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.
MIT researchers are solving the microplastic crisis with an innovative silk capsule. Intel achieved its "Net Positive Water" target ahead of schedule. The House passes an $11.5B bill for the EPA. Human remains are found as Lake Mead's water level keeps shrinking. A composting facility in Massachusetts is blamed for a massive PFAS spread. Josh Cohen is this week's highlighted WELL member.
Your weekly Bonus - Humans reached a depth of 21,325 feet for the first time in history.
This week's water quote:
As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds sing.
I’ll learn the language of floods, storms, and glaciers and get as near the heart of the world as I can.
I will feel the Heart of the World
in each raindrop that falls and invites us to play, refreshing our body and soul in the waters.
Come quietly, listen.
Come linger and stay.
John Muir
Tech & Innovation
A pilot project in the North Sea will develop floating solar panels that glide over waves ‘like a carpet’
German energy firm RWE is to invest in a pilot project centered around the deployment of floating solar technology in the North Sea, as part of a wider collaboration focused on the development of “floating solar parks.”
MIT researchers develop silk capsules to replace microplastics
In material science news, an exciting development from a collaboration of researchers may have solved the growing problem of microplastics in the environment.
"Toilet to tap" wastewater recycling begins in Texas city
Wichita Falls, near the Oklahoma border, on Wednesday began reusing millions of gallons of water at the River Road Waste Treatment plant that's been purified to meet government drinking standards. The water is then sent by a 12-mile pipeline to the Cypress Water Treatment Plant for additional purification.
Corporate & Deals
Spending bill with $11.5 billion for EPA passes in House
The EPA funding included in the larger bill remained the same as approved by the House Appropriations Committee earlier this month. The funding levels proposed for EPA water programs remained the same as the subcommittee’s initial version of the bill.
INTEL CHIPS AWAY AT WATER POSITIVE AMBITIONS
Computer chip giant Intel has achieved its “Net Positive Water” targets in the US, Costa Rica and India.
Arizona's $1.2B Water Plan Will Bring Stormwater, Desalination To Desert Region
The extent of drought in the U.S. West is forcing many water systems to put significant dollars behind innovative water management measures. Now, that includes more than $1 billion in one of the country’s most arid regions.
Water & the Environment
Tyre dust: the ‘stealth pollutant’ that’s becoming a huge threat to ocean life
For decades, coho salmon returning from the Pacific Ocean to the creeks and streams of Puget Sound in Washington state to spawn were dying in large numbers. No one knew why. Scientists working to solve the mystery of the mass deaths noticed they occurred after heavy rains.
Nasa images show extreme withering of Lake Mead over 22 years
The pictures from 2000, 2021 and 2022 offer a new view into its dramatically low water levels, now at just 27% capacity.
Plastic in the Depths: how pollution took over our oceans
So much plastic pours into the sea every year that species are now endemic to it. A new Guardian series looks at where it comes from, the harm it does and what can be done about it.
More human remains found at Lake Mead as water levels shrink
More human remains have been found as the shrinking shore line of Lake Mead recedes in the face of a brutal drought gripping the western United States.
PFAS & Chemicals
Composting Facility Likely Cause Of Massive PFAS Spread In Massachusetts Town
What was designed to be a green-friendly practice in Massachusetts is now being blamed for spreading one of the country’s most notorious drinking water contaminants.
House passes PFAS actions in new defense bill
The House of Representatives’ NDAA for Fiscal Year 2023 includes several amendments aimed at limiting PFAS contamination, including publishing EPA’s water quality criteria and testing for PFAS in some schools’ drinking water.
Josh Cohen is on a mission to make a difference via capitalism. He believes that how you make money and what you do with it once you have it matters and he wants to help improve the world, now.
When considering his legacy and how he wanted to be remembered, Josh turned to impact investing before it had a common name, combining his experience as a venture capitalist, technology company executive, and family office CIO with his personal values for sustainability.
Thus, the idea for City Light was born: partnering with experienced entrepreneurs using technology to generate significant financial returns while having a measurable social impact.
Thank you Josh for your efforts and commitment in creating a better world through the power of investing and for supporting WIA and the WELL community.
Humans & Ocean
Human-occupied submersible makes historic dive by reaching a depth of 21,325 feet
On Thursday, the human-occupied submersible Alvin made history when it successfully reached a whopping depth of 21,325 feet (6,453 meters), achieving the deepest dive ever in the 58-year history of the storied submersible.
