RichWater® technology receives the ETV verification

Our RichWater® technology continues to advance and has finally been registered as a trademark through the European Union Intellectual Property Office – EUIPO. RichWater® rose from a European project, funded by the European Commission’s H2020 program, in which a technology was demonstrated and verified based on the combination of an efficient and competitive water treatment using an MBR, a mixing module to obtain the optimal combination of fresh and reclaimed water, and a control and monitoring system working with soil sensors. This combination makes possible to offer a reliable source of pathogen-free water and respond in situ to the demand for irrigation and fertilization of each type of crop.

The RichWater® technology also obtained in 2020 the Environmental Technology Verification which is a guarantee on the technology performance for our clients. ETV verification has been conducted by an external and independent verification body, the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (IETU) located in Poland, which certified that RichWater® is able to treat urban wastewater up to the necessary quality standards required for irrigation.

WHAT IS ETV VERIFICATION?

The Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) is a new tool of the European Commission to help innovative environmental technologies reach the market.

The concept of the Environmental Technology Verification programme is to offer a verification procedure to cutting edge environmental technologies that may otherwise find it difficult to establish their environmental added value. The verification procedure allows for an independent assessment and validation of the manufacturer’s claims on the performance and environmental benefits of their technology. The information produced by the verification is public and can be used to compare performance parameters and therefore becomes an extremely useful tool to convince third-parties of the merits of a technology, potentially enhancing its market value and acceptance.

The information provided, in the form of a Statement of Verification, gives the possibility for direct and objective comparison between different technologies reducing the risk on adopting new technologies and encouraging informed and sound investments. ETV results could be used to prove compliance with any relevant legislation, to underpin a bid in public tendering, to convince investors or customers of the reliability of performance claims and to avoid having to repeat demonstrations for different users.

A Verified Technology has been through a Verification Process.  This means that a third-party has reviewed all the data that supports the technology’s performance. This third-party, called a Verification Body, has checked that the data is consistent, of good quality and that it covers the important aspects of the technology’s performance.

After completing the Verification Process, a Statement of Verification is issued. This document can become part of the technical documentation of the technology and summarises the results of the verification process.

WHAT IS THE VERIFICATION PROCESS?

1. Contact phase. Proposer contacts a Verification Body, information exchange, eligibility check.
2. Proposal phase. Proposer provides all relevant information, including available test results and an initial performance claim. Contractual agreement.
3. Specific protocol preparation phase. Verification Body reviews the claim, defines performance parameters for verification, assesses available data and decides whether further tests are needed, drafts specific verification protocol, Contractual agreement completed.
4. Assessment and verification phase. Final reviews of data and verification procedures. Drafting of verification report by Verification Body.
5. Publication phase. Statement of Verification issued by Verification Body, registered and published by the Commission on the official web site.