As global water challenges intensify, the drive for smarter, more sustainable wastewater treatment has never been stronger. In this H2O Global News interview, Peter Voigt, CEO of Clean TeQ Water, discusses the technologies reshaping the sector and the industry’s shift toward true resource recovery. From the rise of Moving Bed Ion Exchange (MBIX) to the commercial deployment of next-generation systems such as PHOSPHIX® and BIONEX™, Peter outlines how advanced treatment can deliver higher performance with less waste, lower chemical use, and long-term economic advantage. His insights highlight a future where innovation and sustainability not only align, but define the new standard for wastewater management.
Peter Voigt, CEO of Clean TeQ Water
What emerging wastewater treatment technology excites you most and why?
True moving bed ion exchange (MBIX) is changing the baseline for advanced wastewater treatment. In continuous counter-current operation that moves both the resin and the solution, it achieves high recovery with lower reagent use and minimal waste – performance that conventional alternatives struggle to match on variable or challenging feeds. MBIX is the engine behind systems like PHOSPHIX® (phosphate removal and recovery) and BIONEX™ (ultra-low nitrate treatment with minimal brine discharge). This isn’t theory – we’re now delivering full-scale projects, including a 2 MLD PHOSPHIX® plant in Ireland, demonstrating that sustainability and commercial performance can be achieved together.
What role does resource recovery (e.g., nutrients, energy, water) play in the future of wastewater?
Wastewater treatment is entering a new phase defined by reuse and recovery. Nutrient recovery is gaining momentum as utilities and industries look to close loops, cut waste and strengthen resilience. The challenge is doing it efficiently, without creating new waste streams in the process. Conventional chemical and biological systems achieve removal but generate large volumes of sludge or brine that undermine circular economy goals. Moving bed ion exchange-based systems change that equation. Take PHOSPHIX®, for example – it removes phosphate from wastewater while producing an ultra-low-phosphorus effluent for reuse, and converts the captured phosphorus into a reusable solid product instead of waste. For industries and utilities, that means turning regulatory obligation into sustainable practice and long-term advantage.
How do you balance cost-effectiveness with cutting-edge innovation in wastewater treatment?
The key is to look beyond upfront capital cost to total cost of ownership. Tightening discharge limits make sludge and brine disposal increasingly expensive
so solutions that minimise waste, water, and chemical use quickly become the most economical option over the system life. Take BIONEX™: it uses Moving Bed Ion Exchange with a biological polishing step to achieve ultra-low nitrate levels with minimal brine discharge, as the brine regenerates the IX resin. This reduces the expense of brine tankering and disposal. When innovation improves efficiency and eliminates hidden liabilities, it’s not the costly option – it’s the smarter one.
