Israel develops wastewater treatment technology

Israel has attracted significant investment as it looks to overhaul the current inefficiencies in its treatment of wastewater.

Companies such as General Electric and ConocoPhillips have shown an interest in the European country's water industry, with the government looking to secure enough funding to execute a $5 billion (£3 billion) project to boost water quality by 2016, Bloomberg reports.

One of the major areas being looked at is the amount of energy required to process wastewater.

Typically, up to 40 per cent of operating costs at plants are accrued through electricity consumption and this is only expected to grow in the future.

However, a fuel cell that utilises bacteria to break down the waste in water - thus reducing energy use - has now received $10 million of investment.

A number of European countries have been found wanting in terms of wastewater provisions, with Kiev-based news provider the Day reporting that failings led to an outbreak of Cholera near Donetsk recently.

Posted by Claire Manning