Medical Pot Center Cuts Water Use With Desalitech System

A licensed medical marijuana center in Colorado will improve the operational efficiency and environmental sustainability of its grow operations by using Desalitech water treatment technology.

Kind Love, based in Denver, will install a Desalitech closed circuit desalination (CCD) reverse osmosis (RO) system, which will produce up to 22,000 gallons of purified water per day.

The Desalitech system will remove any impurities or residuals in the municipal water source to create a pure water base before the addition of nutrients to the hydroponic operation’s irrigation water supply. The system will also be fed with “tile” or drainage water from the operation, enabling the facility to recover 97 percent of its waste water, reducing new water demand and saving disposal fees, Desalitech says.

Kind Love expects to see a return on investment in 15 months and says the system will also reduce its carbon footprint.

Desalitech’s water treatment has water recovery rates of 93 percent or higher, compared to the typical 75 percent recovery rates of conventional RO systems, the company says. Additionally, CCD systems consume 20 percent less energy, providing additional cost savings.

Earlier this month Desalitech and Japan-based Toyo Engineering formed a strategic partnership to bring CCD technologies to East Asian and other international markets. The companies say the water treatment will help increase water recovery, improve energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact and reduce disposal costs.