PSflow

As the global population increases and climate change contributes to water scarcity and soil degradation, food insecurity is becoming one of the greatest issues of the 21st century. Agricultural activities contribute to and are impacted by climate change. Farmers will be  negatively affected by water and resource scarcity as climate change becomes more severe and widespread.

To address the urgency of a solution, we propose an innovative, point-of-use water and waste recycling system that will allow for recycled water and biomass nutrient use by small-scale producers. Modular and locally managed, our solution will enable farmers to have ownership of more efficient yield production while conserving resources, ultimately reducing the carbon footprint associated with agricultural activities. 

If scaled globally, this solution will ease the burden on small-scale producers, backyard farmers,  and small commercial businesses of obtaining clean water and organic  fertilizer, contributing to greater food stability and security for communities.

PSflow strives to address resource challenges associated with food production in an era of extreme climate change―namely, poor soil health and inadequate clean water. Common farming methods also contribute to climate change, compounding the issues that threaten agriculture. 

Agricultural fertilizers have an impact on the quality of soil and production capacity of land. For example, research indicates that long-term use of chemical fertilizers may contribute to soil compaction and degradation. In addition, chemical fertilizer production  releases greenhouse emissions in the process. Sewage biomass, currently underutilized as an energy source, contains all of the necessary resources for plant growth, with the exception of carbon. Effective reuse of this climate-friendly resource will provide the basis for healthy soils.

Agriculture also requires high water volumes, but water scarcity poses a threat to agricultural productivity and the health of agribusinesses. In the US alone, 15 states contain one or more watersheds that are considered stressed (water demand exceeding 40% of available supply).

PSflow aims to provide an onsite water reuse and resource recovery technology solution for small-scale agriculture producers. The system will connect to existing plumbing, collecting used water and solid organic matter and processing it as reusable, treated greywater for crop watering, clean whitewater for livestock water supply, and processed residual biosolids for fertilizer. Starting with a small financial deposit followed by a recurring fee, the system will allow users to cost-effectively lease the equipment, with PSflow providing support for equipment installation, user orientation, and maintenance support.

PSflow will initially serve small-scale farmers and commercial operators in the US Southwest, US Rocky Mountain and US Far West regions. US-based target users will  have moderate-to-high purchasing power. PSflow will implement an equitably higher rate on US-based service recipients with a view to subsidize the subsequent roll-out of a more affordable solution for clients in resource-limited settings.

The US, like many areas around the globe, has a growing number of watersheds whose sustainability is threatened by demand for water exceeding natural supply. In addition, US food producers’ overreliance on chemical fertilizers has taken a toll on land quality, depleting soil of key nutrients and eliminating fungi and bacteria that create organic material essential to plant growth.

PSflow aims to directly and meaningfully improve the lives of farmers by providing a sustainable, affordable solution that will maximize the efficiency of resource use while reducing the cost burden of production. PSflow is currently working on collecting feedback from US-based target users on the technology solution by implementing website-based prototype concept testing and using geographically targeted online advertising.

The Sustainable Food Systems track emphasizes the production of low-carbon, resilient and nutritious food. Our solution allows for sustainable agricultural fertilization while also providing the ability for local reuse of water. 

When combined with other innovative approaches and policy decisions,  the PSflow system will facilitate a healthier, more sustainable and more locally based approach to agriculture. 

Our solution will provide a cost-effective, scalable and empowering solution to small-scale farmers and other commercial producers involved in food production.

There are existing water recycling systems, such as those offered by the company Hydraloop, that facilitate water reuse. However, no other solutions utilize filtered and sanitized biomass for use as fertilizer on a small, local scale.

We use a combination of existing technologies to create a core unit, with the ability to add downstream modules to expand functionality. The dimension that makes us innovative is the ability to make incremental adaptations to the treatment system design in response to emerging pollutants and new contaminants. These modules can be toolessly added, to allow continual improvement and the addition of functionality to previously installed units at minimal additional cost.

Our application combines four technologies: Existing technologies used to form the core unit (electrochemical coagulation, membrane filtration, UV sterilization); a manufacturing approach that leverages economies of scale, allowing resource filtration technology to be mass producible but customizable; and a business model allows for local reclamation of treated biomass as fertilizer.

The core unit of the technology relies on electrochemical coagulation, membrane filtration, and UV sterilization, which are already used for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment. These installations typically require custom engineering and specialized contractors to install. These technologies have been applied for over a decade for medium-scale applications, but not in mass-manufactured technology.

Our theory of change is that the low cost and ease of adaptation of our solution, in addition to providing users with more agency and control over water and fertilizer access, will accelerate distributed wastewater treatment, water recycling, and biomass reuse. Additionally, because the unit's primary operating cost is electricity, as the scale of adoption increases the cost of production and operation will decrease, resulting in cost-savings for end users and increasing the appeal of the solution.

Prototype design and market approach are currently being tested with customers. As such, the technology currently serves zero individuals.

If we are able to secure funding, we aim to have three prototype pilots installed in one year. These units would serve approximately 15 people across three residential or commercial locations.

Within five years, we aim to roll out 7,000 units serving 35,000 people. We would look to exponentially scale deployment four to six years from now.

Our goal within the next year is to have initial prototypes and an early-adopter user base to allow for rapid testing of the design and business model. We aim to secure funding to allow for the hire of full-time technical and business staff and the establishment of a partnership with a third-party manufacturer. In five years, we aim to develop the local support infrastructure to expand deployment to key areas of the US and begin to target other countries for future deployment. We will also look to develop our own in-house manufacturing capabilities and research the use of microfactories in resource-limited settings to decrease cost of deployment in those areas.

The greatest barrier to this solution are the costs associated with full-time dedication to the endeavor and hiring of technical staff to optimize development and deployment. 

The primary technical barrier is the cost-optimization of electrocoagulation and electroconductive membrane manufacturing, as well as their optimization for low-maintenance operation.

A cultural and societal barrier is the widespread acceptance of water and biomass reuse solutions. 

We are looking to overcome financial barriers to the success of our solution by seeking guidance and support from business incubators. We are currently developing prototypes, conducting geographically based market research, and adding a means for customers to reserve future devices. We aim to leverage our prototypes to secure the funding that will be necessary to improve and scale deployment of our solution. 

To address the issue of cost-optimization of electrocoagulation and electroconductive membrane manufacturing, we are exploring the potential for partnerships with research institutions. Through partnership, we aim to increase the rate of prototype testing to better understand why certain adaptations may function more effectively and efficiently than others. Lastly, we aim to develop a bench test platform to allow for rapid evaluation of proposed improvements.

Social barriers that impact potential users' acceptance of this solution are currently being addressed through projects such as Brave Blue World and publicizing of the extent of water shortages in already water scarce regions. We aim to employ marketing education to highlight the rising threat of water scarcity and the impacts of synthetic fertilizer use on soil usability.

Currently, we have three part-time staff.

Jennifer Murphy is a water engineer who leads a team of waster industry professionals in the successful delivery of wastewater, storm water and drinking water projects. She has successfully delivered over 50 projects and has managed project budgets up to $10 million. She has a degree in mechanical engineering, is a licensed control system engineer, and has a background in construction.

Ryan Murphy is currently in the last semester of a Bachelor's program at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he is completing a dual degree in mechanical and electrical engineering. He has a focus on software development and analog and digital circuit design. Ryan has spent the past four years working at organizations such as GE, the Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering, and APL.

Rachel Crane is a project manager with 10 years of experience in international public health. She has collaborated with diverse stakeholder teams to deliver diagnostic delivery and health professional education services in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America. With a background in international relations and a passion for project management, she brings key organizational skills to the PSflow team.

The PSflow team is currently exploring potential partnerships with organizations in the US. Team members are leveraging mentorship arrangements with multiple founders of successful businesses. These mentors have strong experience taking products to market and have secured funding through both venture capital and private investments.

Our business mode revolves around the provision of point-source, small scale water reuse and bio-solids recovery as a service. While the production unit may be available for outright purchase the primary revenue will come from an initial up-front deposit and a reoccurring monthly fee comparable to a current water and sewage utility bill with the added benefit of a more resilient and distributed customer water supply and small scale fertilizer source. 

The PSflow team is seeking partnership and funding opportunities to facilitate the resolution of the barriers identified. The primary barriers to prototype improvement and initial piloting are financial in nature. We also believe that partnership with specialized research institutions would allow us to optimize our solution and decrease manufacturing costs of core components.

We believe that our solution will achieve maximum positive impact on potential users through partnership with organizations that have similar goals and more experience bringing a product to market. Our unique background in engineering and international public health allows us to understand that a successful solution will not solely be technological in nature, but will actively involve end users and diverse stakeholders for maximum impact.

We would like to partner with MIT faculty for technical and business guidance, as well as Solve members that have overlapping goals, such as teams involved in urban and distributed farming projects that might benefit from our proposed solution.

We believe that if we have are able to achieve a critical mass in the deployment of our solution, the cost savings to end users will encourage further solution adoption. Closing of the loop on water reuse and nutrient recovery will support small-scale farmers and businesses in the fight against food insecurity, water scarcity, and climate change.