Water
The global demand for water is expected to increase by 20% to 30% by 2050. At the same time, to reach MDG 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation”, investments would need to reach USD 114 billion per year, i.e. tripling the current level. Within this framework, two objectives remain fundamental: reducing pressure on the resource and improving treatment.
Protecting the resource requires above all knowing it well. Various means of collecting, exploiting and valorizing data are being developed (sensors, inspection robots/drones, etc.) as well as bio-monitoring approaches. It also requires good management. Anticipating and reducing leaks is still a topical issue, in particular with increasingly precise and sensitive systems: meters, early detection systems, warning devices, etc. Water efficiency in industry is also taking on its full meaning (reasoned use, closed circuits in processes, etc.), also made possible by technological developments. And protecting the resource can also involve diversifying the types of resources: beyond rainwater harvesting and water desalination, new solutions are being developed.
Improving treatments takes different forms. Whether it is ozonation systems, advanced oxidation, biological treatments or others, solutions are becoming more and more innovative. After the issue of new pollutants and endocrine disruptors, other key topics are being addressed, such as micropollutants at the outlet of wastewater treatment plants. All this in a context of enhanced health safety.
Finally, in addition to its reuse (irrigation, watering, industrial cleaning, even as a groundwater recharge), wastewater can be used to recover the resources it contains, whether they are materials (nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.) or energy. All this is part of a circular economy of water management.
IoT, smart water and water efficiency
11 Supplier(s)As in all sectors of the environment, the water sector is increasingly integrating digital technology and artificial intelligence: meter reading, detection of breakdowns or leaks, forecasting or security, anticipation of consumption and fraud detection are becoming the norm. Intelligent networks can be remotely controlled in real time (see maintenance, monitoring and diagnostic...
New water resources
12 Supplier(s)Approaches to diversifying water resources are expanding and industrializing: in addition to rainwater harvesting and desalination of sea or brackish water, which are seeing more and more technological advances (e.g., less energy-intensive systems for desalination), air water recovery is seeing a growing number of references. Not forgetting the reuse of treated wastewater, a bo...
Pipes, pumps and fittings
8 Supplier(s)Pumps, taps, valves and more widely pipelines, all this equipment remains a must in the water sector. Year after year, they undergo major innovations: new materials, identification of networks thanks to new technologies, real-time control systems, etc.
Treatment, distribution and sanitation
25 Supplier(s)In the field of drinking water, treatments can be simple (sedimentation, filtration) or more advanced (ozone or UV disinfection, membrane processes/reverse osmosis...). For wastewater, solutions cover pre-treatment, physical or biological treatments and other types of more advanced treatments, particularly for industry (e.g. membranes, ozone, but also grease treatment, biofilm ...