The Water Treatment Capital of the UK, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire
Introduction
While doing some research on the Father of Ion Exchange, I came across some amazing British chemistry history.
The first organic ion exchange polymers were synthesised in 1935 by Adams and Holmes in the UK. These English chemists, Basil Albert Adams and Eric Leighton Holmes, discovered that crushed phonograph records made of Bakelite exhibited ion exchange properties.
These polymers were made by condensing phenolsulfonic acids with formaldehyde which is similar to what Bakelite is made of (phenols and formaldehyde). The Americans took it to the next level later with Styrene-Di Vinyl Benzene ion exchange polymers.
High Wycombe (and Surroundings) Water Treatment Companies
High Wycombe, often referred to as Wycombe, is a market town in Buckinghamshire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Wye and the Chalk Streams surrounded by the Chilterns AONB, it is home to some amazing water treatment companies. The area is chalky and hence the water is naturally hard. Some of the amazing water treatment companies in High Wycombe are:
Stantec and MWH Global
Culligan acquired by Grundfos
Kremesti Environmental Consulting Ltd
Henley Water, WaterWise and SOCOTEC
KEE Process
Kingspan Water and Energy Group
Lummus Technology in Milton Keynes
We are also a 30-40 mins train ride to London’s AECOM and Reading’s Thames Water.
CIWEM is also HQ’d in London
History
High Wycombe was a mill town through Medieval and Tudor times, manufacturing lace and linen cloth. It was also a stopping point on the way from Oxford to London, with many travellers staying in the town’s taverns and inns to rest their horses. The paper industry was also notable in 17th and 18th century High Wycombe. The history of the city is also entangled with chair-making, although chairs were not made here in large numbers until after 1800. Windsor chair making emerged as a woodland craft in the 1700s to become High Wycombe’s largest employer by the 1840s.
The Permutit Company had its address registered at Windsor Court, Kingsmead Business Park, Frederick Place, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1JU.
The company was founded in 1912 as United Water Softeners Ltd, later changing its name to The Permutit Company Ltd in 1937.
In 1990, The Permutit Company became part of the global company EcoWater Systems Group.
The company was involved in the production of Sea Water Desalting Apparatus for war use during WWII.
The chemical production division of the water purifying company, Permutit, was established near Talbot Green after WW2
The company later changed its name to ‘Purolite’.
ELGA, originally coming from Electricity and Gas, is one of the pioneers of lab-use deionised water is based in Lane End.
Both companies where later acquired by Veolia.
In 2016, 40 years after completing its first acquisition, Stantec completed its largest-ever acquisition: MWH Global, a 6,800-person engineering, consulting, and construction management firm. The company was founded in 1954 by 1 person:
D. R. Stanley Associates was founded in 1954 in Edmonton by Dr. Don Stanley, a Harvard graduate in environmental engineering. In search of work, Dr. Stanley sent out 600 letters and drove 27,000 kilometers (17,000 miles) in 4 months, visiting small communities in western Canada.
Culligan, founded in 1936 by Emmett Culligan, began as a company focused on water softening and filtration, evolving into a global leader in water treatment solutions with over 1,000 dealerships and business offices in over 90 countries. Emmett Culligan, with the help of his brothers Dr. John and Leo Culligan and his sister Anna, founded the Culligan Zeolite Company, initially in Jack McLaughlin’s Blacksmith Shop in Northbrook, Illinois.
Kingspan Group plc is a building materials company based in Ireland, trading in over 80 countries with more than 210 factories employing over 22,000 people. The company operates with six divisions; Insulated Panels, Insulation, Light & Air, Water & Energy, and, Data & Flooring, Roof & Waterproofing. They are the owners of the Klargester which was developed in collaboration with KEE Process.
Bluewater Bio, a global specialist in cost-effective water and wastewater treatment technologies, was founded in 2007 and has grown to become a leading provider of solutions, particularly known for its HYBACS process.
H+E UK Ltd, part of the HAGER + ELSÄSSER Group, is located at Field Place Estate, Broadbridge Heath, Horsham, RH12 3PB
One of the most professional water treatment companies that I have worked with.
Research
For water treatment research near High Wycombe (HP12), Cranfield University stands out with its Water Science Institute and a National Research Facility, offering expertise in both water and wastewater treatment, and even has a facility for testing various technologies.
BSRIA and CIBSE are also close by in London.
Conclusion
High Wycombe is a very exciting hub for all things water treatment. Whether companies, research institutes, or professional associations, this is the place to set up your business or study/apprentice in this amazing technology.
This article was prepared by
Rami Elias Kremesti M.Sc., CSci, CEnv, CWEM