Robert Wilkins, president of Danfoss Inc., notes that America's population growth is putting enormous stress on the country's water infrastructure.The population explosion, both in the U.S. and abroad, will put tremendous stress on global water supplies -- 99.23 percent of which are unusable for most humans, according to Shannon. By 2030, he predicts that many U.S. cities -- Atlanta, Chicago and Denver are prime examples -- will see "massive increases in water usage."
Shannon added that, as U.S. water supplies are dwindling, contamination of those supplies has increased. As a result, there's a corresponding need for more water treatment, adding additional stress to an already overburdened system -- a system that has relied heavily on financial support from state and local governments.
"The federal government's commitment to infrastructure has been declining since the 1950s and '60s," Trottenberg noted. "We need to increase our investment in infrastructure across the board -- water, transportation, energy."
That point was seconded by the EPA's Bastian. He noted that, since the Clean Water Act became federal law in 1972, the U.S. has successfully cleaned up many water supplies.
Shannon said the best technological innovations are coming from Asia, Europe and the Middle East -- not the U.S. He believes U.S. scientists and companies can successfully provide solutions to America's water challenges. He also believes the federal government can be a catalyst for innovation.
"The U.S. needs to regain the innovation and competitive lead," Shannon said.
That can be accomplished, symposium attendees agreed, by making water management a high national priority -- in the same way that energy has become a top national priority in the past year.
Danfoss is one of the world's leading manufacturers of electronic and mechanical components and control systems for refrigeration and air conditioning, heating, and motion controls.
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