SHARC International Systems (SHRC) has revealed that its wastewater energy system can collect a building’s wastewater for COVID-19 testing.
The primary purpose of the company’s PIRANHA HC wastewater recovery energy system is to provide heat, using energy that is recycled from wastewater. However, a small valve installed on the system can make it a unique tool in the fight against COVID-19.
Using the valve, building managers will be able to collect a sample of a complex’s wastewater in seconds, before sending it to a licensed facility for SARS-CoV-2 testing.
This method is far more accurate than randomly testing what passes through a normal sewage line. SHARC’s system collects the building’s wastewater in a completely sealed tank and stores it for up to 24 hours.
This ensures that any sample from the wastewater delivers a broad sample of the building’s population, and their potential COVID-19 exposure.
A residential complex in North Vancouver, British Columbia, is about to make use of this technological capability. The complex currently uses one of the company’s PIRANHA HC units, and will collect a wastewater sample from it to send out for independent testing.
SHARC International Systems’ CEO, Lynn Mueller, called the technology an important tool in the battle to future-proof against COVID-19 and other pandemics.
“There isn’t another wastewater energy system that can facilitate the testing for SARS-CoV-2 in a building’s population like SHARC Energy can.
“You don’t have to climb down a manhole cover and take a sample and hope you did it at the right moment, an approach that doesn’t really offer an accurate sample.
“We collect all the wastewater over a 24-hour period in a sealed tank, which means we can supply a truly representative wastewater sample from a building for testing, so owners and residents can stay safe,” he said.
Lynn went on to say that such an approach for sampling and testing wastewater could also have applications in extended health care facilities, hospitals, and the hospitality industry. Not only could the technique alert them to potential outbreaks, but also demonstrate if their disease control protocols are effective.
SHARC International Systems (SHRC) is down 2.86 per cent and is trading at C$0.34 per share at 10:23am EDT.