Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Escherichia coli is a harmful bacterium that, when ingested, can result in severe illness and death. In light of this, public swimming areas are monitored for colonies of E. coli, and when colony counts exceed recommended levels, these areas are deemed unsafe for humans. In addition to posing a serious health risk, the presence of E. coli in a water body can have significant and direct economic impacts on local economies that depend on tourism. WCI Environmental Solutions Inc. is an Ottawa-based environmental engineering company that develops and implements state-of-the-art solutions for environmental problems through the application of proprietary advanced technologies. The EOS-2000 treatment system is a solar-powered resonant frequency system with wide application use and can be applied to multiple water types. This system provides a low-cost solution for water remediation by stimulating aerobic processes. The primary goal of this investigation is to assess the effectiveness of an environmental remediation technology, the EOS-2000, to reduce harmful pathogens in a natural water body. This system works by improving oxygen availability from the water to the water body and enabling aerobic processes, stressing pathogens including as Escherichia coli and causing them to die off. To determine treatment capabilities the EOS-2000 will be monitored for a suite of water quality parameters alongside both a positive (addition of e-coli) and negative control ponds (no amendments) over a 12-week period. The results from this applied research project will evaluate the EOS-2000 as an effective solution in reducing E. coli in a natural water body.