Water Standard Chooses ERI as Strategic Partner for Ship-Based Desalination

Global water treatment company intends to use energy recovery devices from ERI in its first seawater desalination vessel

SAN LEANDRO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Energy Recovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERII), a leader in the design and development of energy recovery devices for desalination, announced today that Water Standard, a global vessel-based water desalination company, plans to use the PX Pressure Exchanger(TM) (PX(TM)) device in its first Seawater Desalination Vessel (SDV). Water Standard builds and operates vessels that deliver desalinated water to clients onshore and to the offshore energy industry in response to the world's growing water needs.

"ERI's PX energy recovery device allows us to convert seawater to drinking water more affordably," said Amanda Brock, chief executive officer of Water Standard. "Water production cost is a key metric to the success of our initiative and ERI is a great partner to help improve desalination economics. ERI's PX technology, which is capable of improving desalination energy costs by up to 60%, is field-proven and reliable."

By integrating proven reverse osmosis water treatment technology and proprietary water intake and discharge systems in its Seawater Desalination Vessel design, Water Standard provides a mobile, cost-effective and environmentally responsible solution to provide water where needed and address the severe water shortage that is challenging the world.

Water Standard's Seawater Desalination Vessel (SDV) can produce from 20,000m³ to 200,000m³ per day (roughly 5 MGD to 50 MGD). Seawater Desalination Vessels can be based on any floating water platform, including ships or barges, depending on the water requirements in the affected region.

"Water Standard is leading the efforts in vessel-based desalination and we're proud to have been selected as a strategic partner," said G.G. Pique, ERI's president and chief executive officer. "The SDV initiative is a flexible and environmentally-responsible way to provide drinking water to people in need. ERI's PX devices can make that water supply more affordable."

Seawater desalination refers to the process of making drinking water from ocean water. The salts and other impurities are removed through a process known as reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration, a proven method that produces some of the highest quality drinking water available anywhere. ERI estimates that its PX technology will save Water Standard 34 MW and improve the carbon footprint of its vessels by 142,000 tons of CO₂ per year. Visit http://www.energyrecovery.com/ for more information on ERI's PX Pressure Exchanger or send an email to info@energyrecovery.com.

About ERI

Energy Recovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:ERII) designs and develops energy recovery devices that help make desalination affordable by significantly reducing energy consumption. ERI's PX Pressure Exchanger(TM) (PX(TM)) device is a rotary positive displacement pump that recovers energy from the high pressure reject stream of seawater reverse osmosis systems at up to 98% efficiency. The company is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in key desalination centers worldwide, including Madrid, Shanghai, Florida and the United Arab Emirates. For more information on ERI and PX technology, please visit www.energyrecovery.com.

This release contains forward-looking statements which are subject to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements about Water Standard's plans to use our products in its desalination vessels. Because such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, the Company's actual results may differ materially from those projected in these statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, delay or cancellation of plans for new desalination vessels, changes in plans to purchase our products and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC in March 2009 available at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements are made as of today, and the Company assumes no obligation to update such statements.

    Source: Energy Recovery, Inc.

Released May 19, 2009