Clean Water and Sanitation

If America’s water infrastructure was a carton of milk in your fridge, you would have thrown it away a long time ago. If it was a student, it would be getting barely passing grades. So what’s gone wrong? Impeller spoke with Joe Vesey, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Xylem, to learn about the problem and how it can be fixed.

The study found that two in three Americans (66 percent) believe their own community’s clean drinking water is at risk, while 59 percent say a major overhaul of U.S. water infrastructure is needed to avoid that possibility. City-dwellers are especially likely to fear their community’s clean drinking water is at risk (70 percent versus 63 percent in rural areas). There is almost universal agreement (96 percent) that if the United States does not proactively invest in the country’s water infrastructure system now, it will end up costing more in the long run.

Based in Singapore, Ecosoftt – Eco Solutions For Tomorrow, Today – specializes in decentralized management of water, wastewater, and environmental services for the developed and developing worlds. Their Water SMART Homes & Communities platform allows property owners and building managers to reduce their water footprint and waste by up to 50 percent, to recycle and reuse up to 80 percent of wastewater for non-potable purposes, and to discharge at least 20 percent of treated water in a way that protects Mother Nature. Ecosoftt also leads education programs focused on water, sanitation, livelihood and wellness for rural and marginalized communities.

Caterpillar is working actively with stakeholders to find collaborative and innovative solutions to restoring our planet’s natural resources. One of these collaborations, a summit of experts and leaders in engineering, construction, finance and environmentalism, resulted in a white paper on natural infrastructure restoration and ways to catalyze its development and expansion.

This new infographic highlights technologies & practices that could save costs, preserve infrastructure & conserve energy to ensure that clean water will be available when we need it.

In 2016, Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, helped customers save 161 billion gallons of water at more than one million locations around the world. These savings, equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of more than 558 million people, are highlighted in the company’s 2016 Corporate Sustainability Report, available at www.ecolab.com.

Planet Water Foundation’s Project 24, an ambitious undertaking on World Water Day, built 24 AquaTowers in 24 communities in just 24 hours. These projects reached a total of 24,000 people. Xylem Watermark and 27 Xylem volunteers assisted in the construction of 6 of these community-based water systems this year on World Water Day, bringing clean water to thousands of people across five countries, including Cambodia, Colombia, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Boeing begins its second century of business with a firm commitment to lead the aerospace industry into an environmentally progressive and sustainable future.

Solving the planet’s water challenges has never been more urgent. A growing population, overtaxed water infrastructure and increasing weather events all highlight the need for sustainable solutions. And solving water – one of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals – is foundational to economic growth, a more equitable distribution of resources and global health.

Through its Engineers Without Borders (EWB) USA Grant Program, Tetra Tech supports projects that help communities in developing countries meet their basic human needs. The grant program provides funding to individual projects with which U.S.-based Tetra Tech associates are involved.