WATER SUSTAINABILITY – WHAT IT IS ?

In the late 20th century, following the Industrial Revolution, our ecological footprint exceeded the carrying capacity of Earth. Discoveries from the scientific communities and an increasing global awareness of climate change has led the international community to progress towards a peaceful coexistence of humanity and Earth. This is what defines sustainable development: a progression to work towards a mutual understanding and harmonious coexistence between human civilization and Earth’s biosphere.

Creating sustainable water management is one major issue when dealing with environmental sustainability.

As Aquatech puts it,

“Sustainable water means a nation that can be water self-sufficient: ensuring there is enough water to meet multiple needs, from agriculture to municipal and industrial.”

The main goal of water management is to collaboratively, within communities, neighborhoods, or even at your own house, minimize the amount of water wasted and the amount of water consumed while seeking for solutions that can help manage water better. Thus, technology plays an important role in managing water and shaping how companies can innovate ideas and solutions that help anyone engage in sustainable practices.

THREE LEVELS OF WATER CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION MEASURES

There are three levels of water conservation measures, as introduced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA).

Level 1 technology includes water metering, Water accounting and loss control, Costing and pricing, and Information and education. In total, level 1 measures represent the most basic practices anyone can engage in to conserve water. For example, water metering is an analogue component in most public water management systems used to monitor and reduce water consumption.

Level 2 measures are intermediate-level controls, usually larger commercial and residential organizations opt to utilize levels 2

Level 3 includes more advanced strategies for water conservation and maximum water management. Some examples in this bracket include, retrofits, landscape efficiency, integrated resource management, and water-use regulation.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN WATER CONSERVATION

Technologies that enable water conservation include shower regulators, faucet aerators, more efficient sprinkler heads, smart water meters and fill cycle diverters for your toilet tank.

• Shower regulators introduce low-flow regulators to minimize the amount of water that is being used in the average shower.
• Faucet aerators combine water with air to maximize pressure while minimizing water consumption.
• Smart water sensors are used to monitor water flow with more than 98% accuracy accompanied with a digital app to monitor your water usage intuitively with a simple UI. The installation and usage of this technology is seamless and can greatly benefit both the common customer and larger organizations who wish to manage their water consumption.
• Fill cycle diverters, in a literal sense, divert the water used that normally fill up a water tank.

Some may argue that they don’t need technology in order to be sustainable. Some even may not believe that sustainability at a local level can make a difference. However, using water conservation technology can greatly benefit, while simultaneously relieving the stress of water consumption on the environment. Reducing the amount of water, you consume on a daily basis can allow you to save a lot of money from water bills. If you can reduce the amount of water you consume on a daily basis, you can seriously reduce the amount of money you spend on water taxes and other payments. Further, using water conservation technology is extremely beneficial for the environment.

As stated by The Balance Small Business, “reducing our water usages reduces the energy required to process and deliver it to homes, businesses, farms, and communities, which, in turn, helps to reduce pollution and conserve fuel resources.” Finally, it minimizes the effects of drought and water shortages.

In India, where poor infrastructural planning has led for water conservation attempts to be extremely difficult, it is of the utmost importance for us, as citizens, to manage our own consumption in order for those in lower economic brackets to not be as affected as they would be by overconsumption. During times of water scarcity, having these technologies residentially would be extremely beneficial for everyone else around you.

To conclude, the growing issues of climate change and water scarcity are undeniable. However, as new innovations and technologies are created, it is up to us citizens to utilize the products available to us and do our part in helping our environment.