Decentralized Solutions: New Technologies and Tactics to Close the Water Access Gap

Decentralized Solutions: New Technologies and Tactics to Close the Water Access Gap

Show Video

Yes please, feel free to come forward and  sit in the chairs up at the front. We're   going to move into breakout tables about halfway  through this session, so if you find yourself   at a table that you would prefer to switch  from, you will have the option to do that. Welcome. This is the session on Decentralized  Technologies and Tactics to Improving the Water   and Sanitation Access Gap. I am Andrea  Stowell. I work with LIXIL Corporation.   For those of you who don't know who LIXIL  is, we are the parent company of American   Standard and GROHE. We are a plumbing products  and house products manufacturer. We also have   a brand called SATO which is active in 44  countries around the world with a low-cost   SATO pan. We have reached 35 million people,  impacting their lives with that product.

We've also been active here in the United States  with the BBUWP and Sherry Bradley and work that's   going on in the Black Belt where we are performing  interior plumbing retrofits in homes to reduce the   amount of water flowing into on-site sanitation  systems. Finally, we are a commercialization   partner of the Gates Foundation's Reinvent  the Toilet program. About a month ago,   we announced the first commercial license of a new  household reinvented toilet out of Georgia Tech,   which is a circular toilet system. It treats  all of the waste inside the toilet itself,   able to reuse water for flushing, and we're pretty  excited about that and the potential it has to   serve disadvantaged communities here in the US. So with that, we have put together a fantastic   panel today. Our session will be organized in two  parts. There's going to be a conversation up front  

where we'll talk about why the need for innovation  exists, why traditional systems don't work in some   communities here in the United States, what  types of promising technologies there are,   and how some of these implementers on the panel  have started to navigate permitting processes at   the state level to get pilots permitted  and implemented. I'd like to go through   and have my panel introduce themselves. Pleasure to see everyone here. We were promoting   the panel earlier in other sessions trying  to make sure everyone came. My name is James   Rees. I've been advising technology companies  specifically in the water sector for the last  

12 years. My background is consulting and finance. My name is Stuart Coleman and I am the executive   director and co-founder of a nonprofit  called WAI, which is the Hawaiian word   for water but it's also an acronym for  Wastewater Alternatives and Innovations.   It's a pleasure to be with you all today. Hi everyone, my name is Kelsey McWilliams   and I am the CEO of Point Shift. Point Shift  is a circular sanitation alternative septic   design consultancy. We work all over the US to  do non-septic based sanitation and wastewater.  Hey everyone, I'm Tate Rogers. I'm the founder  and principal at Triangle Environmental. We're  

a small business based in Durham, North Carolina.  We've done a lot of international WASH consulting   over the past decade that takes on many forms,  but more recently we're working on product   development in the onsite wastewater treatment  and reuse space, more focused here in the US.  Thank you guys. You might be wondering why this  panel is so sanitation heavy. I'd like for all   of you to imagine a future where the water we  use on site is treated to a point where it can   become a new source of water at homes, a reality  where water evaporating off of agricultural fields   can be converted into fresh drinking water.  I think all of us here are passionate about   the idea that traditional sources of water  are not the only sources available to us.   You're going to hear a lot of themes today  around decentralization, source separation,   onsite reuse - the idea that we can take our  wastewater to a high enough quality to create   on-site sources of water for non-potable use. Stuart, I would love for you to tell us about  

the context in Hawaii and why traditional  systems in Hawaii just don't work.  Well, thank you Andrea. I met Andrea and Tate  at the Gates Foundation's Reinvent the Toilet   Expo in Beijing. When I was speaking there,  I was wondering why they would have us speak   on this panel, but the director was very shrewd.  When we were talking about developing countries,   people were shocked to hear that Hawaii  has 83,000 cesspools that discharge 52   million gallons a day of untreated waste  into the ground and groundwater. We're  

dependent on our aquifer for our drinking water. We've created a system based on most municipal   systems on gravity sewer and using tons of energy  to pump wastewater miles and miles to treat it   and then discharge it in the ocean. With all the  incredible expenses of doing that in Hawaii, it's   almost double the expense - everything has to be  shipped out to Hawaii, it's the most remote island   chain in the world. Our soils are volcanic and  don't provide good treatment. It's very porous,   so you don't get a lot of that treatment. We've had to find ways to introduce new  

technology to Hawaii that can treat wastewater  better. We need to ensure denitrification because   new studies show that nutrient loading from our  cesspools is harming the reefs - it's one of the   major causes of coral reef decline. With the fires  in Lahaina, we need to figure out better ways to   reuse wastewater. There are many unique challenges  facing Hawaii, but they involve everything we're   trying to do because fire risk is something  everyone will deal with as a new reality. We've   had the pleasure of turning that challenge into an  opportunity for new technology, blending it with   indigenous wisdom to help Hawaii's people. Can you tell us more about the model you've  

set up through your nonprofit to advance  innovations and promote pilot projects?  It's a newer model for nonprofits in that  we operate somewhat like a business. A big   portion of what we do involves innovative  technology. We're agnostic about who we   partner with, but we realized if we're  not working to bring these companies in,   they won't come on their own. Hawaii has a very  difficult culture to break into for national  

and international companies. We vet companies  for each technology they offer and find what   we think is best. They get that nonprofit seal  of approval. Then we set up pilot projects and   demonstrations to ensure effectiveness and show  proof of concept for people in Hawaii, because   we have a very reluctant Department of Health  when it comes to approving new technologies. 

There has been unprecedented investment  in innovation over the past 10 years,   much spurred by the Gates Foundation and  their reinvent the toilet program. Tate,   as a technologist and developer, what  trends are you seeing in this space?  This meeting is interesting because our start  was in international WASH. This is the first US   event I've been to where "WASH" was used - it's  typically been international. It's exciting to   see this crossover between international WASH  consulting and onsite systems development. It's   a very exciting time, especially in the US.  We have big problems, but we're being forced  

to think about innovative solutions. From a technology standpoint, there are   several drivers. There are economic drivers - for  buildings treating and reusing graywater onsite,   there are pure economic benefits. There  are regulatory drivers - San Francisco,   Austin, and New York are leading in requiring  businesses to reuse water. Buildings in San  

Francisco above a certain size must have onsite  reuse. Then there are climate drivers which are   now coming to people's front doors. We talk about water and sanitation separately,   but there's significant crossover. We think about  wastewater specifically as a resource we need to   utilize - it has nutrients, water, and energy.  We're thinking about ways to treat and reuse   wastewater onsite. It's somewhat of a Wild West  in terms of regulation and permitting, but there   are many opportunities for small businesses  like ours and new technology development. 

James, I'd love for you to share what  you're seeing on the water generation   side and other areas of the water sector. I was born in Australia, a water-scarce   country. The town I grew up in had 200,000 people,  and we had to shower with a bucket and use that   water for plants. Innovation happened at every  level - they started doing rainwater harvesting,   putting tanks on buildings to capture water for  plants and graywater. In the US, innovation needs   to happen at both industry and community  levels, which I haven't seen happening yet. 

These innovations are challenging  to introduce. There are regulatory   structures in place for important public health  reasons. Kelsey, can you tell us about how you're   using innovative permitting pathways at the  state level to site new systems in the US?  First, regulators are human beings and generally  looking out for public and environmental health.   I work specifically with onsite one-off  systems. Regulations throughout the US  

depend on system size, region, people,  and authority. The permitting pathways   we've explored in Vermont and Maryland  are called Innovative and Alternative   Treatment Technology. Twenty-eight states have  these words in their code, but only 5-7 have   clear pathways with staff to review and implement. In Maryland, we're separating black water and gray   water. Regulators are concerned about lacking  staff to test and monitor systems. We've offered   to handle testing. Regulators prioritize  repairing failed systems - that's where  

alternative tech pathways are wide open. There's  also a pathway through NSF standards 40 and 41.   If you get certified under these standards,  many states will approve your technology.  Another important aspect is community-driven  change. In Vermont, the Rich Earth Institute  

has worked with regulators for 12 years on urine  diversion. Now Vermont's alternative technology   list includes urine diversion plumbing, and  they've classified urine as a biosolid that   can be used on farms when properly treated. Tate, tell us about the technology you're   piloting in Virginia and that process. We're testing our system in Eastern Virginia   through partnerships with the Planning  District Commission, Virginia Sea Grant,   and RISE resilience group. They sought solutions  for coastal resilience, specifically graywater and   septic solutions. Eastern Virginia faces some  of the worst sea level rise outside the Gulf,  

with saltwater intrusion into wells and  depleting aquifers causing land subsidence. Their   septic systems are flooding. Our pilot system is elevated   6 feet to meet FEMA regulations. It took 10  months to get permitted despite connecting to   an existing septic system as a safety backup. The  lengthy process helped build relationships with   regulators who understand their community's  problems but are constrained by regulations.  

Systems there cost homeowners $50-70,000 because  they must meet Chesapeake Bay nitrogen standards.  We're trying to demonstrate our technology  and build trust by showing it in action.   We're targeting thousands of homes  needing an affordable solution.  Stuart, with new federal funding coming,  tell us about your planned demonstrations   with USF and University of Hawaii.  How are you organizing funding?  This federal funding is a  once-in-lifetime opportunity.  

Business as usual won't work anymore given  environmental urgencies. We're pressuring   government to pilot systems faster. We're  working with Daniel from USF on an NSF   grant to bring new technology, partnering with  Leapfrog and Arinco. In Hawaii Paradise Park,   half the wells showed fecal bacteria in  drinking water - that's motivating action. 

James, what funding models from  overseas could work in the US?  Corporations need involvement beyond government  funding. Companies using water - like Nestle,   Coke, PepsiCo - should give back to  communities where they operate. We're   seeing water-intensive companies wanting community  impact through environmental replenishment and   WASH projects. Microsoft just partnered on a WASH  program in India near their data centers. US WASH   programs are often overlooked for international  ones, but we need to show corporations   the domestic issues and opportunities. Kelsey, tell us about the systems you're   citing for residential homeowners and  the user acceptance you're seeing.  I ask clients what they want their waste to  be utilized for - irrigation, water reuse,   etc. There are people who want to use composting  toilets and people who have to use them, living in  

the same country. Clients generally want three  things: cheaper systems than $50-70,000 septic   systems, environmental benefits like nutrient  management, and water reuse for irrigation or   flushing. People are aware of water entering and  leaving their homes and want beneficial reuse.  We'll now move to breakout sessions with three  technology companies: Adam Deir from Leapfrog   Designs for graywater treatment, James  Rees for Botanical Water Technologies,   and Tristan Bounds from Arinco discussing  the Prelo system for low-cost conveyance   infrastructure. Choose a table, hear brief  pitches, and provide feedback on the posted   questions. This isn't a collaborative discussion  - please write feedback on Post-it notes. 

Carl Thompson from Infiltrator Water  Technologies asks about the challenge   of states requiring additional in-state  research projects even after NSF certification,   noting this stifles innovation. Tate responds that they're working   with politicians in Virginia to establish pilot  permits with pre-approved sites for testing new   systems. This could make demonstration  faster and cheaper for innovators.  Someone asks about sharing information while  maintaining competitive advantage. Tate explains  

that even as competitors, companies like his and  Adam's see benefits in collaborating since the   market is large enough. Stuart adds that the field  needs collaboration to drive innovation, comparing   it to a rising tide lifting all boats.  He emphasizes the workforce development   opportunities in disadvantaged communities. The session moves to breakout discussions at   three tables: Arinco's Prelo   system - An alternative to gravity sewer using  tanks that pump to treatment centers. Key points:  Cheaper than gravity sewer Less disruptive installation  Engineering firms are disincentivized since  they make more from expensive gravity systems  Botanical Water Technologies - Extracts  water from fruit/vegetable processing:  Plug-and-play system for manufacturing plants Reduces groundwater extraction  Limited by geography and  regulatory education needs  Leapfrog's vertical constructed wetland: Modular design for different flows  Reduces drain field size and septic pumping Works with various systems including   separated black/gray water Includes aesthetic planted components

2025-01-22 13:52

Show Video

Other news

Commercial Real Estate Technology Trends 2025 | The Concrete Voice 2025-02-14 00:51
Ep. 60 - Proactive vs. Reactive IT: Mastering Strategy for Success 2025-02-11 16:46
Amazon Spends Big, DraftKings Sees Major Super Bowl Bets | Bloomberg Technology 2025-02-08 20:29