Delivering safe drinkable water will probably be the most important issue we face for the next generation. The demand for fresh water is expected to surpass supply by 40 percent within the next two decades, placing urgent pressure on businesses to rethink the way water is managed. While developing countries still need to get proper access to safe and clean water, the rise in population in more developed countries is forcing us to rethink our water use.
Drinking water treatment generally consists of several phases depending on the source water. Generally, after removing particles and excess chemical substances through oxidation, flocculation and filtration the water is disinfected. Disinfection is of course necessary to prevent the spread of diseases through contaminated water (e.g. E.coli, Campylobacter, Norovirus and Cholera). Traditionally chlorine has been used. Because of the risks associated with the formation of harmful disinfection by-products more sustainable and healthy alternatives are needed.
Looking at our daily life, we can see that water is everywhere. The sustainability of water is therefore critical. A factor that plays a part in this is that, besides the need for safe drinking water, big parts of the global population won’t have access to clean water in a few decades. Re-using water and treating waste water to an acceptable level will be necessary to close the gap on water scarcity. Treated wastewater can be used for applications like industrials use (energy plants), irrigation water and agriculture.