Innovation & Circular Economy
Water 2050: Innovation & Circular Economy
The envisioned world of 2050 will include:
- Financial and reinvestment strategies that ensures the water industry’s ability to provide continued and reliable service.
- Water being valued in more than financial terms, going beyond pricing, recognizing water as a merit good and its power politically and socially, for a sustainable future.
- Funding for water that is based on the full cost of the service, where ‘full cost pricing’ coupled with non-price methods (to ease the economic burden on low-income and disadvantaged communities, as with the SNAP or Affordable Connectivity Program) will be commonplace.
Recommended Actions
The short-term recommended actions for the Finance & Affordability Strategic Priority include:
- Rapidly identify and share financing and funding resources for resilient systems of the future.
- Establish a pricing model and set rates that covers all the costs of water service while advancing affordable access and recognition of the human need for water.
- Promote the integration of utility performance standards that support better technical, managerial, and financial practices and align utility sustainability plans and economic growth plans.
Technology Innovation for the Future of Water
In 2050, new drinking water, wastewater, and water supply challenges will demand advanced technologies. The water sector must innovate new solutions for water treatment, source water protection, water reuse, desalination, updating aging infrastructure, and much more.
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Water 2050 Think Tank Reports
Technology Think Tank:
The second think tank was held in December and focused on technology. Participants included representatives from the water and wastewater utility, manufacturing and consulting communities; innovation incubators, Silicon Valley thought leaders, privacy and cybersecurity experts, regulators and academics, CEOs and an agriculture research hydrologist.
Technology Think Tank
Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California, December 2022
Participants
Cristina Ahmadpour
President and Managing Director (Americas) Isle Utilities
Christine Boyle, Ph.D.
Vice President of Business Incubation Xylem Inc.
Clifford Chan
General Manager East Bay Municipal Utility District
Colin Chung
Founder and President Kayuga Solution
Zonetta English, MBA, Assoc. DBIA
Strategic Initiatives and Project Delivery Director Louisville MSD (Louisville/Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District)
Judith Germano
Founder and Lead Counsel Germano Law LLC
Sally Gutierrez
Sr. Advisor to the Director of the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development
Jihyon Im
Environmental Engineer CDM Smith Inc.
Joe Jacangelo, Ph.D.
Vice President Director of Research Stantec
Gigi Karmous-Edwards
CEO Karmous-Edwards Consulting LLC
Patrick Keaney
Worldwide Head of Business Development for Water Amazon Web Services
Thomas Kuczynski
Vice President of Information Technology District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water)
David LaFrance
CEO AWWA
Mahesh Lunani
Founder and CEO AQUASIGHT
Barb Martin
Director of Engineering and Technical Services AWWA
Randy Moore
Director of Sales, Agency Development and Industry Affairs Tnemec Company, Inc.
Kevin Morley
Manager, Federal Relations AWWA
Martha Nunez
Project Manager, Asset Management Products Autodesk, Inc.
Andy O’Reilly, Ph.D.
Research Hydrologist U.S. Department of Agriculture
Vishnu Rajasekharan, Ph.D.
Senior Manager, Innovation & Research Hach Company
Andy Richardson
Board Chairman Emeritus Greeley and Hansen
Chi Ho Sham, Ph.D.
Past President, AWWA Independent Consultant
Travis Smith
Senior Director of Strategic Marketing Badger Meter
Pauli Undesser
Executive Director Water Quality Association (WQA) and Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF)
Carol Walczyk
Vice President of Process Efficiency Analytics Veolia North America
Shannon Wedding
Director of Business Development & Product Management McWane, Inc.
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