Innovations In Freshwater Resources
As climate change becomes more of a reality, the affects are being realized globally – in the forefront is the diminishing supply of freshwater resources. Shifting precipitation patterns have largely altered the distribution cycle of usable water; therefore, scientists have adjusted their focus toward a solution. Below are a few innovations that have arisen in an effort to combat future draught and subsequent water wars.
Desalination
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Considering the abundance of ocean water on the earth, the most commonly explored method of freshwater generation is by way of converting seawater into freshwater. This popular procedure using reverse osmosis is known as desalination. Though this process makes perfect sense on paper, the drawbacks are found in its excessive cost and the vast amount of energy required in executing the transformation.
M3 Smart Water Desalination
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The largest expense in expanding desalination is in the actual construction of the on-site facilities – it takes time and money. With that knowledge in mind, the School of Engineering at UCLA developed a portable filtration system that can be used to treat multiple sources. Known as the M3, this “smart” system provides an all-in-one mobile testing plant that aims to cut cost and therefore, speed the global adoption of the practice.
Water from Thin Air
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A handful of companies have developed prototypes for machines that extract freshwater from thin air. One system resembles a windmill that sucks air into a pressurized chamber where it is refrigerated and condensed into water. The other more proprietary system uses a magnetic catalyst that extracts the moisture directly from the air. Surprisingly, these systems can function with minimal humidity and produce a reported 1,200 gallons of fresh water per day.
Sustainable Agriculture
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Because 80 percent of the world’s freshwater resources are used in growing our food, large portions of innovations are in agricultural efficiency. In addition to attaining freshwater, scientists are also working toward the development of drought resistant seeds, drip irrigation for particular crops and planting practices that are climate specific. Realizing, that there is only so much freshwater to go around, many innovations are in an effort to maximize the water that currently exists.
Impact Prediction Software
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One of the pioneers in software development has joined the green movement by pointing its attention toward environmental predictions. An IBM computer program has been developed to help local farmers understand the results of their agricultural practices and its effect on the surrounding water supply. By educating the farmer and influencing his/her methods, the end hope is to reduce potential impacts on freshwater quality and quantity.
Smart Water Grid
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In addition to IBM’s predictive software they are also bringing elements of a self-aware energy grid to the world of water. The company plans on implementing a system that monitors and manages water usage through sensors and fiber-optic cables. Connected to both natural sources and man-made reservoirs, the smart grid will limit leakage, over use, contamination and even divert water supplies from overly saturated areas to those that lack.
Freshwater Probe
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It is a lesser-known fact that the salty ocean consists of streams of freshwater currents that run along the ocean floor. Though it is a relatively experimental method, freshwater electrical probes have been developed in an effort to locate these pockets of usable water. Because the conductivity of seawater is noticeably different from that of freshwater, the probes can be drug along the ocean floor to identify these streams. Once located, pipes are put in place to pump the freshwater into reservoirs and/or tanks for holding.
Sanitary Re-Use
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It’s not pretty but it will work. With one functioning facility in the US, the Groundwater Replenishment System converts wastewater otherwise bound for the ocean into freshwater. The process only takes forty-five minutes and consists of three steps: micro-filtration removes bacteria, reverse osmosis extracts minerals and ultraviolet-light and hydrogen peroxide are used for a final stage of purification. The treated water is then redistributed back into the ground where it mixes with nature and resurfaces months later as usable water.
AQUS
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Developed by WaterSaver Technologies, the patented AQUS system is a unique toilet that was designed for the sole purpose of water conservation – this isn’t your standard low-flow toilet. Because toilets typically waste large amounts of freshwater by design, the AQUS reuses water from the bathroom sink known as grey-water to perform each flush. By recycling the used water that would otherwise be flush into the sea, the innovative throne drastically reduces freshwater usage.
Chilean Mountain Fog Catcher
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Not all communities share the luxury of high-tech filtration systems and therefore rely on homegrown inventions for fresh water. In the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, moisture from the coast has trouble passing over the mountains so the locals have developed a system they call the Fog Catcher. Using a series of nets that drape across the coastal face of the peaks, the fog condenses into the netting and drips into a trough below. With this, they have been able to enjoy drinking and potting water that they distribute amongst themselves and to other communities in arid Chile.
The Water Innovations Alliance
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Just as important as the innovations themselves is the forces that drive such technologies. The Water Innovations Alliance is a global association that focuses on developing technologies and raising funds for the awareness and prevention of fresh water shortages. Consisting of various Fortune 500 companies, universities and investment firms, the alliance is the leading voice that drives innovation in the shadow of a diminishing fresh water supply.
