markets that Boston has to offer. "This project is another example of the value that Massachusetts adds to innovative technology companies helping to solve global energy and water challenges," said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. "Massachusetts water innovation companies are growing the industry at home, while providing people all over the world with clean, safe drinking water."
"It is a great pleasure for me to stand with our Israeli and Massachusetts friends and contemplate the extraordinary growth we have had in the last year," said Nadav Efraty, CEO of Desalitech. "The world needs high efficiency water and wastewater treatment far more than most realize, and Desalitech's products are unrivaled in their ability to meet this challenge. However, we could not be saving the water and costs that we are without the partnership and endorsement we have gotten both in the US and in Israel."
About Israel Water Authority:
The Water Authority, part of the Israeli government's executive branch, is responsible for the administration, operation and development of the Israeli water economy. It is tasked with the preservation and restoration of natural water resources, the development of new water resources and the oversight of water consumers and producers, so as to allow high water quality and sewage services of optimal reliability, while increasing the sustainable welfare of Israeli citizens.
About Desalitech:
Desalitech is a provider of high-recovery water production and effluent treatment solutions that deliver superior performance at lower costs. Its line of ReFlex industrial reverse osmosis products feature patented next-generation Closed-Circuit Desalination (CCD™). The line of reverse osmosis products represents the first major improvement in reverse osmosis water treatment in decades, achieving more efficient use of water resources, reduced emission of brine waste, and lower power consumption using standard off-the shelf components. ReFlex systems are uniquely capable of extracting purified water from challenging sources and adjusting to highly variable water conditions, making them ideal for industrial water and effluent treatment, agricultural water supply and inland brackish desalination. Desalitech, headquartered in Newton, MA and has sales offices located across the U.S.
About NEWIN:
NEWIN is the 501(c)(6) non-profit, water industry cluster for New England whose members are committed to helping solve water resource challenges globally. NEWIN's mission is to make an impact on the global water challenges by helping to broaden and accelerate innovation to market.
About MassCEC:
Created by the Green Jobs Act of 2008, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is dedicated to accelerating the success of clean energy technologies, companies and projects in the Commonwealth—while creating high-quality jobs and long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts. Since its inception in 2009, MassCEC has helped clean energy companies grow, supported municipal clean energy projects and invested in residential and commercial renewable energy installations creating a robust marketplace for innovative clean technology companies and service providers.
About Massachusetts Israel Innovation Partnership:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Israel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MA-Israel MOU) to promote greater collaboration among companies in the two jurisdictions. This partnership comes as a direct result of Governor Patrick's Massachusetts Innovation Economy Partnership Mission, a ten-day trade mission in March 2011 that included travel to Israel, where a coalition of the state's leading business executives and senior government officials explored growth opportunities of common interest for Massachusetts' and Israel's innovation industries.