Water
Millions of black plastic balls will help California conserve water
California may be experiencing the worst drought in 1,200 years. Covering the surface of a 12-billion-liter reservoirs with black plastic balls will block sunlight, preventing more than 1 billion liters of water from evaporation.They will also avoid the production of dangerous chemicals than can Read More...
A shower head that saves 70% water and gets celebrity funding
“When Nebia woos investors, it invites them to take a shower.” Good line from The New York Times. The start-up says that its revolutionary shower head uses six gallons for an average shower compared to the usual 20 gallons. And, according to reports from users who have tested the shower, the Read More...
The shower of the future recycles its own water and heat
Lloyd Alter (@lloydalter) Design / Sustainable Product Design August 11, 2015 TreeHugger is covering the INDEX: Design to Improve Life awards at the end of August; this post covers one of the 46 finalists chosen from 1,123 entries. Pour yourself a glass of Tang and think of all the great things Read More...
Solar Desalination: The solution to California’s water crisis
California’s drought-stricken Central Valley farming region still has lots of ground water. However, that water is salty because of the nearby Pacific Ocean. Desalination of that water is the easiest way to provide more fresh water to California’s farms, but conventional desalination is an Read More...
Harvesting rain could result in significant saving for many poor people
Of course, it's possible to find technological fixes to ensure there's enough water in barren places in countries such as India. But what about using what's already there? That's the idea behind collecting precipitation in rain barrels. This form of "rain harvesting" could result in significant Read More...
Solar-powered desalination technology to provide drinking water in India
In India, more than half of groundwater is not ideal for drinking. It would be if it weren’t so salty. However, desalination is expensive, especially in villages on a small scale, and requires electricity, of which there isn’t enough. At MIT, researchers have worked on a Read More...
Toilet-to-tap-water policy inching closer to a realistic plan in parched California
California’s aquifers and reservoirs are being drained as the state suffers through its fourth year of drought. Regulators recently started working on the permitting framework for seawater desalination projects. Simultaneously, California water managers and environmentalists are urging adoption Read More...
How to keep your car shiny clean in water-deprived California
Washing your car in drought-ridden California can earn you a $500 fine these days, since the process typically requires so much water as to be deemed wasteful. Fortunately, a Massachusetts-based software engineer has invented a device that makes it possible to polish your vehicle with merely 1.5 Read More...
California lays the groundwork for seawater desalination rules
In its fourth year of drought, with depleted aquifers and compromised farming communities, California is moving forward to securing the Pacific Ocean as a new source of water supplies. Assuming that the future will not look like the past, regulators started working on the regulatory framework for Read More...
Lima is relying on an ancient civilization’s technology to alleviate drought
With its 9 million inhabitants, the city of Lima, Peru, is exposed to water shortages during its seven-month long dry season. Rather than building a desalination plant, the city's water utility company, Sedapal, is to invest in conservation projects to keep the rivers flowing more reliably Read More...