Produced Water Treatment & Waste Water Remediation 
 | Renewing a Natural Resource
Alberta's energy production is a water-based process using roughly a 3:1 water use to oil production ratio. With Alberta's oil sands production projected to double by 2015 to meet growing demands, solutions for environmentally responsible production methods are urgently required. Through applied research at SAIT, a significant portion of the critical transition to clean energy technologies is being achieved via the development and application of clean technologies from de-oiling to desalination. | Recognizing the opportunity for Canada to become a global leader and demonstrate produced water technologies, the Government of Canada announced a major grant approval for SAIT through the College and Community Innovation (CCI) program on March 25, 2011.
Goals
The Produced Water Treatment and Waste Water Remediation research group is working with industry to develop practical, high performance solutions that improve process efficiencies in produced water treatment and generate high quality water for recycle and reuse. Its four main goals are:  | - Clean conventional / unconventional primary energy via advanced water pre-treatment;
- Clean bio-energy;
- Integrated clean energy and bio-energy technology demonstration; and
- Education and industry transformation.
| The process systems at the centre of this research program will reduce emissions and fresh water draws, increase energy production and efficiency, and result in water recycling rates greater than 90 per cent.
Projects Retention Pond Pre-treatment and Desalination
Volker Stevin Contracting (VSC), an SME involved in the de-icing of Alberta highways contacted SAIT to address a retention pond salinity problem.  | Through the National Research Council (NRC) IRAP program, SAIT completed a technology demonstration and testing on a mobile electro-dialysis (ED) desalination system. Based on the success of this applied research project, a second prototype on a novel Pre-treatment Train was developed and successfully tested. | The Zero Discharge ED Desalination prototype that was developed gained national recognition and won three major awards in 2006. The Pre-treatment train was trailer mounted and field tested, and was recognized as a finalist for the 2009 Regional Award for New Technology - Calgary region. These projects effectively addressed VSC's water challenges, culminating in their profitable transfer of technology to commercialization. It also engaged a current generation of learners into the demonstration of this new technology.  | Advanced Tailings Pond Pre-treatment
Working with oil and gas industry partners, testing was conducted using ceramic membranes and specialized ion exchange resins on tailings pond waters to assess the effectiveness of these treatment methods. Findings will be used to guide further study into tailings pond pre-treatment. |  | Ceramic Membrane Nano-Technology
Working in cooperation with the Petroleum Technology Association of Canada (PTAC), the project involved testing a total of ten ceramic membranes from five technology vendors to determine ideal filtration and defouling methods in the de-oiling process of produced (fossil) water for the Heavy Oil and Oil Sands industry. | The range and scope of this testing is unique to SAIT and involved collaboration with the University of Calgary. The findings are expected to increase energy efficiency in boiler feed water quality, steam generation and optimize energy efficiency and water recycle rates within the Heavy Oil and Oil Sands operations. A presentation of the findings, called the Beneficial Use of Pre-treated Produced Water and Related Salt Impacted Waters Using Advanced Ceramic Membranes, was presented at the 6th Annual PTAC Spring Water Forum.
Contact Vita Martez, M.Sc.- Senior Research Associate
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