De Nora Water Roundtable: Groundwater
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De Nora recently hosted a roundtable discussion on World Water Day . Moderated by Abby Davey, the CEO & Founder of H20 Global News, the discussion ranged from sustainability to climate change to technology, guided by this year's World Water Day theme: groundwater.
As the United Nations notes, groundwater is the invisible "treasure that enriches our lives," and the vast impact of groundwater is unknown to the average consumer.
"Groundwater is a big mystery to the public," says Todd Rasmussen, Professor of Hydrology & Water Resources at the University of Georgia.
The need for education and awareness was echoed by all roundtable participants, including Gisela Murrugarra, Country Director of Water for People in Peru, who says, "Most people don't know where their water comes from." However, she adds, people are more aware in places where water is an issue.
The key, our participants agree, is expanding awareness to all consumers, especially in places like the United States, where according to the EPA, each person uses an average of 82 gallons per day.
Below we discuss the key themes from the roundtable discussion, including our current challenges and potential solutions, and we highlight hopeful insights from our participants, all of whom share a deep passion for water equity and sustainability.
Climate Change and Sustainability: The Key Groundwater Issues
Climate change drives many of our current global problems, and groundwater is no exception. Rising sea levels can cause saltwater intrusions into our freshwater aquifers. As Julie Mullen, CEO & Co-Founder of Aclarity, notes, floods and drought can elevate contaminants in groundwater as water becomes more concentrated with water particulates.
"We've gotten better at detecting contaminants," says Mullen, who adds that the future is understanding what is in the water and addressing the problem from multiple sources.
However, as George Hanson, General Manager of Chesapeake Ranch Water, notes, many of our immediate groundwater problems are related to population growth and overconsumption. Aquifer sustainability is crucial. Even as the sea levels rise, we are depleting our aquifers and creating ground subsidence—a gradual sinking of the earth.
"We're over pumping without thought of replenishment," Hanson says. "Once an aquifer is depleted, it cannot be restored."
"It looks like the ocean is going down, but the land is going up," says Rasmussen, the Hydrology professor.
Randa Alameh, the Director of Global Product Management at Xylem, Inc, agrees that groundwater quality is an issue but echoes the sentiment that groundwater quantity is the immediate challenge.
The worst-case scenario is complete depletion, which is not a theoretical concept. Alameh notes examples of places like Cape Town in South Africa, nearly reaching "Zero Day " when the city would be left with no water.
Education & Action: The Keys to Positive Change
Zero Day served as a warning to major cities across the globe, yet, as the BBC notes, the city evaded the fated day, and the actions of Cape Town residents revealed a glimmer of hope:
"The city's water consumption nearly halved in the space of just three weeks in early 2018, from roughly 780 megaliters per day to under 550, before sinking even lower. An extraordinary display of public unity."
All our roundtable participants agreed that unity of this sort begins with public awareness.
"We need to raise the awareness of water problems," Murrugarra of Water for People in Peru says. We are eight years from 2030 when we want to meet the seventeen sustainable goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .
"It comes down to education and understanding," says Nick Armstrong, Product Manager De Nora.
Armstrong cites a simple example: We open a tap and water comes out but following the pipe back to the source is crucial for understanding. Alameh of Xylem adds that, although regulations can be the best way to drive change, we can also emphasize water conservation practices and consumption habits by reminding consumers that "things cost water." Armstrong asks: What is the water cost of upgrading your cell phone?"
Beyond the consumer, Armstrong agrees with Alameh that government and industry can do much to create change. The market will speak with their wallets. As the industry grows, organizations must instill the proper technologies and techniques to reduce the impact on water. Consumers can incite change by becoming aware and "voting for water," as Alameh says, encouraging innovation in industry and government action.
Innovation & Impact: A Hopeful Future
Our participants do see reason for hope, including innovative technologies and policies that can dramatically alter the future of groundwater consumption and aquifer sustainability.
Hanson of Chesapeake Ranch Water speaks eloquently of "increasing block rates," a system increasingly adopted by more utilities charging more for higher water usage volumes. Hanson notes several examples of reduced consumption and notes that increased capital can pay for much-needed water infrastructure improvements. Several participants also speak approvingly of what Alameh calls "Toilet to Tap," perhaps, she admits, not the best name but a potent illustration of the viability of wastewater reuse.
As Hydrology professor Rasmussen notes, Atlanta has one of the world's top wastewater reclamation plants, and the water is delicious: "It's cleaner, cheaper, better.”
The challenge, of course, is motivating consumers to make a change.
"We need innovative technology, but we need new technology to be adopted," says Mullen of Aclarity. Mullen speaks of innovations in contaminant removal that are available now. "We're not going to stop floods and droughts, but we can limit contamination."
Policy can have an impact, too, Mullen says. "It's up to us to get water on people's minds. Young people, especially kids, can be excited about water." Alameh cites the example of Xylem partnering with several soccer clubs including Manchester City, to promote water awareness. And Rasmussen speaks of his students performing water audits and learning about groundwater through ant farm demonstrations. In the end, every single person can have an impact on water. But as Hanson notes, "Activism without a solution is noise." Education and awareness are essential, followed by a firm resolve to act.
"We are at our best when we understand our challenges and rally to resolve them," says Armstrong.
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