Fairbury, Nebraska Pilots Microvi Biological Nitrate Treatment to Two Well Sites
Hayward, CA (November 25, 2025) – Microvi just completed work with Fairbury, Nebraska to become the first Nebraska city to host a pilot project that could change how nitrate-contaminated drinking water is treated.
Eight years ago, Fairbury recorded nitrate levels above federal standards, prompting the city to look for new solutions. A well at Crystal Springs, a public park southwest of town, was eventually reactivated in 2019 but was turned off two years later because of a non-toxic biofilm buildup which clogged the filtration system.
While looking at solutions for the biofilm, Craig Reinsch, Lead Engineer of Olsson Associates, an engineering firm hired by Fairbury, suggested piloting a new nitrate-removal technology he learned about from a California company at a water conference in Arizona.
“Microvi has basically created a whole biocatalyst which is a polymeric composite. And so, it contains microorganisms. And then those microorganisms are circulated within a reactor — a bioreactor — and then raw water is mixed, and nitrate is removed as part of that process, as well as chemical feed,” Reinsch said.
With this information, Fairbury decided to move forward with a pilot project using Microvi’s MNE-powered DenitroviTM with Olsson overseeing the tests at the two well locations.
Microvi’s MNE technology converts nitrates in water into harmless nitrogen gas, removing contaminants without producing hazardous waste and this system is more efficient than other water treatment methods.
After over 30 days of using Microvi’s technology, reported results for the East Well site were 78% nitrate removal and about 90% removal over 23 days at Crystal Springs site.
Microvi’s work in Nebraska builds on nearly a decade of proven biological nitrate-removal projects across the U.S.—including long-running success in California and Arizona—delivering reliable, waste-free, cost-effective treatment for communities facing rising contamination.
The Fairbury, Nebraska system is the latest example of how our MNE-powered Denitrovi™ technology can help cities protect public health while reducing operational burdens.
About Microvi
Microvi is an applied biotechnology company based in the San Francisco Bay Area that develops and commercializes next generation biosolutions to address critical challenges in climate change, water, energy, waste, health, and environmental sustainability. Powered by its proprietary MicroNiche Engineering™ (MNE) platform, Microvi delivers proven, high-performance biosolutions worldwide – reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste while increasing productivity and cost-efficiency for its customers. Microvi’s scalable biosolutions are deployed globally across diverse sectors, providing disruptive economic value for industry partners, and ultimately contributing to a cleaner environment and healthier communities
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