THE YOUNG LEADERS’ PROGRAM OF THE INTERNATIONAL DESALINATION AND REUSE ASSOCIATION AND OUR VISION FOR THE INDUSTRY’S FUTURE

By Mr. Rory Weaver IDA YLP Co-Chair, Director of Marketing and Business Development, FEDCO

The IDA Water & Climate Change Conference, hosted from October 15-18 in Seville, Spain, offered a wealth of food for thought on the future of desalination and reuse. On the final day of the conference, the Young Leaders’ voice of a key driving factor that will drive the success of non-conventional water resources over the coming generation – sustainability, innovation, the value of water, and the accessibility of desal & reuse technology.

Sustainability is familiar to all of us, but is so commonly used that the term can risk becoming meaningless – or worse, a tool for greenwashing. How do we nuance the sustainability conversation to think about water resources as well as carbon emissions and ‘circular’ practices? With growing interest from industry and an emerging conversation around Water Positivity, we have more tools than ever to make this happen.

Program of the International Desalination and Reuse Association took the stage to offer our vision for the industry’s future.

Mariela Cuartucci (NX Filtration, Netherlands), Antonella de Luca (Omya, Switzerland), Daniele Strongone (American Water Chemicals, Spain) and Rory Weaver (FEDCO, UK) each took on the

Innovation – another old friend – is also taking on new forms: with focus widening from simply maximixing water recovery and minimizing energy consumption, to developing circular, zero-waste processes. Here the danger may be reinventing the wheel: investing time and energy where the right cross-industry partnerships could deliver faster and better results. Are we (and our customers) ready for the joined-up thinking this will require?

The value of water – estimated at $58 trillion per year by the WWF on the eve of the Seville conference – remains a core obstable. How can we accelerate the shift from viewing water as an input or cost centre, to taking water resources as a core part of a project, industry or municipality’s long-term viability? Desalination and reuse give us the tools to unlock the full value of water by allowing almost any waste or water stream to be used and reused, but this change in mindset from cost to value is as important as the technologies at our disposal.

The accessibility of non-conventional water technologies is the final piece of the puzzle. Too often we see that misunderstandings and lack of information on non-conventional water technologies muddy the water before an otherwise viable project can take off. We are used to thinking in terms of barriers to adoption and political obstacles, especially for potable wastewater reuse. Attending a global conference to tell our industry colleagues about the desal & reuse is easy – getting the message to new, fragmented markets and customers is much harder, requiring new levels of both commercial and non-commercial outreach

What struck us most at IDA Seville was the attention and visibility given to our Young Leaders’ Program, and how well-received our panel was by our industry peers, including many who led the IDA through its formative decades. Our final request of the industry is to enroll your young professionals in the YLP, which is open to all under-35s employed by IDA Corporate Members. To find our more, please contact membership@idadesal.com

BEYOND NEUTRALITY, TOWARDS POSITIVE IMPACT: THE WATER POSITIVE INITIATIVE

Mrs. Marta Verde CEO, GS Inima

At the recent IDA Seville conference, Marta Verde and Alejandro Sturniolo moderated the panel on achieving a water-positive future. The panelists, including Michael Lesniak, José Manuel González, Thomas Ricciardi, and Rafael Morales, highlighted the critical importance of water as our most precious and scarce resource. With the expected rapid growth of the global population, water availability is challenged to meet future needs.

Mr. Alejandro Sturniolo Global Head of Water Reuse and Strategic Partnerships, H2O Innovation

The panel stressed the need for innovative solutions, specifically through desalination and water reuse, incentivizing industries to offset water consumption in water-stressed areas with these solutions.

Companies were urged to embrace water stewardship and circular water management, emphasizing an integrated approach to the entire water cycle. The quality of water from desalination and reuse surpasses that of natural sources, offering competitive and sustainable solutions. The panel discussed incorporating CO2 from direct air capture to create a water-positive, carbon-negative process.

Strategically managing water resources, replenishing aquifers, and implementing effective wastewater purification emerged as indispensable solutions to water scarcity. The panel emphatically underscored the transformative impact of recognizing water as a precious resource, contending that industries, by doing so, can actively contribute to fostering a water-positive global environment.

In summary, the pivotal insight gleaned was adopting a product stewardship approach as a cornerstone in addressing the worldwide water crisis. This approach advocates cataloging water based on quality rather than source, with a distinct emphasis on desalination and reuse as primary pathways to achieve a water-positive outcome.

This profound discussion sparked contemplation regarding the feasibility of developing a comprehensive global framework for a water+ market, underscoring the need for international collaboration and coordination in advancing sustainable water solutions.