AquaRenew
AquaRenew – Revolutionary Mobile Filter Technology for Clean Water
Why Heavy Metal Pollution Matters
Heavy metals such as lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and arsenic (As) pose serious risks to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Traditional cleanup methods are often costly, resource-intensive, or not feasible in remote or sensitive locations.
One significant source of this pollution is abandoned metal mines, which have left a problematic legacy in many regions. When these mines were active, underground pumping prevented flooding, but after abandonment, water filling these mines reacts with metal ores, creating acidic, metal-rich waters. For example, over 200 km of rivers in Wales are affected, with hundreds of water bodies breaching legal pollution limits for metals such as lead, zinc, and cadmium.
Over the past four years, X-ray Mineral Services (XMS) has developed and scaled up a low carbon, low cost passive filter system—the AquaRenew™ technology—that uses a seaweed-derived material with excellent metal capture properties. This technology offers several breakthrough advantages:
- Rapid metal removal: Nearly all metal pollutants can be captured within minutes, unlike other methods that require holding back large water volumes for treatment.
- Low impact: The gravity-fed, passive filter system requires minimal energy, avoids expensive civil engineering works, and has a low visual and land footprint—making it ideal for remote upland areas.
- Sustainability: The filter material is near carbon neutral and derived from renewable seaweed sources.
- Low maintenance: Designed for long-duration operation with minimal upkeep.
Real-World Application & Scale-Up
Recently, AquaRenew™ was fully tested as a 10,000-litre continuous operation at the historic Cwmystwyth metal mine in Wales. This project is providing critical performance data for commercial deployment which underway in Northumberland. Improvements such as integrated chemical dosing to enhance zinc capture and filter material recycling to recover metals offsite are in development, enabling a circular economy approach that reduces waste and reclaims valuable resources.
Who Can Benefit?
Our technology supports a wide range of applications:
- Environmental remediation for legacy mining and industrial sites
- Pollution control at active mining and large construction sites
- Protection and restoration of upland and private water sources