Water Use

Article 10: Water from Desert Air

gillj7 Innovative Ideas, Water Use ,

Article 10: Power Pulls Drinking Water from Desert Air

Moisture Evaporator (left) from “Star Wars”

The second I read this article I became intrigued and thought how futuristic and sci-fi it sounded. In the article, it actually referenced Star Wars. The idea is to suck the humidity out of desert air and turn it into drinkable water. How it works it that you have a powder-filled box within another box and it’s left open in the night and when you close it in the morning, it helps heat and water vapor become trapped inside. The water condenses and trickles down the side. There are limitations though as this method only results in three ounces of water a day.

“The water goes in and the first ones go in and make the pores more polar and so more water comes in.” –Omar Yaghi, U.C. Berkeley chemist

Water is the most valuable commodity on Earth yet it is not treat at it’s true worth. Water scarcity is a huge issue and some places in the U.S., such as California, it’s already gotten so bad that they’re passing water restricting laws. As desperation and the eminent threat of lack of drinking water grows, I’m curious to see what kinds of solutions and innovative ideas begin to rise.

 

Source: GreenBiz

Author: Christopher Intagliata

https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/powder-pulls-drinking-water-from-desert-air/

 

 

 

 

Article 7: Water Scarcity

gillj7 Water Use ,

Article 7: Damming evidence: Communities turn to reusing wastewater as scarcity threatens  

One of the biggest problems we face today is water scarcity. Unfortunately, people don’t act until they are punched in the face with the fact there is little to no clean water. Such was the case with Orange County as water scarcity finally pushed them to make huge leaps in environmental innovation. The article outlined many solutions to the problem including, from cheapest to most expensive, smart-meter leak detection, desalination of brackish water (usually in aquifers), wastewater recycling, stormwater capture, reservoirs, and ocean desalination. There are a lot of overdrawn aquifers just sitting waiting to be filled with wastewater to be cleansed and made useable again.

According to the article, many countries such as Canada, Israel, Australia, and New Zealand have rechargeable well fields. Essentially, they recharge aquifers by pumping or draining water into them. Despite dams being the second most expensive option, communities refuse to switch to more long-term options not because of monetary reasons but because of politics. There is also a so-called “yuck factor” involved. People don’t like the idea of using wastewater that had been purified.

We give value to something based on how much we pay for it. Water is perhaps the most valuable source on Earth but if we look at how much it costs, the price does not reflect that value. As I read in an EPA article about water services, there is a perception that water is worth little because we pay little to no money. There are plenty of easy and cheap—or cheaper compared to traditional options out there. But people are stubborn and set in their ways and they don’t act until the issue becomes critical. Thankfully, as more evidence compiles in proving climate change is real, legislations are finally cracking down on those who contribute to the problem. I hope this issue gains some much-needed traction in this period from that.

 

Source: GreenBiz

Author: Jacques Leslie

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/damming-evidence-communities-turn-reusing-wastewater-scarcity-threatens