AMS And Foundation Instruments Partner To Expand AMS's Real-time Contaminant Monitoring Offerings

Aqua Metrology Systems (AMS) has partnered with Foundation Instruments, Inc. to expand its offerings of online and real-time monitoring of trihalomethanes (THMs) with the addition of Foundation Instruments’ THM-Rapid Response (THM-RR) online benchtop analyzer.

Foundation Instruments is a high‐tech start‐up company spun out from the University of Memphis. Its THM-RR analyzer is the company’s flagship product. The benchtop analyzer reports individual and total THM concentrations in real‐time so that utilities can be more proactive in responding to water quality changes and managing carcinogenic disinfection by-products (DBP).

“Our goal is to address all THM monitoring needs, from benchtop to field-based analysis, with solutions that provide high–frequency data in real-time to facilitate better THM treatment system design, evaluate more effectively those systems and ensure they are operating in the most cost-effective manner while meeting regulatory requirements,” said AMS CEO Rick Bacon. “Foundation Instruments has developed by far the best benchtop THM analyzer on the market and their technology was a natural fit with AMS and our online and predictive THM-100 analyzer. Their proven technology is used by leading engineers and water treatment utilities for benchtop testing when characterizing the presence of THMs in their systems. The method is more accurate and reliable and delivers results significantly faster than laboratory-based services.”

Foundation Instruments chose to partner with AMS because of its capability to develop advanced instrumentation, its commitment to innovation and market leadership position in online THM analysis that extends to Europe where AMS THM analyzers are also used for regulatory analysis.

Specifically, Aigües de Barcelona, the leading water utility in Spain and part of the Suez Group, received accreditation to the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Standard for the use of AMS’ online THM-100analyzer to continuously monitor THMs in its drinking water supply network servicing 3,000,000 million inhabitants across metropolitan Barcelona. In addition to providing the utility with contract compliance and process optimization data, THM readings are also used to meet regulatory compliance data monitoring requirements.

Professor Gary Emmert of University of Memphis and CEO and Founder of Foundation Instruments noted, “Working together, we will provide the latest innovations to all utilities, whether they are small rural water treatment plants or large metropolitan systems. Rick Bacon and I share a vision of revolutionizing drinking water monitoring and process control. AMS’ worldwide network, their keen global insight, and technical integration abilities coupled with Foundation Instruments’ cutting edge systems will greatly improve operator control of DBP formation events and simultaneously lower cancer risks worldwide for drinking water consumers. The development of our technologies was made possible through the support of The University of Memphis FedEx Institute of Technology, the Water Research Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the United States Department of Agriculture.”

“Public-private partnerships are the key to getting innovative technologies out of our research labs and into the real world for timely adoption and optimal impact. The University of Memphis congratulates Foundation Instruments and Aqua Metrology Systems on their common plan to enhance water safety for all using these latest innovations from our research,” added Dr. Jasbir Dhaliwal, Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation.

The partnership extends to Foundation Instruments’ online Haloacetic Acid (HAA5) analyzer, which is currently in beta testing, and the development and commercialization of other benchtop and online analyzers of emerging contaminants of concern.

About AMS
Aqua Metrology Systems Ltd. (AMS) believes real-time water quality analysis and remediation are essential to environmental protection. AMS is a leader in the control of water treatment systems across municipal and industrial sectors in which disinfection byproducts (i.e., THMs) and trace metals are contaminants of concern. AMS’ online analytical instrumentation provides the high-frequency, predictive, accurate and reliable water quality data that are essential to ensuring treatment systems operate efficiently while meeting regulatory and performance standards. AMS is the pioneer of the intelligent water treatment system with its SafeGuard H2O, an innovative solution for removing trace metals that integrates real-time sensing.

About Foundation Instruments/University of Memphis
Foundation Instruments, Inc. is a high-tech, spin-out from The University of Memphis-FedEx Institute of Technology. We offer fully-automated chemical analyzers for on-site, on-line and real-time monitoring of trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). We help utilities take control of their treatment programs so they can optimize treatment practices, save money, comply with regulations, and provide high quality drinking water to their customers.