By SHARON UDASIN
05/28/2014
Desalitech, a Massachusetts-based Israeli firm, will be constructing the reverse osmosis system in Ra’anana.
Massachusetts and Israeli government officials and innovators announced the cornerstone laying of a future water treatment facility that is to provide a new water source for the city of Ra’anana, at a water collaboration seminar in Tel Aviv on Wednesday.
The facility, which will treat 100 cubic meters per hour of water from a well contaminated with nitrates, will provide enough potable water for about 15,000 people, according to Nadav Efraty, CEO of high efficiency water treatment company Desalitech. The Massachusetts- based Israeli firm is to be constructing the reverse osmosis system in conjunction with the Israeli Water Authority and Mei Ra’anana water company with the support of Israel New- Tech.
There to celebrate the project’s cornerstone announcement was Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who participated in a water-tech seminar that afternoon as part of his Massachusetts-Israel Innovation Partnership Mission 2014. Water technology and global water challenges are one of the key focuses for the trade mission, explained Alicia Barton, CEO of Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (Mass- CEC) – a state-run cleantech accelerator established by Patrick in 2009.
“Much of the recent growth and organization in the Massachusetts water-tech sector is the direct result of our trade mission here in 2011,” Patrick said. “Since then, with encouragement from many of you, Massachusetts has applied itself to becoming a world-class destination for water technology.”
Following Patrick’s trade mission to Israel in 2011, Massachusetts and Israel formed the Massachusetts-Israel Innovation Partnership, run by Mass- CEC and MATIMOP: Israeli Industry Center for R&D of the Israeli Economy Ministry’s Chief Scientist Office.
During the Wednesday event, Patrick announced the latest winners of the MIIP water innovation grants – Chelmsford, Massachusetts- based Triton Systems and Petah Tikvah-based Applied Cavitation Technologies.
In addition, the governor and Chief Scientist Avi Hasson confirmed that Mass- CEC and MATIMOP would again each be providing $250,000 for a new round of MIIP grants this year.
“Israel represents one of the strongest water technology sectors in the world, and we want to learn from you,” Patrick said.
http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Israel-Massachusetts-celebrate-Raanana-water-treatment-plant-354657