#64 - Women's empowerment, PFAS, rundles and a lot of good news
Water Water Everywhere...
Hey Folks,
This week we decided to try something different and talk less about innovation and more about the good being done the world over. Let us know what you think, what you would like to read more of and also, remember to share and subscribe!
Disclaimer - the views expressed herein are ours and ours alone.
Power free + RO free desalination
We have talked in the past about solar desalination, where solar energy is used to power an RO process or support the same. Today we talk about an innovative startup from Abu Dhabi in the UAE who has created a mechanical desalination system that does not need a filtration system or external power to desalinate. Based on the concept of the solar still, it uses solar driven evaporation and column distillation to get out clean water. Not to mention there will be no brine as an output.
They are currently piloting this technology to prove the use cases shared on their website, but their video above shows how their device (which is shaped somewhat like a laterally inverted #1 block) gathers the seawater and lets the sun evaporate it up the vertical channel. The evaporated water will leave behind all minerals (salt) and other solids, and this pure water condenses on the incline top surface of the block and into the tip of the 1 (as it were). They shared with our writers that they can produce 5 liters of drinking water daily for every square meter of surface area, with the obvious economies of scale still to be achieved. Pretty cool, considering this is both scalable and location-agnostic in terms of functioning and efficiency.
PFAS Update
We have talked in the past about sponges, plasma or iron particles to remove PFAS.
Now some other ideas getting traction are destroying PFAS using ultrasound.
Others are investigating bioremediation, a process in which microbes degrade the contaminant.
Coming full circle are using filters made of walnuts (which is pretty cool) and granulated activate carbon (much like your regular water filters do)
Also making the rounds is using liquid activated carbon to sequester said PFAS at site, as shown in the video below.
Water Purification as a Rundle
In another sign of the times, to help folks who cannot make the upfront investment in a modern water purification setup, this Bangalore based startup is offering water purification systems with associated services on a subscription basis. Apart from getting access to best in class water cleaning tech (RO+UV+UF), you will also get round-the-clock monitoring via app and web systems as well as proactive maintenance services. They will also provide free upgrades of the system every 30 months….all for a low recurring monthly cost. Talk about a water rundle! Just wait till Amazon catches on.
Good News from around the world - Bumper crop
In honor of Women’s History Month, we wanted to talk about one of the many sets of women entrepreneurs driving clean water initiatives the world over. This pair of MIT grads work with villages in Ghana to determine a price for clean water that everyone can afford while also fairly compensating the women entrepreneurs for their work. The company then provides training to the women and educates the community about the importance of drinking treated water. They also make a one-time donation of water tanks and buckets to its female entrepreneurs. They also continue to monitor water consumption in each village for 10 years after a new business forms, thereby helping entrepreneurs through any challenges they run into. The approach ensures the company maximizes its impact as it scales. Kudos! & more Power to them!
This German startup just goes from strength to strength in our book. We last talked about them helping out the arid regions of Somalia. Now they are installing 28 standalone desalination units in Kenya and Tanzania. They will be solar powered and installed at hospitals that most need clean water to help their people. These desalination units will provide water for the operation of hospitals with up to 23,000 patients per day.
A lot of the water related news coverage last month was about hackers tampering with a water system in Florida via its remote access software. Now to combat these water hackers, utilities are turning to Artificial Intelligence. Knowing the ‘needle in haystack’ nature of tracking, they are deploying an AI powered monitoring system to assess threats and react to them without needing human intervention. Not worrisome at all!
Another piece of news doing the rounds is the massive semiconductor shortage for electronics and automotive manufacturers. This interesting piece from Techcrunch.com says that the semiconductor problem is really a water problem because of the ongoing drought in Taiwan. Apart from the obvious climate change relatedness, this points to a bigger issue in how without ever thinking it, water scarcity will sink all boats.
In a pilot run by one of India’s foremost research institutes, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), they get water piped to them from a ultra-filtration (UF) membrane-based purification system. Apart from having piped water for the first time in these 42 households, the filtration system does not need electricity or complicated maintenance. So long as they keep the filter candles clean, they will have clean drinking water!
Speaking of Indian powerhouses stepping up, are IIT-Kharaghpur, which has developed a low-cost nano filtration technology which in turns gives access to safe drinking water for ~25,000 people at three different locations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This water is free of heavy metals, considered hazardous for health. Also IIT-Guwahati has set up a chemical free electrocoagulation-based water treatment plant in a primary school which was struggling with heavy metals like iron and arsenic in the water.
That Is it for this week, friends. Join us next Friday for the next hydrating dose of good news and innovations!
Peace.