Water Sessions The Water Council

With almost half the world's population facing severe water scarcity by 2030 without urgent action, the future is demanding the adoption of sustainable water practices to protect this precious resource. Recognizing the need for a more sustainable way to recycle household water at the point of use, Hydraloop co-founders Sabine Stuiver and Arthur Valkieser’s startup story starts with a determination to create a recycling system that retrieves, purifies and disinfects shower, bath and washing machine water without the use of membranes or filters for household reuse. Ten years on, their idea culminated in an innovation sensation, winning CES’s Best of the Best award in 2020. This is their journey.

Situated on the shores of 20 percent of the world’s freshwater supply, Milwaukee’s inner harbor is a natural resources gem. Not only a confluence of three rivers that come together and flow into Lake Michigan, but it’s also a confluence of creative collaboration between private and public entities working together to support the region’s redevelopment with a focus on natural resource rehabilitation. Through sustainable land and water use practices, hear how local water-related stakeholders developed an urban ‘Water District’ model based on the principles of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard that serves as a best practice for other regions to follow.

Dairy operations can use and discharge a lot of water, and are often perceived to have significant negative impacts on water resources. Simultaneously, the dairy industry is struggling as milk prices remain low and other external factors are diminishing the demand for milk. Miltrim Farms, located in central Wisconsin, milks 2,500 cows on nearly 5,000 acres of agricultural land. They believe that dairy farms can be stewards of the environment and water resources, while not only maintaining profits but leveraging their stewardship to enhance profitability. As the first farm in North America to earn Alliance for Water Stewardship certification, Miltrim Farms Manager David Trimner shares his insight about their water stewardship journey and what can be achieved by employing good water stewardship and innovative farming principles.

What is water stewardship and how does that translate into brand value for a corporation? A better understanding of all aspects of water stewardship will lead corporates to sustainably use water within their four walls, but also leverage what they do best in the marketplace to address shared water-related challenges outside their fence-line. Often times corporates overlook the social and governance aspects of true water stewardship because addressing those challenges and opportunities may seem outside the bounds of the traditional business value proposition. It is in that space of action, however, where brand value is enhanced and transformative change can occur to the health of a given watershed. As ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Reporting proliferates, there is an opportunity for true corporate water stewards to be rewarded for credible water stewardship actions. To unpack these complex issues, The Water Council’s Matt Howard welcomes water strategist Will Sarni to kick the tires on some wicked water problems and explore how ‘doing good’ makes for doing good business.

How much water are your customers going to use? If you know the answer to that question, you can do a dozen other things smartly — from staffing, to managing pump networks, to maintenance. It even allows you to track and discover leaks. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning — the sophisticated computer techniques used everywhere from medicine to managing the internet — can transform the way water utilities are managed. Tom Woolley, business development director for water AI firm Aquasuite, explains how that simple, astonishingly accurate prediction — how much water will your customers will use tomorrow at 2 pm — changes everything else.

Computerized intelligence has reshaped every aspect of our lives — from how we shop to the quality of our medical care. But the world of water has long resisted artificial intelligence and machine learning. Dragan Savic has spent his career bridging that gap — finding new ways to use the power of computing to make water systems more efficient, less expensive, less wasteful, and easier to run every day. Savic is very clear: Wherever you work in the world of water, it’s time to harness high-powered computing.