Can a ‘wetland-in-a-box’ tackle water scarcity?

This nature-based solution brings water treatment to where it's most needed

Spotted: The world is facing a growing water crisis. Around four billion people live under highly water-stressed conditions for at least one month every year, and at the same time, freshwater sources across the globe are becoming increasingly polluted. Startup Syrinx wants to help.

The Australian company has created the EnPhytoBox, a ‘wetland-in-a-box’ that enables water to be recycled and cleaned at the local scale. Inspired by the natural water filtration process that occurs in wetlands, the EnPhytoBox contains a vertical sequence of plants, biosorbents, and microbes that collectively treat and clean wastewater without generating waste. The EnPhytoBox also incorporates IoT technology so that it can be monitored remotely.

Because the scalable system is based on naturally occurring processes, it is low-energy to run and can be powered using zero-emission renewable sources. It’s also largely self-sustaining, requiring limited costs and manpower to maintain it. As Syrinx Director Dr Ljiljana Pantelic told Springwise, “If we are to repair nature and provide alternate water supplies at the urgent speed we need, we need to be able to treat dirty water at source everywhere.” With the company’s mobile and modular technology, this becomes much easier.

The EnPhytoBox can be installed virtually anywhere in the world and adapted for a variety of purposes, including recycling and repurposing water on farms, cleaning groundwater, post-mining remediation, and bolstering existing water treatment infrastructure for remote communities. As Pantelic explained, “It can generate an alternate water supply, which can enable economic opportunities, including within the burgeoning nature repair market, and can improve the water quality of our valuable freshwater ecosystems.”

The company currently has two pilot projects underway, one in Serbia and another in New Zealand. Hoping to quickly scale the solution, Dr Pantelic says Syrinx is looking for “investors, clients, collaborators, and funders.”

Written By: Matilda Cox