SOMETIMES NATURE HOLDS THE ANSWERS.
As a child, I was intrigued by natural processes. I often leaned in as close as possible to see the pollination of tiny flowers, a lizard shedding its skin, or an insect migration in an effort to observe biology in action. I learned valuable insights about life from those quiet moments of contemplation.
Today, the use of technologies inspired by the natural world fills me with similar wonder. Some of the most exciting water innovations in use today are the result of not only understanding but mimicking biological processes. Taking cues from the environment and emulating its cycles helps us develop intelligent, sustainable solutions to human challenges.
Take water reuse and recycling practices, for instance. From the filtration and purification technologies to underground storage methods, energy recovery techniques, and biological treatment, many of the processes are directly inspired by nature and reengineered for human benefit.
I recently traveled to San Antonio, TX, for the first time to attend the annual DistribuTech conference. I learned that San Antonio is considered one of the most efficient and forward-thinking water conservation cities in the US. The city boasts one of the nation’s most well-engineered aquifer storage programs, an elaborate water reuse system, and a public conservation incentive program. Even more surprising, however, is the fact that the city’s remarkable water conservation efforts were inspired by a salamander.
The city draws its water from the Edwards Aquifer. In 1991 it was recognized that the aquifer was gravely depleted—so much so that several species endemic to the caverns, including the Texas Blind Salamander, were facing extinction. It was determined in court that San Antonio would have to reduce the water it pumped from the aquifer during droughts by as much as 60%. At the time, many believed the imposed conservation goals impossible to reach.
With creatures like the salamander in mind, the city took action by installing an elaborate system of pipelines that channel recycled rainwater to industrial customers and its urban canal system. It devised an extensive groundwater storage and management program and began offering residents cash rebates on bills for using less water. Nearly 40 years later, water use per person has fallen from 200 gallons to 140 gallons: a 30% reduction.
In the following pages, we explore a number of water technologies and management practices that reflect nature’s influence. We hope that the articles we’ve assembled inspire the development of transformative technologies and optimized system operations.
In “Water Reuse” we look at the evolution of technologies used for indirect and direct potable reuse. We explore the remarkable advances in membrane filtration, bioreactor solutions, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, UV/Ozone and advanced oxidation methods. Many of these purification techniques reflect the natural functions of the hydrologic cycle.
We gain valuable insight regarding the use of sensor technology in water analysis in “Advancements in Water Quality Monitoring”. Researchers from the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation explain how today’s online monitoring and biosensors can determine the presence of contaminants in potable reuse applications in real time using natural organisms.
Biology informs innovation. This spring I invite you to take a close look at the natural environment and to find the miracles amid the mundane—the surface tension of a dewdrop, the Fibonacci sequence in a pine cone, the photosynthetic glory of a sprout—and let these earthly details be a catalyst for intelligent designs. For, by reflecting nature and adapting towards efficiency, our industry becomes more resilient and vital.
