The revenues for membrane-based water and wastewater treatment systems should double by 2020 as demand for the technologies increases, according to a new market analysis from Frost & Sullivan. Analysts expect the market will grow from $5.54 billion in 2012 to $12.07 billion in 2020. These technologies are considered “the most efficient solution for purification and...
Learn More
The United States needs to spend $384 billion on its aging drinking water infrastructure through 2030 in order to ensure its residents have safe water, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The agency estimates $247.5 billion of that amount is needed solely to replace pipes between 50 and 100 years old. Bob Perciasepe, the agency’s assistant...
Learn More
Water pollution remains a significant problem in bodies of water large and small worldwide; however, in addition to the visible plastic litter, the even larger problem are small pieces of polyethylene or polypropylene referred to as microplastics, which international researchers acknowledge as a significant threat to water and aquatic ecosystems. Researchers at the...
Learn More
Water is a vital resource for the United States economy, but the true scope of its value has not yet been adequately quantified. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is working on a comprehensive study to determine the importance of water to the national economy, including information about the relationships between water use in various economic sectors, and how water...
Learn More
Dry conditions persist in California and with below-average precipitation expected to continue, some farmers in the Central Valley are using an ancient agricultural method known as dry farming. The California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative, which has a mission of increasing awareness about various approaches to agricultural water management, explains: Dry...
Learn More
An international group of water experts warns that humans are causing such damage to the planet that, within one or two generations, fresh water will be in dangerously short supply. Global Water System Project conferees issued a warning, according to United Press International, stating that: … [I]n the short span of one or two generations, the majority of the 9...
Learn More
Stanford University researchers have created a water-purifying nanoparticle, which they are able to recover, rendering the treated water safe for human consumption. The engineers made a nanoscavenger with a synthetic core that is ultraresponsive to magnetism, enabling the purifying substance to be easily and efficiently recovered. The addition of nanoparticles to water...
Learn More
Many challenges are associated with growing water scarcity, not the least of which is the pressing question about how restricted water availability may change the global energy industry. The energy industry reportedly uses 23% of fresh water globally and 40% of water in the United States. Growing demand for water in the face of ongoing drought and dwindling reserves is...
Learn More
When a United States resident turns on the kitchen tap, water flows out. It’s a luxury much of the world doesn’t enjoy, yet a fifth of Americans reportedly aren’t satisfied with the taste of their drinking water. Their complaint? Water tastes too much like, well, water. This is spurring the growth of a new beverage product — sugar-free water additives. When...
Learn More
The city of Flagstaff continues mulling its next step in investigating the quality of its reclaimed wastewater in order to determine if it poses a health risk to those using city parks and sports fields. An 11-member advisory panel, which consists of hydrologists, microbiologists, and physicians, has not been able to reach consensus on its recommendations to the city...
Learn More
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering various options designed to reduce the release of toxic substances into the nation’s waterways from electrical power generating plants. The proposed rule change was submitted in April 2013 and covers wastewater discharges from those power plants operating as utilities. The discharges from...
Learn More
The Hopi Tribe earned a procedural legal victory 25 April in its efforts to end effluent-based snowmaking at Arizona Snowbowl. The Arizona Court of Appeals overturned a 2011 ruling by former Coconino County Superior Court Judge Joe Lodge that allows the tribe to file a new case in the matter. The Northern Arizona ski resort became the first facility in the world to...
Learn More
As fresh water resources continue dwindling, the race is on to identify how water is being used. The single largest water-using industry on the planet is agriculture. The combination of growing populations, climate change, and decreasing supplies is pressuring farmers and governments to examine practices and institute innovative solutions for saving water. Newly...
Learn More
The global mining industry finds itself in the midst of a water shortage, a situation that’s expected to become increasingly worse with dwindling fresh water supplies. Conditions are such, note financial analysts, that lack of water could ultimately slow, if not halt, operations, particularly new projects. The costs associated with building regulatory-compliant...
Learn More
Saltwater desalination is an established technology, but the process has a reputation for being energy-hungry and expensive. The process — which essentially involves boiling water, then letting the captured steam condense into fresh water — has changed little since its discovery. “[O]cean water is a nearly unlimited supply [of water], if we’re clever...
Learn More
There’s now a compelling reason New Jersey is called The Garden State. Just look at the series of seemingly simple gardening projects throughout the state, supported by The Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program and the state’s county extension offices. In addition to adding beauty to their surroundings, the gardens help manage stormwater runoff by...
Learn More
A new report from the American Society of Civil Engineers gives the United States’ water infrastructure near-failing grades and blames the problem on a combination of deferred maintenance and lack of investment. The society, which releases its “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure“ every four years, stated that the status of the nation’s drinking...
Learn More
Proposed legislation could make biogas eligible for a renewable tax credit if United States anaerobic digester operators add their gas to natural gas pipelines or offer it as fleet vehicle fuel. Qualifying biogas generation projects could be granted a 30% investment tax credit if the bill passes. Currently, only those biogas projects that generate electricity are eligible...
Learn More
The Natural Resources Defense Council has elicited the support of 21 craft breweries for clean water throughout the United States. An estimated 90% of each tall, cool draught beer is water. What spurred the campaign, in which breweries are both pledging to maintain clean brewing strategies and promote community education on clean water, is the need to “protect” the...
Learn More
There’s no question water reuse is growing in importance worldwide as precious fresh water sources continue dwindling. Drivers for water reuse can include a wide range of rationales from savings to stewardship. In drought-parched Texas, for example, less than 3% of the state water supply is reclaimed water. Most frequently, this is for irrigation. The state should...
Learn More
