US claims solution to nitrates in water

12 March 1998

US claims solution to nitrates in water

THE Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, United States, claims to have come up with a solution to the problem of dangerous concentrations of nitrates in drinking water.

In some rural areas the intensive use of nitrogen fertilisers have caused the contamination which cannot be dealt with using conventional water treatment techniques.

The Institute has found a possible solution that involves passing the water
through a film containing bacteria which converts nitrates to nitrogen gas which is released harmlessly into the atmosphere. The water is then filtered to remove any remaining bacteria and fine particles.

For more information contact EPRI:US, tel 3149358590 or e-mail
kecarns@epri.com

• Financial Times 12/03/98 page 24 (Technology Worth Watching)