Peter Fiske, Executive Director of NAWI, discusses climate change challenges, desalination technology, and partnerships in water infrastructure. Topics include modernizing infrastructure for extreme weather, sustainable water supplies, and collaboration between academia and industry for innovation.
Desalination technologies are being advanced to lower costs and energy consumption for sustainable water reuse.
Adapting water infrastructure to climate challenges requires digital twins, efficient water usage, and partnerships for impactful innovation.
Deep dives
Innovative Approach to Water Technology
Within the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAUI), a temporary organization created in response to a call from the US Department of Energy, significant funding aims to advance desalination technologies, particularly focusing on lowering costs and energy consumption. Through collaborations with national labs like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and others, the vision is to develop new desalination technologies that facilitate water reuse, promoting sustainability at a larger scale.
Resilient Infrastructure and Desalination
The increasing challenges posed by climate change, including mega droughts and extreme weather events, require a proactive approach towards adapting and innovating water infrastructure. Desalination emerges as a reliable solution, providing a continuous supply of freshwater. While cities like San Diego embrace desalination as part of a diversified water portfolio for climate resilience, other countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar heavily rely on desalination as a primary water source.
Innovation and Digital Transformation in Water Management
In the quest for resilient infrastructure, lessons from the power sector underscore the importance of digital twins and integrated data management in water treatment systems. By focusing on efficient water usage and distributed water purification within buildings, cities can enhance their water sustainability. Encouraging citizen engagement and fostering partnerships between academia, government officials, and elected leaders are key factors in driving impactful innovation in water management and infrastructure development.
Peter Fiske is the is the Executive Director of the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI). He joined The Future of Infrastructure to talk to us about the future of water – and how infrastructure will need to change to combat climate change, become more efficient, and meet demand in the coming decades.
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