The Water Council’s vice president of economic development and innovation, Karen Frost, offered her insight on the future of water and climate technology, the challenges of scaling sustainable water solutions and emerging solutions to combat water pollution for the December 2024 issue of H2O Global News. Check out her answers below, or click here for the full issue.
How do you see climate tech innovations impacting water quality and availability over the next decade?
I see a lot of potential in satellite and sensor technologies that can measure various aspects of water quality and quantity. These technologies help water managers leverage predictive modelling and avoid future problems. For example, Wellntel uses acoustic technology to provide continuous monitoring of water levels and supply for water-intensive businesses, farms and agencies. The data is helpful for monitoring individual wells but even more valuable when used to measure conditions in a larger watershed.
We have also seen strides in real-time water quality analysis. Several of our member startups have created water monitoring systems that greatly reduce the time needed to detect bacterial and viral contamination. For example, two member companies conducted real-time water quality measurements in Paris’ Seine River during the 2024 Olympics.
What specific innovations or materials are emerging to tackle water pollution and reduce contaminants?
We work with several companies making encouraging progress on capturing or destroying PFAS, including Aquagga, Avivid Water Technology and Enspired Solutions. Fixed Earth Innovations and ORIN Technologies have formed a joint venture to combine absorbent media with specific microbes to absorb and aerobically break down PFAS compounds in groundwater, soils, wastewater and sludges. A pilot test at a Wisconsin airport showed great promise.
Another member, PolyGone Systems, is taking on the alarming problem of microplastics. It has created a biomimetic filtration system that removes microplastic contaminants from a wide range of water bodies.
What are the biggest challenges to implementing sustainable water solutions on a large scale, and what strategies might help overcome these?
The biggest challenge to implementing sustainable water solutions is the pace of innovation. Utilities are hesitant to try new technologies that could affect drinking water or wastewater treatment, and rightfully so. Thus, the process to pilot and validate technologies is slow and expensive.
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is working on a potential solution with its permanent piloting facility announced this summer. The facility will allow companies to test their wastewater technologies at scale, an important step in the validation process. It will start by piloting primary filtration technologies from Tomorrow Water and Aqua Aerobics.