Smarter Sewers

Ever heard of flushable-wipes?  Well despite their label, their disposal isn’t always a smooth process. They often end up causing blockages across the Canadian sewer system, and the removal process is not easy or inexpensive.

Anum Khan, Stage Two award Esch Award winner, realized there was no existing solution to this problem– she wanted to change that.

“There are currently no proactive solutions to this global problem,” Khan says. “There’s no way to determine where these blockages are happening in any given wastewater system and what exactly is causing them. If that information was available, utility managers could avoid expensive remediation of sewage overflows and reduce the threat to human health and the environment.”

“Recognition from Esch confirms that this problem is significant and that my technological solution can save money, improve water quality and reduce sewer overflows.”

Determined to fill that information gap, Khan started Knos Technology, a proposed monitoring system for wastewater utilities which will enable early detection of problems in real time by counting the number of products moving through a system.

Going forward, Khan will be using the Esch Award funding to develop the system algorithms and also address the costs of acquiring regulatory certificates and licenses.

“This is a significant moment for me,” says Khan. “Recognition from Esch confirms that this problem is significant and that my technological solution can save money, improve water quality and reduce sewer overflows.”