Water Water Everywhere…

As Sam Coleridge alluded to in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” with each passing week we see the global water levels rising but that does not mean we will get much of it to drink. As communities around the world grapple with water shortage and drought, it behooves us to start learning about how to optimize the water we currently have, and how to survive in a time when this water runs out. 

The bar chart below (from research by the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows us where the earth’s water sources are; the first bar shows the breakdown of total global water, the second shows the breakdown of fresh water sources by ice and the third bar indicates other ‘available for use’ sources.

The Cliff notes are:

1. Of the world's total water supply, over 96% is saline
2. Only 2.5% of Earth's water is freshwater 
3. Only a little more than 1.2% of all freshwater is surface water, which serves most of life's needs
4. Accessible fresh surface water sources, such as rivers and lakes, only constitute about 1/150th of 1% of total water 
5. Yet, rivers and lakes are the sources of most of the water people use everyday

(Credit: USGS, Public domain)

 So to encourage creative thinking among those of a like mind, we compiled a few articles covering innovative solutions, upcoming rule changes & targeted water-related initiatives, that we enjoyed learning about. If you have any suggestions, or if we got something wrong, please hit reply & let us know.

Disclaimer - the views expressed herein are ours and ours alone.

DARPA looking to get water out of the air you breathe

Much like in the Frank Herbert masterpiece Dune or something out of sci-fi literature, researchers at the Atmospheric Water Extraction (AWE) program at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are looking to ‘capture potable water on the spot from the air in quantities sufficient to meet daily needs of the warfighter, even in extremely dry areas of the world.’ Essentially the military is looking for a way to enable soldiers to consumer water from the air they breathe and avoid carrying it around with them.

This article goes on to explain the various aspects of the program; the two focus areas as we understood them were to (i) come out with a method to rapidly draw water out of the air and (ii) make the entire conversion/purification apparatus optimal for a smaller mobile unit i.e. those in contested or low resource environments. While this writer sees the draw from a military application perspective, if this method can be harnessed in arid environments, as the program directives state, it will be an absolute game changer for people around the world who now have to travel miles for a pail of water.

NGT India pushing for a ban of RO water filters in the new year

According to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) of India, reverse osmosis (RO) purifiers lead to the wastage of almost 70-80 percent water during the purification process. The NGT also went to the country’s Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in May this year, to frame rules for the use of RO filters and banned the use of RO purifiers in locations where total dissolved solids (TDS) was low. However, in early November, NGT found that its order had still not been implemented, and after the usual back and forth, NGT has given the MoEF till Dec 31 to frame relevant rules.

A day after the November deadline, an association of manufacturers moved the Supreme Court, seeking a stay on the NGT orders, but were refused and directed to the government to make their case. One manufacturer (Kent RO) has responded by launching a new system, which they have dubbed ‘zero water-wastage’, but on deeper analysis you will note that their solution still wastes 50% of the water. As the Dec 31 deadline approaches, time will tell where this ends up.

$10 Mn UN-related pilot innovation program to specifically address water-related difficulties in developing countries

During the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, the Adaptation Fund announced the launch of a pilot program to foster innovation in the space of adaptation to climate change. At an event at COP25 focused on the importance of innovation in adaptation, and the ways in which it can be further facilitated and accelerated, the fund announced this program and specifically those exposed to drought and difficulty of water delivery.

Through a bunch of associated UN entities, who will implement and issue the grants from these funds, the Adaptation Fund intends for the resulting innovation to boost adaptation, and reduce vulnerability to climate change. ‘Adaptation innovation is not only about avoiding future losses but also generating positive economic gains, and the Adaptation Fund and our partners are leading the way in making this case,’ said Tim Christophersen, Head of the Climate Branch at UNEP. 

Moscow celebrates 33 million gallons in water conservation.

The residents of Moscow, Idaho (not the Moscow we thought of at first, either), was established in 1887, and this year used 33 million gallons less water than they did in 2018. According to the city’s facebook page, they are on track to have the lowest level of water consumption in 30 years! 

While some of the credit went to the innovations made by the city’s water-related operations for minimizing leaks, backwashing of filters and flushing, the rest of it was down to the residents working together to conserve more water in their daily use. You can read more about it here.

Once again, thoughts and feedback are most welcome folks.

Have a great weekend!