What is your personal perspective on water?
Published by XPrize Manager
What is your personal perspective on water?
Tags
- Water
- Public Value Mapping
Published by XPrize Manager
What is your personal perspective on water?
Water is an integral part of our life support syatem.
Published by Inder Pal Abrol, Centre for Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture - Director
As a hydro-geologist, water is the resource that gives a dynamics to the earth as a system, controlling all the kinetics and shaping the earth itself and all the living creatures, as water is the basis for life!
Water itself can define the fate of human existence! Yet taken for granted as the resource is easily available, without the awareness that the resource is also limited, opposite to how they perceive it!
Water is an indispensable resource treated disrespectfully by draining the sewerage into the rivers and dumping the wastes around the water resources!! And this need SERIOUS & QUICK approach to solve the water-related problems!
Published by Sabina Khatri, Ms.
Yo creo que el agua sobra en el mundo, lo importante serìa patentar las ideas, tener un grupo que lo analice, que haga los cambios de ingenierìa, contrucciòn, calculos, distribuciòn, el equipo debe vender la idea al mundo y recibir por cada obra realizada para la soluciòn un 20% del valor de la obra.
Published by Jorge Nelson Ceballos Alvarez
I agree with the statements alluding to how water is misunderstood. There is the conundrum of whether access to safe water is a human right or a commodity. There is no question that there is cost to have safe water. Treatment, distribution, collection, reuse, desalination, all require technology, infrastructures, energy and people. But those who have the safe water, take it for granted and don't think about it until something goes wrong like there is funny odor or they turn on the faucet and nothing comes out. Ironically, the ecosystem of the industry operates the same way. The funding and investments follow crisis. In the US, lead is not an issue that has just occurred in this last year, but take a city like Flint, Michigan and the social issues combined with the lead in the water, and now political pressures are on and the funding and investments are happening all over of the US to address lead and new regulations are coming up. However, the financial drivers for why such a poor decision was made in the first place were overlooked and rarely publicized as more attention went to the social issues and the face that the pipelines need to be replaced.
As a technology provider, I see this reactive mode to water quite often. But unless a crisis happens, the industry has to limp by on very limited funding that comes out of the same public budgets as the roads, parks, schools, government buildings, etc. Privatization is a big trend in some markets as we have seen the percentage of the overall global water market being attributed to private operators has increased over the past decade. This has created some means of funding, but this is also a limited option. Private companies do face some scrutiny due to the misunderstanding of water and the public being uneasy about a private company managing its water supply. In some cases, the privatization has even been overturned and concessions canceled with the public government taking back over the water operations. As water experts, I think we need to do a better job of educating the public on this industry as although, people need water and use it everyday, it is a "silent industry" that seems to only come to the public's mind when things go wrong. The public is a powerful influence for this industry (just look at what happened in KSA as example) and can be a catalyst for change if we can get them to understand water as more than just a resource but also what it takes to keep that resource consumable.
Published by Kristina Foster, Water Wastewater Segment Offer Management Director, Global Solutions
From the perspective of a water treatment professional, I think the water industry is in need for more innovation in order to reduce energy requirements, minimize waste generation associated to water treatment (liquid effluents, sludge, and/or solids), and make water supply more affordable.
The integration of power generation and water treatment can help to reduce the carbon footprint of water treatment, specially with water treatment technologies that demand a high power consumption (e.g. reverse osmosis and evaporation, among others). A legal frame can promote this integration.
Education is clearly a need in most places in the world. Education to respect and take care of the environment, education to understand the impact that we have in the water cycle, education to protect our water sources and make a better use of water.
Published by Sergio González Arraño, Engineering Manager, Water Mining at Black & Veatch
I think more education on water is needed as well as finding ways to make it interesting. There is too much ignorance on water.
The water industry has isolated itself from the public.
Published by Steve Williams, The Water Guy
Those who do not have it have no voice or $$. Those who have it don't see a problem and are far away from those who do not. The Stewards have no accountability, political will or funding means to invest in sustainable infrastructure. Lack of Global Leadership to go beyond the fences of ones own organization.
Published by Trudi Schifter, CEO and Founder AquaSPE
I agree with Sant, although the cost factor comes into the whole process, who is going to carry the cost? especially as far as the low cost housing is concerned. In the long run it may be worth it but believe in order to make this ideology successful you need to convince the communities this is "the way to go".. Education at the end of the day is vital to the whole process.
Published by Tracey Naylor, Mrs
Published by Sant Bhasin, Alstom Power - Director Sales & Marketing Hydro India
My observation is plenty of solutions to water issues exist, could always use more, but, it seems that the existing solutions are not implemented in a way that works because each area of water management has a silo that they serve, or one that serves them well and they do not want to rock the boat. That is to say solutions get skewed and water gets the short end of the stick. No one really looks after water for waters sake so to speak, they do what serves the business model that they serve, or serves them... Where am I going? well, (2nd. pun intended), water controls life, so control water and power is assured. Please do not underestimate this point, the hidden control of people through water is very serious.
Now for a specific item to "save" water. Water conservation is blurred by skewed results, meaning they put in a new toilet and the water bill is hardly decreased. This is too often because you can't budget what you do not measure. Who measures the outdoor water? I ask, who has a meter on the irrigation system and or the pool filler? You laugh! As much as I hate math, I hate water being wasted on inappropriate landscape design. No, a brown lawn is not pretty, but is a lawn the correct thing in a desert? No it is not, sorry. If you like to snow ski, go to the mountains, if you like a lawn, go to Kentucky, or west Oregon. Along with a meter on the outdoor water, install a pressure regulator! Now comes the silo I mentioned, "oh I need the high pressure to force the 25 sprinklers on each valve to cover like a typhoon", (because poor design and too cheap to have more valves and stations on the controller). So, is this a water problem we have here, or a people problem? Or a "Silo".
Can you find the other pun?... hint, water is a __________? SOLUTION! not a problem.
Published by Greg Chick, ARCSA, American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. - AP, LEED AP, CWM. C-36
It is relative simple: IF THE PEOPLE LEARN HOW TO HELP HIMSELF, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE WATER FOR WHOLE LIFE. We have Vision & desperately looking for individuals to provide : AFFORDABLE CLEAN, POTABLE WATER AROUND THE WORLD WITH MINIMAL EMISSION
Published by DAVID PANAH, CEO at APP TECHNOLOGY INC.
Yes David, I agree with you, and believe that we should be educating people to help themselves in order of them to become self sufficient. By providing we are not changing peoples mind set. if we give them the tools they will be able to help themselves, this would inevitably be more sustainable.
Published by Tracey Naylor, Mrs
Much has been said about water being our most valuable resource. In spite of this, society's perception, in regards to its level of knowledge and support for clean water and water conservation vs water consumption and waste, falls short of expectations and level of commitment to the former.
As a water professional with experience in the water balance equation, the responsibility of ensuring that the resource is well managed falls on the shoulders of agencies, utilities and legislation whose intent and execution are not necessarily aligned with the practices inherent to each of the aforementioned players.
The underlying factor is a human one - we are all guided by our set of rules and perceptions which have been handed down via many systems (societal organization) and our experience in said systems. When viewed holistically, the collective actions of all, driven by each set of desires and needs are expected to be tempered by information and knowledge whose intent is that of making the individual choose wisely. In terms of water usage, the good actions of many are subject to the bad actions of individuals or groups that acting as sole players or concerted groups with their own set of drivers, make the prospect of achieving a true water balance and the prospect of achieving a basis for projected quality of life and assurance of continuity for the human race a difficult one.
Having said the above, I have full confidence in the prospect of the human race enduring and gradually realizing that clean water is indeed one of the factors that enable our fruitful habitation on earth or elsewhere and that continuing advances in technology, with correct application of the same, will ameliorate the environmental damage we have subjected our ecosystems to.
Published by Jean Arenas, Sales and Marketing Professional with Water, Signage and Telecom Experience
Agree and the subject should be brought into the schools, giving students projects which will ultimately involve the family, hence the "spreading the news" via the children. It may be a slow process, but a long term process.
Published by Tracey Naylor, Mrs
Water is one of the most prized possessions on Earth; yet it is treated with such disregard. In Texas more people have been injured or killed over water rights than over oil rights, leading to the assumption: water is more valuable than oil. But at the same time, people will water their yards with their sprinkler systems in the pouring rain or snow or dump hazardous chemicals in lakes and rivers.
My perspective is simple: Water is a priceless treasure that should be treated as such; but at the same time it should be affordable, assessable and safe for all. The difficult part is finding the right balance of all three.
Published by Johnny Rudisill, General Manager Nevada Special Utility District
through the schools.
Published by Tracey Naylor, Mrs
As a water engineer, I have very strong views on water. Among all the natural resources, water is the most badly treated. Our use of water is quite unsustainable in the long term. We pollute our water resources quite readily and then spend vast amounts of scarce resources trying to clean up our own mess. Why can we not treat all forms of water, freshwater, stormwater, wastewater, saline water as a precious resource to be protected? Why can we not adopt the concept of use of water 'fit-for-purpose' which will then enable us prudently manage and allocate our water resources prudently and with foresight.
Published by Ashantha Goonetilleke, Professor, Water/Environmental Engineering at Queensland University of Technology
Some call this POU, POE, (Point Of Use, Point Of Entry) water treatment. Or why waste potable water on a lawn and down a toilet. "you don't want to flush your money down the toilet do you?"
Published by Greg Chick, ARCSA, American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association. - AP, LEED AP, CWM. C-36
I have been following the water sector since 1989 and have a business background in finance (technology and environmental services) and an academic background in applied ecology. David Lloyd Owen
My thoughts:
[1] Finance is always going to be hard to come by. Unless there is a hard driver (e.g. targets set since 1989 after the privatisation of the WaSCs in England and Wales or EU complience in Denmark), the political will and public acceptance for funding water and wastewater services will always be limited. The USA is a case in point, where we are told X needs to be spent in the next 20 years by the US EPA and it never is.
[2] Data is feeble. Look at the telecomms and electrical utilities; hard data at the national and utility level is available worldwide. For water, we have schemes, hints and hinterlands. 'You cannot manage what you cannot measure'.
[3] Water is not scarce, political will and management ability is. This paraphrases many conversations with @Asit Biswas. Forget the scarcity cliches, they are a comfort blanket. Live within our means, this is what we have and we apear to insist on misusing it.
[4] Water has a value. When water is free, so are cholera and dystentry. You cannot sustainably manage something that is seen as being worthless. There has to be an incentive to use it in a sustainable manner.
[5] Innovation is the mother of demand management. Instead of chucking water all over the place, why not use it in the most efficient manner possible? Demand management allied with smart water approaches can drive down municipal / domestic water demand down by 20-50%, industrial water by 20-80% and irrigation water by 30-80%.
Published by David Lloyd Owen, Envisager - Managing Director
My personal perspective on water: As a biochemist, I fundamentally understand water's importance. Yet that being said, with how important it is, it is VERY hard to comprehend how our society is able to advance technologically at such an incredible rate, yet water is so left behind. In a lot of ways, I believe we have created systems that are failing us, even with how critical of a building block it is to our civilization.
Here's a bit from my experience that shapes my thinking: I spent summers in college working as an EMT, hiking, and fishing all through Yosemite. It was the most pristine nature I had ever experienced and I loved it. We used Iodine and hand filtration pumps to treat our water, YET, I also remember the horrors of getting Giardia multiple times... and they were traumatizing.
I later then traveled through South America learning to fly fish, I think I was 20 years old, and I was absolutely amazed to see our fishing guide drink directly from the rivers. Even in Yosemite National Park you couldn't drink from Vernal Falls, but here you could drink from a river that was flowing under a car bridge. It was at that moment that I remember truly empathizing with the impact we as humans have created around water (e.g. the amount of animal waste runoff contaminate).
Clearly I'm hopeful when it comes to water, or I wouldn't work for Brita. :)
Yet I also believe there's an immense amount of complexity around the issues. But if we can unlock the innovation, we have the opportunity to save millions of lives, and truly revolutionize the globe. Now that's a goal I can get behind.
Published by Adam Pettler, Open Innovation Leader, Brita / Clorox
Yes it is the human race to blame but we need a solution that is sustainable. Again education in the schools is the most obvious, challenging children with projects which will involve the respective households. We need to drive the idea with passion and positive promotion, incentivise rather that enforce.
Published by Tracey Naylor, Mrs