An international corporation has opened a North American research and development center in northeast Ohio focused on water quality.
A year ago Canton replaced a conventional wastewater system with twenty-seven-thousand breadbox-size, filtration membrane cassettes.
Evolving technology
Originally a portable technology for disaster relief, Japan’s Kubota Industries wanted to scale it up its membrane filtration array approach for city-size applications, and partnered with Canton on what has proven to be a successful pilot project. Now, Kubota has built an R&D testing site at Canton’s Treatment plant.
According to Mayor Tom Bernabei, “your best hope of course of getting new industries into town are ones that are associated with existing industries. So, I think the same philosophy applies on the R&D side also. So, the future of this technology is in Canton, here and now.”
Effectiveness
The Kubota membranes filter wastewater at a molecular level. Because of this ability company engineers say the systems does not require a secondary sterilization process such as chlorination for the water it cleans.