Water savings is energy savings: Water not consumed saves energy Water not transported saves energy Water reused saves energy Decentralized, ecological water treatment does all of the above

1. Water, Energy, and
Sustainability

2. In a biotech world, water networks are a
bigger deal than bit streams. You’re not
made out of digital bits – like all living
things, you are made mostly of water.
So that’s where you sensibly place your
high tech investments.
Bruce Sterling

3. Water is:
• An Economic Issue
• An Environmental
Issue
• An Aesthetic Issue
• A Food Issue
• A Health Issue
• A Climate Issue
• A Security Issue

4. Our Bottom Line: During the next 10 years, many countries important
to the United States will experience water problems – shortages, poor
water quality, or floods -- that will risk instability and state failure,
increase regional tensions, and distract them from working with the
United States on important US policy objectives. Between now and
2040, fresh water availability will not keep up with demand absent
more effective management of water resources. Water problems will
hinder the ability of key countries to produce food and generate
energy, posing a risk to global food markets and hobbling economic
growth. As a result of demographic and economic development
pressures, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia will face
major challenges coping with water problems.
Global Water Security
ICA 2012-08
2 February, 2012

5. Remaining Gap 60%
Source: McKinsey 2030 Water Resources Group

6. Estimated Cost of Basin Scale Strategies to Address Shortfall:
Wastewater Reuse

7. We consume
massive quantities of water
to generate energy,
and we consume
massive quantities of
energy to deliver clean
water.”
Michael E. Weber,
“Catch-22: Water vs. Energy”,
Scientific American Earth 3.0

8. Water Saving is Energy Saving
• Water not consumed saves energy
• Water not transported saves energy
• Water reused saves energy
• Decentralized, ecological water treatment does all of
the above
Moving 1 billion gallons of water one mile consumes
16,500 megawatt hours,
= annual consumption of about 1,000 homes

9. The Energy – Water Nexus
Energy
Water Sources
Receiving Water
Funds
Gravity Flow & Fossil Fuel & Ecological
Natural Cycles Fossil Water Synthesis?
© 2011 Worrell Water Technologies, LLC

10. Energy Embodied in Water
• Direct Energy
– To access, move, and
treat
• Indirect Energy
– To build and maintain
infrastructure

11. Water Embodied in Energy
Personal water consumption
Water for personal energy
Water for personal food
Standard Fossil Fuels
Bio Fuels
Grid Electricity
Renewable Electricity
Graphs combine various sources with different values.
Scale represents rough order of magnitude

12. Fundamental Change in
Real Costs
元
¥
€
Rp
$
₩
Time
• Energy and Materials
• Information

15. Desalination is Not Economic
Price per Acre Foot
1 Ac Ft = 327,000 gallons
Source: Modesto Irrigation District

16. Biofuels
Fuel type Water Consumed Water Withdrawn
(gallons per mile) (gallons per mile)
Gasoline, Diesel, and Electricity from
Renewable Source Less than 0.15 Less than 1
Electricity derived from U.S. Grid
0.30 – 0.75 5 – 20
Corn-ethanol 28 36
Soy-based biodiesel 8 10
King, C. and Webber, M. “Water Intensity of Transportation.” Journal of ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / VOL.
42, NO. 21, 2008 <http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/es800367m?isMac=289642>

18. Water: Yet Another Reason to Push for Wind
and Solar
Source Gallons
Per kWh
Wind 0.001
PV Solar 0.030
Nuclear 0.62
Coal 0.49
Oil 0.43
Hydro 18.27
Gipe, Paul. “Wind Energy Comes of Age,” 1995 <http://www.awea.org/faq/water.html>