New filter designed to improve water quality

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There are things in your water that no one is talking about.

That assertion comes from Dr. Lee Wilson, a Metis researcher with the University of Saskatchewan with a PhD in chemistry who has developed a new type of filter to take more contaminants out of that water.

The filtering product is more efficient than common charcoal filters, but it remains to be seen if it will be used in water treatment plants, homes, or both.

The substance that makes up the filter currently exists only in a powdered form but testing is underway to determine the best way to use the powder to create a user-friendly filter. Wilson's goal is to produce a material that is better than anything that is commercially available right now.

Wilson said his filter reduces contaminates from the parts per million level to the part per billion level or even the part per trillion level, a million fold increase in efficiency over conventional filters.

Wilson's new filtration technology works essentially like a sponge, which has many little holes and pores that trap particles suspended in the water as the water passes through the sponge. But Wilson's filter works better than a sponge, he said, because it has more pores in which particles can become trapped and filtered out of the water supply.

Another advantage of the filter is that it is being designed to be reusable.

Wilson said current water filtration systems concentrate on microbial or organic contaminates such as E. Coli, but that another health risk exists from chemical contaminates such as PCBs, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, heavy metals such as methyl mercury and hydrocarbons.

Wilson knows the health effects of such contaminates first hand-his father became sick and had to have his large intestine removed. Wilson believes his father's illness was a result of drinking contaminated water.

His father's condition was the motivating force that inspired Wilson to enter the field of filtration technology and material science and try and help the situation.

"I felt that this would be something that would be for the betterment of Canada as well as the world if it works as it is planned," Wilson said.

"Science in general is intended to improve our lives and understand the world we live in ... we try and understand our world and along the way we want to develop things that will improve our lives, and I think that this is one of the things that will improve our lives in a big way."

Wilson realizes that the success of his research and filtration technology will depend in large part on whether it gains the support of government and industry.

"All of this sounds great to the consumer but industry may have absolutely no interest. The environment is a relatively low priority right now, and it will stay that way until it starts to affect the economy," Wilson said.

A report from Saskatchewan Environment issued on Sept. 14 lists 70 communities and locations in the province operating under precautionary drinking water advisories, emergency boil water orders or both. Another 27 advisories and orders have been issued by various health districts.

Wilson said that organic contaminates in water at places such as Kashechewan, Ont. get all the attention in the media but that the threat from inorganic contaminates is greater.

"There are a lot of contaminants we can't deal with now using conventional technology," said Wilson.

Lee Wilson says that water quality suffers on First Nations because governments are caught up in jurisdictional wrangling over who will pay for treatment facilities.

"First Nations are primarily federal jurisdiction and places like Kashechewan are far removed from Ottawa."

It is the people who suffer from low quality water in the meantime, he said. But he is looking to help First Nations with their water quality issues now. His new filter system will be put into an experimental membrane and will be used by Muskoday First Nation, a community where the ground water has been contminated by gas and diesel fuel from an abandoned gas station. The Muskoday partnership is a start for Wilson and hopefully will provide the community with clean drinking water again.