Mienis Water reflects on 15 years of ultrafiltration: “Even viruses are filtered out of the water” – Hortidaily

Report on Mienis Water Ultrafiltration Technology and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

This report details the ultrafiltration water disinfection technology developed by Mienis Water, marking its 15th year of application in the horticultural industry. The analysis focuses on the system’s operational benefits and its significant contributions to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of water management, sustainable agriculture, and responsible production.

Technology Overview and Functionality

Ultrafiltration is a membrane-based filtration technique used to disinfect surface water, rainwater, and drain water. The process provides a physical barrier to contaminants.

• The membrane’s fine pores effectively filter out fungi, nematodes, bacteria, and viruses.
• Crucially for agricultural applications, dissolved fertilizers and nutrients, such as iron chelate, are retained in the disinfected water, ensuring resource efficiency.
• The technology was developed in response to industry demand for superior disinfection and stricter environmental regulations aimed at achieving zero-discharge water systems.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The implementation of Mienis Water’s ultrafiltration systems directly supports several key SDGs:

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The technology is fundamental to achieving Target 6.3 (improving water quality by reducing pollution and increasing recycling) and Target 6.4 (increasing water-use efficiency). By enabling the safe recycling of drain water, it promotes a circular water economy within agricultural operations and facilitates the industry goal of zero discharge.
2. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The system embodies the principles of sustainable resource management (Target 12.2). By recycling water and retaining nutrients, it minimizes waste and reduces the environmental footprint of horticultural production, contributing to sustainable production patterns.
3. SDG 2: Zero Hunger: By providing a source of completely clean water free from pathogens, the technology enhances crop health and gives growers greater control over cultivation. This leads to more reliable yields and supports the objective of sustainable food production systems (Target 2.4).
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The development of a reliable, automated, and self-sustaining ultrafiltration system represents a significant technological innovation for the agricultural sector. It upgrades industry infrastructure to be more efficient and environmentally sustainable.

System Advantages and Technical Specifications

Superior Disinfection and Water Quality

Ultrafiltration offers a distinct advantage over other disinfection techniques by physically removing contaminants rather than neutralizing them. This process prevents the accumulation of dead organic material, which can serve as a breeding ground for new infections, thereby ensuring a higher standard of water purity and better supporting plant health.

Reliability and Automation

The system’s success is built on a combination of robust hardware and intelligent software.

• Durable membranes and carefully selected hardware components ensure a long operational lifespan.
• Advanced software featuring integrated, fully automated washing programs is a key differentiator. These programs are tailored to specific water types and conditions, ensuring the membranes remain clean and the system operates efficiently with minimal manual intervention.

Customization and Service

Mienis Water provides customized solutions to meet specific client needs, including vertical system configurations to conserve valuable floor space. This adaptability allows for seamless integration into existing infrastructure, often without the need for additional storage silos. The ability to treat multiple water types with a single system further enhances its contribution to resource efficiency and sustainable infrastructure.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The core of the article focuses on water treatment technology (ultrafiltration) to disinfect, clean, and recycle water within the horticultural industry.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The technology is applied in horticulture, supporting fruit, vegetable, and seed growers. By improving water quality and enabling water recycling, it contributes to sustainable agricultural practices and food production.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The article highlights a specific technological innovation developed and implemented by a company to solve an industrial challenge, promoting clean and environmentally sound technologies.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The system’s ability to recycle drain water and achieve “zero discharge” directly supports sustainable production patterns by reducing water consumption and eliminating the release of pollutants.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally. The article directly addresses this by describing a technology that recycles drain water and works towards the “ultimate goal of zero discharge,” thus reducing pollution and increasing water reuse.
  • Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater. The recycling of drain water in horticulture, as detailed in the article, is a clear example of increasing water-use efficiency in the agricultural sector.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
  • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production. The ultrafiltration system is a resilient agricultural practice that provides clean, disinfected water, giving growers “better control over their crop growth” and contributing to sustainable food production.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies. The article showcases the adoption of ultrafiltration, a “clean and environmentally sound” technology, by the horticultural industry to meet “stricter environmental regulations” and become more sustainable.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
  • Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle… and significantly reduce their release to… water and soil. The technology prevents the discharge of drain water, which contains fertilizers (chemicals) and pathogens (wastes), directly contributing to this target. The article states, “ultrafiltration also eliminates the need for water discharge.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 6.3 & 12.4: The article explicitly mentions the “ultimate goal of zero discharge” and states that “Most of our systems already meet the zero-discharge requirement.” This provides a direct, measurable indicator: The proportion of horticultural operations implementing systems that achieve zero discharge of drain water.
• Indicator for Target 6.4: The entire premise of the technology is to “recycle drain water.” An implied indicator is the volume or percentage of water successfully recycled and reused within the agricultural process, reducing the need for fresh water intake.
• Indicator for Target 9.4: The article notes that “more and more growers are embracing ultrafiltration.” This suggests an indicator related to the adoption of the technology: The rate of adoption of advanced water filtration and recycling technologies within the horticultural industry.
• Indicator for Target 2.4: The article mentions that customers report having “better control over their crop growth.” While not a quantitative metric in the text, this implies an indicator related to agricultural output and stability, such as improvements in crop yield or reductions in crop loss due to waterborne diseases.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: hortidaily.com