The Waterly
"The Waterly" is a weekly all-things-water newsletter we share with our community covering the latest innovations and investment deal flow in the water sector and recent news on climate change and water-related crises.
Micro-organisms might be the best future plastic recycling method. World leaders are gathering in France to deliver 'blue diplomacy' at the One Ocean event. You can now test your drinking water at home for PFAS levels. Andrew Courtney, Director of Science and Innovation at Nature Geographic is this week's highlighted member of the WELL.
Your weekly Bonus - You might be eating a credit card's worth of plastic every week!
This week's water fact:
Less than 1% of Earth's water is available to quench the thirst of our ever-growing population
Tech & Innovation
New technology from Technion removes toxins from drinking water
The innovation quickly removes synthetic organo-fluorine chemical compounds (PFAS), a pollutant also known as "forever chemicals" because of their environmental persistence, remaining intact underground for a long time and eventually contaminating drinking water.
How ‘super-enzymes’ that eat plastics could curb our waste problem
Nudged along by scientists and evolution, micro-organisms that digest plastics have the potential to create an efficient method of recycling.
REWAISE-ING THE BAR ON ANAEROBIC SEWING MINING TECHNOLOGY
Called MEMB-RANER (membrane reactor for anaerobic nutrient and Energy recovery), the solution allows for the conversion of organic matter directly to biomethane, without requiring energy for aeration.
Corporate & Deals
Bureau of Reclamation invests $1.6M in tech improving desalination
The Bureau of Reclamation recently chose nine recipients to receive $1.6 million in Desalination and Water Purification Research Program funding. This financial assistance will allow project sponsors to collaborate with the bureau to design, construct, install and test their process.
Stantec awarded $45M contract with Bureau of Reclamation
Under the five-year IDIQ contract, Stantec will design of critical infrastructure to support a sustainable water and power future for the Western U.S.
Mich. awards $5M in clean water grants
Michigan officials have awarded nearly $5 million in grants under the umbrella of the MI Clean Water plan to 11 Michigan cities, villages, and townships. The funds will help local water suppliers to ensure safe, clean tap water for residents and to reduce the risks associated with lead in drinking water.
Pittsburgh advances $26M effort to replace lead service lines
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) has announced that it plans to invest an additional $26.1 million to continue its removal of lead service lines. The authority says that, in 2022, it we will begin several targeted programs to prioritize daycare centers and other locations showing elevated lead samples throughout Pittsburgh.
Water & the Environment
Barely 15% of the world’s coastal regions remain ecologically intact, study says
Brooke Williams, the study’s lead author and a conservation ecologist at the University of Queensland, said because most of the world’s population live in coastal regions, the pressures on those ecosystems could take many forms and occurred both on land and at sea.
World leaders descend on France for ocean summit as Macron puts spotlight on seas
As One Ocean event in Brest aims to deliver ‘blue diplomacy’ in areas from pollution to overfishing, activists warn against ‘bluewashing’.
Extreme rainfall and more wet days will hamper global economy, study says
Climate affects the “economic growth story” and requires a response at the local, regional and international level, a climate scientist has told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe”.
Climate change, population threaten 'staggering' US flood losses by 2050
Climate change is on track to ramp up the annual cost of US flood damage more than 25 percent by 2050, according to new research Monday that warns disadvantaged communities will likely bear the brunt of the financial burden.
PFAS and Chemicals
Cannabis may be a surprising solution to Maine’s ‘forever chemicals’ problem
It turns out that when it comes to neutralizing at least one group of toxic chemicals, the solution may be planting cannabis. Lots of it.
PFAS Exposure™, the First At-Home Blood Test to Detect and Measure 40+ PFAS Compounds, Now Available Nationally from empowerDX
The new, self-collected sampling kit by empowerDX measures the presence and levels of more than 40 PFAS compounds in capillary whole blood, significantly more than any other test currently available.
Andrew Courtney is the Director of Science and Innovation at National Geographic. As a lifelong believer in a future that balances the needs of people and planet, Andrew puts his belief into action by applying his breadth across communications, business, and technology to drive conservation outcomes.
His achievements include administering a global campaign for National Geographic to protect 30% of the planet’s Land and Water by 2030 and launching the Nature Conservancy's Blue Media Lab to mainstream freshwater conservation through powerful stories including H2O: The Molecule that Made Us and Age of Nature.
Thank you Andrew for being a global leader protecting our Water and our Planet. You are an eco-hero.
Health & the Environment
Australians ingest a credit card’s worth of plastic a week – so what’s it doing to us?
Citizen science project mapping microplastics menace in hope of halting spread
