CleanTreat® by Benchmark® is a new water purification system that removes medicines from treatment water before returning to the sea.

The solution makes use of the now common practice of using well boats for managing parasitic infestations, i.e. the delousing of Salmon. The wellboat provides a standardised, controlled and contained environment for the operation. This ensures the correct dosing, control over quality and welfare parameters and full security from the external environment.

After treatment the fish are rinsed to remove any external medicinal residues and returned to their sea pens. The treatment water, and rinsing water is transferred to a separate vessel where CleanTreat® purifies the water ensuring no detectable residue of the medicine goes back into the sea.

In 2019, CleanTreat® by Benchmark® received the prestigious NorFishing Innovation award.

CleanTreat® opens the door for the development of new, efficacious medicines to tackle sea lice problems.

It is a commercially and environmentally secure solution in the fight against parasitic infestations and the first system of its kind to be used in aquaculture.

Medicinal bath treatments remain a critical component of the integrated pest management (IPM) toolbox for reducing parasite load on Salmonids. CleanTreat® allows for the introduction of new and efficacious medicines to be used in an environmentally sustainable manner by removing the medicine from the treatment water after the treatment of the fish.

In addition to removing the medicine, CleanTreat® removes the organic matter from the treatment water, including sea lice and egg strings, minimising the potential development of resistance.

CleanTreat® has been successfully deployed in Norway during large scale clinical studies, to purify Benchmark’s next generation sea lice medicine. The system has purified more than 400,000m³, which equates to 125 wellboats of 3200m³, from more than 21 farms.

CleanTreat® is a transformative step for the industry whilst helping to support the environmentally responsible growth of the aquaculture industry.

The sea lice treatment is performed within a wellboat. After the treatment, the fish are separated from the treatment water, rinsed in clean sea water, prior to their return to the sea pen. The treatment water and rinsing water are retained on the wellboat. Once all fish have been removed the treatment water is transferred to a vessel containing the CleanTreat system and the medicine removed by CleanTreat® before returning the cleaned and sanitised water (by UV) to the sea.

In the new system, fish are first treated with medicine on a wellboat. Once treatment is completed and the fish are free of sea lice, they are rinsed and released back into their ocean pens. The treatment water, which is retained in the closed-system tank, is then transferred onto Benchmark’s CleanTreat® vessel. The process then begins to remove the medicine for safe release back to the ocean. The whole process is continuously monitored and purification is confirmed by the on-board chemistry working in a laboratory on the CleanTreat® vessel.