FREDsense and Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets (ACWA), a wastewater research and testing facility in Calgary, Alberta (Canada) are partnering to test and evaluate the necessary systems for a portable COVID-19 analyzer solution.
FREDsense is building a portable test kit that allows rapid, on-site detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA without the need for testing labs. ACWA, embedded within the Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Centre, is a pilot-scale development and testing centre for new innovations in the water space. ACWA’s Research Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) processes 0.51 mega-liters per day (ML/d), split between three parallel 0.175 ML/d process lines. The process lines can operate independently or in tandem for comparative studies. ACWA’s research plant receives secondary effluent (0.51 ML/d) from the Pine Creek WWTC secondary clarifiers. This effluent flows through an Ultra Filtration Membrane system following which the flow is diverted to three advanced treatment modules operating in parallel at 0.175 ML/d. ACWA will provide wastewater chemistry analyses and testing support throughout the engagement to fully commercialize the portable analyzer.
COVID-19 RNA can be found throughout wastewater collection systems and acts as an early warning diagnostic of where cases can be developing, whether for public water utility applications or for analyzing schools, companies or other infrastructure. Together, this opportunity accelerates the ability to demonstrate and validate the testing system for rapid analysis while ultimately providing a solution to testing that increases the speed to decision making.
For more information on this partnership you can reach out to us here.