Zenon Environmental Inc., a division of GE Water & Process Technologies, provides membrane treatment products and services for water purification, wastewater treatment and water reuse.

Based in Oakville, Ontario, ZENON Environmental Inc. operates with the mission of producing safe, clean water that sustains life and preserves natural environments. The company, a division of GE Water & Process Technologies, provides membrane treatment products and services for water purification, wastewater treatment and water reuse.

During the treatment process, ZENON's membrane technologies remove common contaminants, bacteria and viruses from water. "It really is a revolutionary technology that has huge implications for humanity," declares Rafael Simon, COO.

During its 26-year history, ZENON has received more than 200 global patents for membrane manufacturing, system optimization and new membrane platforms. Additionally, the company serves clients in North and Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

According to Simon, 60 percent of the company's customer base is comprised of municipal clients, while 35 percent is industry-based. The remaining five percent, he notes, is comprised of government clients.

‘Passionate About Water'
Dr. Andrew Benedek founded ZENON in 1980. Previously, he was a professor of water chemistry at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. "He was very passionate about water," Simon says. When Benedek started ZENON, he mortgaged his house and operated it as a one-person company. Today, Simon says, the company has grown to 1,500 employees and five manufacturing sites. In addition, ZENON has 20 offices and has built more than 500 water treatment plants around the world. An important step in ZENON's growth, Simon explains, was the development of its ZeeWeed immersed membrane technology in 1993. "It was a technology that was so radical and different than anything else out there," Simon states.

While most membranes utilize pressurized water, he says, the ZeeWeed system uses a vacuum. Through the force of the vacuum, water is pulled into pores that are less than 0.1 microns wide. At this width, the pores ensure that the majority of the impurities do not pass through.

In December 2005, ZENON says, its ZeeWeed membranes were selected for the largest wastewater treatment facility in Doha, Qatar, which will serve 500,000 people. This past October, ZENON was also selected to supply a 100-million-gallon-per-day ZeeWeed 100 membrane system for an ultrafiltration membrane plant in San Diego. Simon notes that both projects are currently under construction.

Joining a Player
This June, GE Water & Process Technologies announced the completion of its acquisition of ZENON. As a unit of General Electric (GE) Co., GE Water & Process provides industrial, agricultural and potable water.

"GE is the largest player in the water and wastewater filtration business," Simon states, noting that the company was interested in ZENON's ZeeWeed technology.

GE Water & Process President and CEO Jeff Garwood said in a statement that the combination of GE's global research centers and ZENON's employees and technologies will bring strategic benefits. "We look forward to serving customers around the globe with safer drinking water and exceptional wastewater treatment that turn wastewater into a valuable asset with exceptional lifecycle cost reduction," he stated.

According to GE, ZENON's patent portfolio will enhance its water scarcity platform by providing pre-treatment technology for reverse osmosis desalination and water reuse. In addition, the company says ZENON's municipal water and wastewater treatment technology will enhance GE's presence.

Looking Ahead
Simon joined ZENON eight years ago, after working for McKinsey and Co., a management consulting firm. He notes that ZENON has distinguished itself from its competitors by focusing solely on new technologies. He adds that GE has taken a similar approach by focusing on advanced membrane technologies for water purification.

Although ZENON has made strong developments with its membrane technologies, the company still has work to do, Simon says. "There's lots of places in the world where membranes are still too expensive," he states. "The technology is not getting to the people who need it the most. We need to cut our cost in half and further simplify our systems. It's going to take a lot of work over the next few years."

As a Canadian firm, ZENON enjoys the benefits of a supportive government. Simon explains that, in Canada, tax credits are available for research and development. "Countries in Europe and Asia have these credits, but they don't have them in the U.S.," he states. "[The] Canadian government is far more liberal in per capita spending on supporting technology investment."

Because ZENON serves a relatively new industry, Simon says ZENON tends to hire applicants based on personal traits. In particular, he says, the company looks for entrepreneurial types.

While the company offers classroom training, its employees learn faster in the work environments. "We do tend to throw people in the fire right away," he says. "You're going to learn 10 times as fast in the field."