SWAMPSCOTT — Officials from both Swampscott and Lynn congregated at Town Hall on Wednesday morning for a demonstration of clean-water technology.
The experiment was conducted by Green Water Solutions. International Marketing Management Inc. and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay also helped organize the event. Green Water President and Chief Operating Officer Chas Antinone addressed the attendees to explain the science behind the procedure, known as advanced oxidation processes.
“We create oxygen, oxygen is used to create ozone. The ozone is dissolved into the water. The water is pumped back out through patented nozzles to create the nano bubbles,” Antinone explained. “The ozone that was dissolved in the water is incorporated into the nanobubbles at that point… the ozone in the nanobubbles cleans the water.”
He added that the nanobubbles create cleansing agents that “tear apart” bacterial molecules. The cleansing procedure has been researched and developed at the Ohio State University, the University of Florida, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The process took approximately 20 minutes to complete. The water sample used was from a storm drain on Banks Road. After inquiries from both Select Board member Danielle Leonard and Save King’s Beach co-founder Andrea Amour, Antinone and his peers agreed to also test the process on water samples from the King’s Beach and Stacey’s Brook area as well.
“Whatever solution we land on is a great solution if it works,” Amour said.
Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald expressed his support and encouragement for Wednesday’s demonstration, however, he emphasized that the installation of an outfall pipe is the best long-term solution for the beaches.
“Certainly, this could help address bacteria, but we need a permanent solution to protect the welfare and safety of our region,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve got to keep a laser focus on the long-range solution that is most prescriptive.”
