Water Solutions Through Technology

Brilliant minds are working hard to find water solutions through technology. Here are several water solutions that can bring equality to the world when it comes to ensuring everyone, no matter how poor or rich, benefits from safe water:

Desalination

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About 96% of the world’s water is saline.¹ Desalinization extracts salt from seawater, but it’s expensive. A thousand gallons of desalinized water costs anywhere from $2.50 to $5, compared to $2 for conventional freshwater. It also uses more than 200 million kilowatt hours daily.²

Innovators are addressing these issues by doubling the size of the membranes that desalinize water to save energy. More than 18,000 desalination plants operate in 150 countries. As the cost and energy demands decrease through better technology, desalination holds promise.

Brilliant minds are working hard to find water solutions through technology. Here are several water solutions that can bring equality to the world when it comes to ensuring everyone, no matter how poor or rich, benefits from safe water:

SMART technology

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American farmers have been using drones, sensors and data analytics to reduce costs and water use while increasing efficiency. These monitoring techniques have reduced water use. For example, they decreased the quantity of water needed to grow a pound of almonds by 33%.³

Technology can detect leaks, inspect corroding pipes, reveal water and energy inefficiency and monitor water quality. Many assert that smart water technology can overcome water equity, affordability and access.⁴

Solar energy

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Some companies, like Source, are placing their hopes in drinking water made from sunlight and air.

Hydropanels use the sun’s power to extract pollutant-free drinking water from moisture in the air. Solar panels power fans, which push air through a water-absorbing material that traps water vapors. These vapors are then condensed into liquid, which is collected in a reservoir.

The system can produce water in a variety of climates, even in low-to-medium sun and humidity. Currently, it’s being used in over 50 countries, including remote villages in the Philippines and schools in South Africa.⁵

Water purification

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Innovative water filtration techniques are employing cutting-edge alternatives to existing practices.

Nanotechnology works on the atomic scale. It is more efficient and cost-effective than conventional water purification methods.⁶ It uses silver, copper and nanoparticles on membranes to separate contaminants.

NASA created acoustic nanotube technology. It allows water molecules to pass through a screen while blocking larger contaminants. It actually drives water away from pollutants rather than removing them from the water.

Other nanotechnology uses photocatalyst and ultraviolet rays to remove toxins from water. Photocatalysis can break down everything from pesticides and dyes to crude oil, organic materials and viruses.