New Clean Water Tech May Be A Boon To Mining, Fracking

A new clean-water invention from Australia could have benefits for the mining and fracking industries.

"Ali Jak, named after inventor Jason McPherson's children, uses dark science to turn once unusable CSG frack water and drill mud into clean water that can be used to water stock and irrigate pastures," the Gympie Times reported.

Hail storms are a major inspiration for the technology, which McPherson is working to patent.

"He said the environmental forces in hail clouds separate water and dust, making hail one of the purest forms of water. McPherson's machine creates similar conditions inside long cylinders to extract clean water," the report said.

Organic waste is a byproduct of the process.

"Ali Jak heats and cools waste under different pressures in 27 separate stages until the water is atomized and taken out as a vapor. The leftover solid waste is then mixed with organic matter to make fertilizer," the report said.

McPherson said his technology has applications across many industries.

"It's amazing," he said, per the report. "There is nothing close to what we are doing anywhere in the world...There hasn't been any type of waste water the Ali Jak can't handle. I'm yet to find something we can't treat."

The mining industry may be able to benefit from this technology.

"Because it can recycle 70,000 liters of water a day, it saves expensive trucking of waste and water on and off mine sites," the report said.

McPherson said he is driven by a desire to help the environment and other people.

"This is my biggest chance to make a difference to the environment," he said, per the report. "I’d like to see third world countries and refugee sites taking waste streams that cause infection and turning them into clean water and dried waste that could be used as fertilizer to grow food."

His company is growing quickly. "In 5 years the company has expanded from humble beginnings with 2 bays in a rented shed, to a new engineering workshop measuring 20.0Mtrs x 70.0Mtrs x 9.0Mtrs high," the website says.

McPherson's local newspaper in Gympie praised him for his work.

"The best thing is that [Ali Jak] has been invented in Gympie and Mr. McPherson plans to expand his business here to keep locals employed," the editorial said.