Innovation in the Water Management Sector

When I served as a deputy governor on the World Water Council, and as executive director of the International Water Resource Association, I was given a privileged insider view of the global water sector. 

My observations at the time told me two important things. Firstly, there is no shortage of technology available to solve the increasingly complex problems found in society in general, and the water sector in particular. Secondly, and to my great surprise, decision-makers in the water sector tend to be extremely conservative and for the most part risk-averse. The reason for the risk aversion lies in the legal culpability that water service providers face, so the default position is to err on the side of caution when confronted by new technology. This creates a persistent barrier to entry for all new technologies.

This conservativism no longer serves our needs as we face a widening range of risks in both the water and energy spaces. The natural tension that arises from the predisposition to be risk-averse as a form of self-preservation for the decision-maker, and the changing needs of society, begin driving the politics of water. This is both a good and a bad thing, so let us unpack this for the reader.

What we can say with great confidence is that trust is being eroded as water services come under pressure and begin to fail. This highlights the role played by powerful decision-makers, often acting as gatekeepers with the authority to direct the flow of money to service providers. Looking at this from a national perspective, we can distill two trends. On the one hand centralised control by the state is falling apart, while on the other hand gatekeepers in the state do not want to relinquish control, as that cuts them off from the flow of vast sums of money that sustains patronage networks.

A strong force is at work over which nobody has control anymore. That force is the relentless march of innovation, so let us set aside the politics over controlling the selection of technologies, and categorise the main trends. 

Arguably the biggest trend in innovation has been enabled by adopting the digital world. We can now measure, monitor and mitigate as never before. In the water sector, this is emerging in the home as the Internet of Things, with smart technology that enables temperatures to be set, energy budgets to be optimised, and flows of water to be regulated, at the level of the household. The same suite of technologies is available to the state, or the water service provider, to optimise the allocation of resources – finances, energy, water – across the entire network. This innovation is virtually unstoppable, so the individual choice is to either resist or embrace it.

The next trend in innovation is in alternative storage solutions. Here we have a strong parallel between water and energy, as both share common characteristics. Water needs to be stored somewhere, and as systems fail, that storage requirement is shifting from the state to the individual.  This trend is powerful, so it needs to be understood, for it is ultimately unstoppable. As a rule of thumb, the cost-benefit ratio will define the best interests of the rational individual. How much will it cost, and what benefit will I receive in return? Here the rule of thumb is defined by the economy of scale. This means that it is more efficient to find a storage solution at the level of the estate, rather than the level of the individual household. This implies the capacity to reach consensus among a group of people, each with different viewpoints about the problem, with only limited technical insight to guide that process. The politics of a body corporate or homeowners association can be fraught with division and animosity. However, the simple economic reality is that on-site storage will increasingly be needed as water supplies fail, and the most cost-effective solution will be at the level of the estate, rather than the level of the individual home. 

Which brings us to the next family of innovation and solutions – water quality. Just as volumes are relevant when a municipal service provider fails, so too I quality. Directly associated with water quality is the vital issue of trust and confidence. As municipal services fail, trust is also eroded, and eventually solution-seeking is destroyed by the perceived loss of credibility. In the water quality space, there are two specific innovations that are important. The first is to do with the removal of pathogens associated with disease, while the second is to do with toxins that might be in the water. Each of these poses different engineering challenges, so let us unpack these for the layperson. 

The removal of pathogens can be done by filtration or sterilisation. Innovation in the filtration space is now centred on hollow fibre membranes that are precisely woven to create a mesh size of 0.1 micron, or 0.01 micron. This is very small, so it is capable of removing pathogens. Bacteria are typically 1 to 10 microns in length, and 0.2 to 1 microns in width, so they can easily be filtered out by hollow fibre membranes. A virus is somewhat smaller, so it poses a different risk. Hepatitis A, a waterborne pathogen, has a virus that is 0.004 microns in size, so it will pass directly through a hollow fibre membrane. This is why sterilisation is needed in conjunction with filtration. The most reliable and safest form of sterilisation is UV light. When this is used in conjunction with hollow fibre filtration, then you have a good solution. 

Regarding toxins, neither filtration nor sterilisation is appropriate. Unfortunately, toxins are entering our potable water systems, often from the blue-green algae growing in sewage-fed rivers. These toxins, known as microcystins, become part of the water molecule, so they have to be forcibly removed through a process known as adsorption. Think of a sponge or cloth that absorbs spilt water. This is called absorption (with a ‘b’), which is a temporary condition. A saturated sponge can be squeezed and the water it holds will be released. Adsorption (with a ‘d’) is different in that once the molecule has been adsorbed, it will not release from the substance it is attached to. This makes adsorption a powerful technology to remove most toxins. The most cost-effective innovation in this space is activated carbon. When used, it is important to note that the activated carbon can become saturated, at which time it will cease to function as an adsorbent. This means that the activated carbon must be changed at regular intervals to remain effective. Water flowing through activated carbon tastes and smells very good, because even the chlorine is adsorbed.

In conclusion, we can safely predict that innovation will be driven by failing water and energy systems in South Africa. These solutions will become increasingly attractive to the homeowner and private citizens. One can become confused by info overload, so this article has presented the reader with logical options while alerting one to the dynamics driving trends. In summary, in the water space, innovation will be about on-site storage and treatment using filtration, sterilisation and adsorption. When packaged together in a single solution, the consumer can be assured of the biggest bang for their buck.