US to Spend Big on Water Technology

Perhaps it was a plan set in motion in response to the water crisis in Flint Michigan, or maybe as a result of the record-breaking drought that is currently plaguing most of the state of California. Whatever the reason, the United States government has dog-earned more than $260-million of 2017’s $4.1 trillion fiscal budget in order to fund research and development in water technology projects.

How Bad Have Things Gotten?

In many parts of the western world, the fact that clean water comes out of a tap is largely taken for granted. In the U.S., where things have become quite dire, the severity of the situation doesn’t seem to be adequately disseminated by the mainstream media, in spite of the fact that water shortages have many within local and state governments worried. With that in mind, it begs the question, just how bad have things gotten?

The largest freshwater reservoir in the country, Lake Mead, is currently sitting at an all time low – at just 37% of capacity. The snowpacks that help to feed freshwater into the reservoir are also low – unable to replenish due to rising global temperatures.

Unexpected water quality issues like the one experienced by residents of Flint is also a matter of concern; where suddenly an area’s water supply becomes toxic due to aging and deteriorating infrastructure.

Obama’s plan, which touts that the use of better water management practices, updated water purification technology (including sophisticated membrane filtration), can help to reduce the country’s consumption of this dwindling resource by nearly 35% (a level that’s more in line with the rest of the industrialized world). The breakdown of the plan is as follows:

• $98.6 million towards water conservation programs under the WaterSMART initiative
• $4 million to improve the S. Geological Survey’s ability to provide time sensitive water level assessments in areas suffering from drought so that communities can properly begin water conservation efforts
• $28.6 million to fund research and development activities at the Bureau of Reclamation (reclaimed water is treating wastewater for human consumption. This is already being performed on a wide scale using advanced membrane wastewater treatment technology.
• $5.8 million for water purification and desalination (desalination refers to the process of extracting freshwater from undrinkable seawater)
• $25 million to fund a “Desalination Hub” the purpose of which is to develop the kind of technology that will make the desalination process more cost efficient and by extension, making it a more viable solution. Desalination technology is currently being used but it is a high energy consuming endeavour
• $15 million to further research that would look for ways to improve water conservation in the agriculture industry
• $88 million in funding allotted to the National Science Foundation to identify means for increasing water supply as well as improving the quality

The Onus is Not Just On the Government

Key to the success of the plan, according to the Obama administration, is the willingness for the private sector to pull its weight to fund research into these transformative technologies. The goal, with the help of private funding and research, is to lower the cost of emerging water technologies by a factor of four.

And there’s really no shortage of this technology that is already well into the development stages. In fact, one firm, Evoqua Water Technologies, is pursuing an electrochemical desalination program that could see the energy required to desalinate water to drop by 30% – if viable, water desalination would be a little game changer, both in the United States and abroad.

On a much smaller scale, business and homeowners can certainly do their part; educating employees and family members on the importance of conserving water is a wonderful first step. Additionally, collecting and managing rainwater to nourish plants and lawns can significantly reduce the strain on a municipal water system. Even small, individual water reclamation technology is gaining popularity (implementing such technology would effectively mean that many households, office buildings, and retail locations could be off the grid in terms of water consumption).

We have the capital, and the need, as we’ve seen the last few years is all too real. Taking appropriate action now, before levels reach catastrophic levels will ensure this vital resource remains in abundant supply for generations to come.