Date: june 24, 2024 applicant: pure blue tech INC

The Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation awarded Pure Blue TECH Inc. a $601,287 Cooperative Agreement on December 16, 2025, under the SECURE Water Act – Research Agreements program (CFDA 15.560) to prototype and pilot sensor-integrated reverse osmosis (SIRO) membrane elements and a digital monitoring system for desalination and water purification applications.

Pure Blue will develop SIRO technology incorporating the company's proprietary thin, flexible, flat, and inexpensive multi-sensor technology to measure and report water quality and individual membrane performance and health. The system will increase the resolution and volume of critical operational data by four times, enabling system operators to optimize membrane operations, recovery, efficiency, and maintenance. Real-time data acquisition will support detection of membrane fouling and scaling, identification of failed membrane elements, and instantaneous detection of breaches of PFAS and other toxic contaminants into the permeate stream. Integration with real-time data acquisition software will facilitate operator decision-making and resource optimization.

Pure Blue will conduct a 30-to-90-day field pilot in collaboration with the United States Bureau of Reclamation's Water Quality Improvement Center in Yuma, Arizona, to evaluate the SIRO technology's performance, installation, and usability.

Place of performance is Bellingham, Washington, with the period of performance running from January 2025 through September 2026 (estimated 21 months), though the ultimate completion date listed is April 30, 2027.

Address: 1329 marietta AVE, bellingham, whatcom county, WA 98226 estimated duration: 21 months estimated timeline: january 2025 ? September 2026 pure blue tech INC. (PBT) proposes a project to prototype and pilot sensor integrated reverse osmosis (siro) membrane elements and a digital monitoring system to enhance the capabilities of desalination and water purification systems. This innovation aims to increase the resolution and volume of critical data by four times, aiding system operators in optimizing membrane and system operations, recovery, efficiency, and maintenance. The siro technology incorporates PBT?s proprietary thin, flexible, flat, and inexpensive multi-sensor technology, enabling precise measurement and reporting of water quality and individual membrane performance and health. In collaboration with the united states bureau of reclamation's (usbr) water quality improvement center (wqic) in yuma, arizona, PBT will conduct a 30-90 day field pilot to evaluate the siro technology's performance, installation, and usability. Data measured and monitored by the system will include critical membrane element and system performance, health, productivity, efficiency, and recovery information – datasets currently unavailable within pressure vessels. This project will significantly improve real-time data acquisition, supporting operators in optimizing resource usage, process control, maintenance, and cleaning procedures by enhancing decision support with higher resolution data and new data. IT also aims to provide intelligence regarding membrane fouling and scaling and identify failed membrane elements within large-scale operations. Instantaneous and automatic detection of breaches of PFAS and other toxic contaminants into the permeate stream will be enabled. The integration of real-time data acquisition software will facilitate evaluation and decision-making from the datasets. Collectively, this helps modernize the desalination, water purification, and wastewater treatment industry nationwide and advance USA's leadership globally. The total project cost is $615,432.91, with PBT requesting $300,000 in cash reimbursement funding from usbr, and the remaining $315,432.91 funded through PBT?s equity investments. The project is set to commence in january 2025, with a completion date of september 2026, including 3 months for pre-award activities and a 6-month buffer for potential delays. The work will be conducted at PBT?s headquarters in bellingham, WA, and usbr?s water quality improvement center in yuma, AZ. The collaborators are confident this project advances usbr's mission of advancing water supplies in the western U.S. By equipping membrane-based water treatment facilities with higher resolution data and intelligence to optimize operations. Beneficiaries include the united states government, municipalities, industrial manufacturers, desalination and wastewater treatment facilities, and the general public.