In addition to our laboratories and facilities in the Meander building, we also have the availability of the Waterlab, since early 2023.
It is located on the Hogekampplein, on the waterfront of the pond between Hogekamp, High Tech Factory and Vrijhof. The Waterlab is a testing ground for water and membrane research. The Waterlab has space for small-scale pilots and has the availability of three different types of water: pond water, rainwater and wastewater.
The Waterlab will be used for research and education purposes.
Five spots are available for pilots, each spot has access to wastewater (from hotel/student housing), rainwater, pond water and drinking water.
The Waterlab also houses the Water Miracle, a smart modular ultra-filtration installation, which purifies water from the pond and rainwater, into irrigation water. That water is stored in a basement (1000 m3) elsewhere on campus and is used for irrigation. The storage in the basement also serves as a bridge in periods of drought.
Water treatment using membranes is one of the most viable solutions to current challenges in the water sector (e.g. removal of micropollutants, desalination, drought, water scarcity and scarcity of valuable resources). Water scarcity is not just a problem related to water quantity, but certainly also to water quality. By establishing new (membrane) technologies to properly clean and re-use waste waters (municipal or industrial) we can relieve the pressure on drinking water and groundwater sources.
If you want to know more about the Waterlab and the possibilities; please contact Heleen Sombekke (h.d.m.sombekke@utwente.nl)