The invention provides inoculants for the generation of a biologically active layer in a water treatment or purification device. In some embodiments, the invention provides inoculants for a biologically active zone in a wastewater treatment system or device, for example in municipal wastewater and sewage treatment. In other aspects, the invention provides inoculants for water purification, for example in municipal drinking water purification or in slow sand filtration. Inoculants of the invention increase the effectiveness of the above systems and devices in providing useable water.

The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to methods of marker based direct integrity testing of at least one membrane comprising: (a) dosing a feed fluid of a loop with at least one marker comprising at least one challenge particle, the loop comprising: the feed fluid; a pump comprising an outlet stream; a membrane module comprising the at least one membrane and a membrane module outlet stream, wherein the membrane module is in fluid communication with the outlet stream; a marker recycle stream in fluid communication with the membrane module outlet stream and the pump; and a means to measure particle concentrations; (b) circulating the feed fluid through the membrane module at least once to produce a filtrate comprising a filtered at least one marker; (c) measuring a filtrate particle concentration of the filtered at least one filtered marker in the filtrate to produce a filtrate concentration measurement; and (d) calculating a log removal value from the filtrate concentration measurement and the feed concentration measurement; wherein the log removal value is less than about 3 m.

A system and method for delivering silver ion biocide is described herein. The systems described relate to passing water from a water system through a silver ion release module and optional high-concentration silver ion release module. The system includes an analyzer, detector, and/or controller for monitoring the concentration of silver ion and adjusting the flow path, flow rate, temperature and/or pH of the water in order to obtain the desired concentration of silver ion. The system optionally includes other metal ions released into a water system, the concentration of which may be used to automatically calibrate the described system and/or cause the system to take actions based on the measured concentration of silver ion or of the second metal ion.

A system and method for controlling microbiological growth in a water system and premise plumbing system which uses stabilized hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant and maintains water energy matrix control. Maintenance of stable hydrogen peroxide residual in the system in combination with active temperature monitoring enables better control of the water energy matrix and reduction of hot water temperature while maintaining microbiological control.

A portable liquid measuring and filtering device includes a measuring channel, at least one sensor, at least one actuating device and a filtering element. The measuring channel is used for allowing a target liquid to flow therethrough. The at least one sensor is disposed within the measuring channel for measuring the target liquid. The at least one actuating device is in communication with the measuring channel for transferring the target liquid. The filtering element is disposed within the measuring channel and arranged adjacent to the at least one actuating device for filtering the target liquid. If a measuring result of the sensor indicates that a monitored value of the target liquid is abnormal, the actuating device is enabled to transfer the target liquid. Consequently, the target liquid is filtered by the filtering element.

The embodiments disclose an apparatus including a modular liquid purification assembly including a collapsible pump assembly with removable modules for purifying water, a modular ultraviolet light cap assembly coupled to a top end of the collapsible pump assembly for radiating ultraviolet light for disinfecting impure water poured into the collapsible pump assembly before filtering, at least one filter box module coupled to and below the collapsible pump assembly for filtering out particulates and microbial organisms in the water after ultraviolet light disinfection for producing purified water, and a container bottle coupled to the bottom end of the at least one filter box module for receiving and storing the purified water.

In at least one illustrative embodiment, an electromagnetic filter may include a pipe and a magnetic field generator such as an array of permanent magnets. The magnetic field generator generates a magnetic field through a filter section of the pipe. Multiple filter elements are positioned within the filter section of the pipe. The filter elements include a magnetic material and a biorecognition element to bind with a microorganism. The biorecognition element may be a bacteriophage that is genetically engineered to bind with the microorganism. The magnetic field forces the filter elements to positions within the filter section of the pipe. A fluid media may be flowed from an inlet of the pipe to an outlet of the pipe, through the filter section. The fluid media may be a liquid food such as fruit juice. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

To promote anaerobic digestion and delay calcification, one or more signal molecules are used to regulate the microenvironment of anaerobic granular sludge. In the process of anaerobic granular sludge treatment of papermaking wastewater, AHLs (N-acyl Hyperserine Lactones) are added to papermaking wastewater before the papermaking wastewater enters the anaerobic reactor. This may occur when the proportion of microorganism in anaerobic granular sludge VSS/TSS is less than 0.6. Further, the addition of the one or more signal molecules changes the community structure of the bacteria and methanogens, promoting anaerobic digestion and delay calcification. Additionally, the microenvironment of granular sludge is regulated by adding one or more micro-signal molecules to improve the number of bacteria susceptible to calcification, improve the anaerobic digestion rate of sludge that has not been calcified, and delay the calcification rate.

A control unit (100, 120, 130) adapted to regulate at least one de-bacterisation unit (201) of a fluid system (200, 210, 230) is described. The fluid system (200, 210, 230) comprises the de-bacterisation unit, a production unit for producing a heated fluid heated to a predetermined temperature, at least one pipe for transporting the fluid from the production unit to at least one fluid outlet, at least one fluid outlet and at least one sensing unit for sensing a temperature of the fluid at a first location in the fluid system as a function of time. The control unit (100, 120, 130) includes a module (101, 124) adapted for obtaining temperatures at a plurality of locations in the fluid system as function of time and programmed for modelling bacterial growth in the fluid in the fluid system as function of time based on the obtained temperature in the system and for predicting, based on the modelling, the bacterial concentration at the at least one fluid outlet over time. The control unit is being adapted for driving the de-bacterisation unit, The control unit is being adapted for determining, based on said predicted bacterial concentration over time obtained by the module (101, 124), moments in time when the bacterial concentration reaches a predetermined value in the fluid system and for, in reply thereto, driving at these moments in time the de-bacterisation unit (201) so as to reduce bacterial concentration in the fluid system (200, 210, 230).

The present disclosure relates to a sensor for monitoring metabolic activity of a population of exo-electrogenic bacteria in response to one or more agents in oxygenated water or wastewater in a water or wastewater treatment system. The sensor comprises: at least one electrode pair comprising an anode and a cathode, the anode in electrical communication with the exo-electrogenic bacteria for receiving electrons therefrom; a current sensor for measuring electron flow between the anode and the cathode and producing an electrical output that correlates with metabolic activity of the exo-electrogenic bacteria; and a power source in electrical communication with the electrode pair for delivering a voltage across the electrode pair. A method, system, and exo-electrogenic bacteria used for monitoring and/or controlling one or more agents in oxygenated water or wastewater is also provided.