Join our discussion with Facility Influencer John Rimer on Sept. 13
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A number of factors promise to make water an increasingly precious commodity, and net-zero water addresses this issue. So does a focus on re-using onsite sources of water.
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers Infrastructure Report Card, in 2013, water and wastewater facilities, waterways, and dams and levies received grades of D or D-, lower than rail, bridges, energy, airports, parks, and solid waste. At the same time, many areas of the nation are realizing that their water supplies are limited and in some cases inadequate to support economic development in the future. This portends big water problems in the future problems that will generate increased water rates and more restrictions.
For this reason, water is on the minds of many large corporations, non-profit organizations, and civic leaders. To quote Andrew Liveris, president, chairman, and chief executive officer of Dow Chemical Co., Water is the oil of the 21st century.
Facility managers, too, are beginning to awaken to this changing situation and take action. There are a multitude of factors, but five drivers stand out:
The bottom line is that net-zero water is the ultimate answer to all of the above.
The potential sources of water for on-site reuse are as numerous as the types of water found on the property. A basic concept is that almost any water can be cleaned to a level where it is useful for non-potable use. Again, water from an approved potable water source should be used for all human consumption (all sinks, showers, cooking, and related uses). The list of potential on-site sources of water is very long, but the following are the most commonly used sources:
On-Site Water Can Lead To Goal of Net-Zero Water
Net-Zero, Re-Use Approaches Address Looming Water Problems