How Smart Water Technology Mitigates The Water Crisis

Water sustains all life on earth—humans, plants, and animals depend on it in some way for survival. As a result, this resource has numerous uses, such as for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Water is also used indirectly in industrial processes, agricultural practices, energy production, and recreation, among others. 

The world requires fresh water to meet some of these needs. Unfortunately, out of the water that covers the earth, only 3% is fresh water. Two-thirds of this 3% consists of frozen ice and glaciers, which means it’s not available for use. As such, there’s not much fresh water to meet domestic and economic needs, creating a water crisis. Moreover, factors like the increased global population have significantly increased the need for this vital resource.  

Due to this shortage, countries are developing smart water innovations to counter this issue and enhance access to water. Continue reading this article to learn how smart water technology can help mitigate the water crisis.     

Defining Smart Water Technology 

Smart water technology includes the software, hardware, and analytics designed to promote automation, data collection, and data analysis in the water industry. This innovation aims to find effective solutions to the global water crisis. For example, in order to use water efficiently, you’ll need to monitor your usage and consistently learn new ways to manage water use.  

One example of this technology is the bluebot smart water meter monitoring solution. This is placed on the water line, records your water use data, sends it to the cloud, and you get all the necessary information on your phone. 

When comparing different smart water monitoring solutions, it’s essential to consider factors such as features, reliability, and user interface. Two popular options often discussed in this context are New Relic vs Pingdom.

Below is a more in-depth discussion of smart water monitoring solutions and other smart water technologies and how they mitigate the water crisis.

Understanding The Global Water Crisis

The water crisis is the state of the available water resource not being able to meet the water demands. It’s also the mismanagement of the current water resources so that it can’t meet the water needs.  

The water crisis is caused by factors such as water pollution and inefficient use. The female population, especially in poor communities, is among the groups significantly affected by this plight because they’re usually tasked with collecting water. The time spent completing this duty affects their productivity at work and home. 

Additionally, the water crisis is responsible for the health crisis, exemplified by the increased mortality rates due to water, hygiene, and sanitation-related diseases. According to statistics, approximately 1 million individuals die annually from such illnesses.  

These deaths are, however, preventable through the provision of quality and safe water. Access to water can also resolve poverty in many communities and empower women and children to reach their goals uninterrupted. More notably, sufficient water promotes economic growth by shifting the population’s efforts to more high-value undertakings. Smart technology is being used to achieve these feats. Here’s how:

• It Tracks The Quality Of Water To Reduce Pollution And Diseases

Industrial pollution is a significant cause of water pollution and water-borne diseases. As such, there’s a need to track and manage water resources to monitor and prevent pollution effectively. It’s accomplished using IoT technology sensors.  

IoT is the abbreviation for Internet of Things, which involves setting up software and sensors in physical objects. Its main purpose is to connect and exchange data with other gadgets and networks over the Internet.  

The IoT systems link to AI-based software and are used to obtain standard parameters for tracking water quality. These parameters include pH and total dissolved solids (TDS). Using the TDS parameter to examine water quality entails evaluating the temperature of different water types and measuring their oxygen levels. 

The IoT system allows the utilization of machine learning algorithms to train the devices to estimate water quality. In addition, the devices can use the algorithms to modify water treatment plans or evaluate sanitizing agents’ effectiveness. Read more about what is industrial water treatment and its benefits.

• It Enhances The Efficiency Of Water Systems

Water systems, often found underground, are prone to breakdowns, leaks, and freezing, minimizing access to water. Incorporating smart water technology minimizes these occurrences by examining moisture, temperature, flow, and pressure.

For example, there’s a smart water innovation that calculates the time difference of detected noises resulting from water leakage to identify the source of the leak for fixing purposes. The gadget comprises four sensors, which promote accuracy and speed up maintenance processes.

The quicker problems like leaks are solved, the more there’s access to water. Consequently, it leads to the enhanced efficiency of water systems, contributing to the mitigation of the water crisis.  

• It Enables Households To Track Their Water Usage

Among the factors contributing to the water crisis is water wastage across households. Most aren’t conscious of their water consumption, leaving taps running for long durations, failing to recycle water, and delaying leakage repairs.  

A slight change in behavior across these households can mitigate water scarcity immensely. One of the ways companies across the world are encouraging this behavior change is by using smart meters that accurately monitor water usage and send results to the data center. The information gathered is then compiled into reports that are sent automatically to residents.  

The content of such reports includes water consumption levels and suggestions on ways they can minimize excessive usage. Raising awareness ensures that households are aware of their consumption habits and allows them to take conscious steps toward efficient water use.    

Winding Up

Water is essential for sustaining life on earth, as humans, animals, and plants depend on it to survive. However, the global water crisis has triggered water scarcity in many regions worldwide. Thankfully, various smart technologies have been developed to address this crisis.  

These innovations have achieved that by tracking water quality to minimize pollution and diseases. Additionally, they help promote water system efficiency by preventing breakdowns, leaks, and freezing. In addition, such technologies have enabled households to track their water usage, making them aware of their consumption habits, resulting in more responsible water usage. Overall, effectively mitigating the water crisis requires using multiple smart water technologies in different sectors.