WATER FILTRATION: A COMPANY whose water remediation technology removes agricultural nitrates from water has received an investment from leading US cleantech venture capitalists Kleiner Perkins Caulfield Byers.

Applied Process Technology (APT) uses a membrane bio-film reactor – a filtering barrier that is actually alive – to remove chemicals and nitrates from contaminated water. It will initially start to do this in California, where agriculture has taken its toll on an estimated 4,000 contaminated wells in the state’s central valley.

Nitrate pollution – which is also a significant problem here in Ireland – has been traditionally expensive and difficult to treat, particularly as conventional treatment methods generate secondary waste water that requires yet more treatment. This doesn’t happen with APT’s technology, meaning it is significantly more efficient. The amount that Kleiner Perkins invested wasn’t disclosed, but APT claimed last month that it had already secured €7.38 million in equity investment.