by Brianna Crandall — March 18, 2016—The intensifying difficulties in obtaining clean water have stoked a plethora of innovations in water production technologies, according to a recent report from global growth partnership company Frost & Sullivan.
As countries that until recently enjoyed abundant water supply are waking up to the reality of water scarcity, there has been an accelerated movement towards enhancing wastewater reuse and eventually, the development of advanced recycling technologies. The trend of water reuse is gathering momentum, especially in Europe, where industries reuse their wastewater even as process water to lower costs and circumvent the risk of water scarcity.
The new analysis, Innovations in Water Production and Its Impact on Key Sectors, finds that advancements in technologies, chemicals and processes are addressing the three most difficult challenges in water production:
- The removal of nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus compounds in open-body water sources;
- Sustainable desalination; and
- The removal of emerging chemical compounds from drinking water.
The water production space as a whole is shifting toward renewable energy-based solutions to resolve the issue of water-energy shortage, according to the report. In particular, there will be an increase in the uptake of membrane filtration and anaerobic-aerobic technologies, including portable and / or solar-based water filtration systems. Electrochemical technologies, which leverage the electrolytic nature of produced water in unconventional oil and gas mining, are expected to become prominent in the energy sector in the future.
While next-generation systems are understandably more relevant in applications where wastewater reuse is necessary, there is little incentive for their use in place of existing technologies that already meet discharge limits at lower costs, notes the report. Public perception that treated wastewater is inferior to municipal drinking water is another reason for lack of wastewater recycling for potable reuse, particularly in the food and beverage sector.
Therefore, the challenge for technology developers is twofold: bringing novel technologies to the market, and raising awareness regarding their benefits. Incremental advancements in lower-cost technologies are reportedly more easily accepted and adopted. Frost & Sullivan notes that technologies and practices developed to bring clean water to poor and isolated communities not only benefit those particular end-users, but can also increase acceptance of new technologies in the long run.
Innovations in Water Production and Its Impact on Key Sectors: Critical Water Innovations of the 21st Century, a part of the TechVision subscription, offers a detailed account of innovations in water production that specifically impact key sectors. It outlines the current water scenario, innovation landscape, global trends and technology roadmap till 2025 for each sector. It also offers several examples of innovative non-technological ways to produce or provide water, as well as key patents and contact details of key industry players.
