SRPL to implement new technology drinking water solutions in Tamilnadu

Tamil Nadu: IndianOil and IIT Madras have entered into an agreement for providing 3 nos. of solar powered digital drinking water kiosks using CDI ( Capacitive De-Ionisation) Technology in rural villages of Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu under CSR at IC&SR Office, IIT Madras in Chennai on November 22, 2019. This technology would offer low water wastage, low energy requirements with better control over quality of treated water.

 

On the occasion, Mr DS Nanaware, ED (SRPL) stated that the need for innovative technologies like CDI for purification of drinking water which is increasingly becoming a rare commodity in the days to come. Mr Ravindra Getu, Dean IC& SR, IITM and senior officials from IndianOil SRPL and IIT, Madras present on the occasion.

 

CDI is a water purification technology that uses electrodes to remove the charged ion species from aqueous solutions. The feed water is deionised by applying an electrical potential difference over two electrodes, which are made of porous carbon. Anions are removed from the water and are stored in the positively polarized electrode. Likewise, cations are stored in the cathode, which is the negatively polarized electrode. The charged particles are electrostatically held in the double layer until the discharging step, where the external power supply is shorted or its polarity reversed.

 

Most treatment systems waste more water than they treat. The maximum water wastage in this CDI system during treatment is 20%, unlike in Reverse Osmosis plants wherein the water wastage is more than 60%. This results in long-term conservation of source water. CDI systems retains essential minerals like calcium, magnesium etc. that are required for body while removing toxins like fluoride, arsenic, nitrates etc. This results in delivery of healthy drinking water to the community. Further low pressures are required for the operation of the CDI plant unlike RO plants. The CDI digital  water kiosk requires single-phase power and hence can be solar operated which is further a step towards reduced carbon footprint. Hence it can be an effective alternative to RO water treatment  systems.  

 

IndianOil officials were taken to the International Centre for Clean Water (ICCW) inside the IIT Madras Research Park wherein Mr. Nanda Kumar, CEO, ICCW explained the various state-of-the-art equipment deployed for water research and product design. The CSR project will be implemented by Southern Region Pipelines (SRPL), Chennai.