Future-Proofing Water: Lessons from the 2024 Next Generation Water Summit

Water professionals across the industry converged in Santa Fe, N.M., to collaborate, share knowledge and plan for a future void of water stress.

As I attend the Next Generation Water Summit 2024 virtually from southwest Colorado, I sit by an open window, listening to the rare rain and thunderstorms pass through, gracing the parched land with much-needed water. 

With water on the mind, I think about how much this prolonged rain will affect the land. My raised garden beds won’t need to be watered for at least a few days, the rivers and lakes generously accept the additional volume, and the wildflowers and native plants will get an extra boost and much-needed relief.

However, this is far from the case in other parts of the country and world. Long-lasting droughts that cause water insecurity and flooding that causes landslides, damage and water quality issues are becoming all too common. 

According to the World Resources Institute , 25 of the 50 states are under medium-high to extremely high levels of water stress.

However, while the climate has natural cycles, we are the ones to blame for our water problems. An interesting way to look at it in relation to the extinction of the dinosaurs is that we are the asteroid, not the dinosaurs. 

So, how do we become less of a destructive force on the water cycle? What can we do? How can we influence systemic change? How can we implement these changes in a right and just way? These are the types of questions that policymakers, water professionals, and the building and development community hoped to tackle at this year’s Next Generation Water Summit.

Let's Get MAD

Dr. Thomson proposes Modular, Adaptive, and Decentralized (MAD) Water as a framework for harnessing novel technologies and practices to provide drinking water, whether in the absence of or alongside existing centralized water infrastructure in the 21st century.

He advocates for the adoption of new technologies, workforce development, and learning from the past, while also cautioning about the risks associated with new best practices. "Landing where we want to be in 50 years' time is not inevitable unless we ensure it," Thomson notes.

Why move away from a centralized water system? Thomson points out that Mexico, a G20 country, struggles to provide adequate drinking water to a significant portion of its population. Additionally, recent flooding in Brazil led to the headline “Floods leave Brazilians with a grim choice: rebuild or leave.”

These incidents highlight that current systems are failing under the stress of a changing climate. Designed in the 19th and 20th centuries, these systems are outdated and ill-suited for today's challenges. With growing demand for water, MAD Water seeks to consider all factors holistically, including human health, water justice, and the environment.

MAD Water emphasizes understanding the unique capabilities and needs of different communities' social structures and political environments to implement successful complex systems and technologies. Thomson illustrates this with his work in Kenya, where he improved a poorly managed hand pump system and eventually installed solar water kiosks, achieving success through the MAD Water framework.

The environmental benefits of a decentralized system include matching the right resource to the right use, reducing the use of drinking water for non-potable demands, capturing rainwater to reduce runoff, and recovering resources, such as producing thermal energy.

Engaging the Workforce

A key takeaway from this conference is the pressing need to grow and educate the workforce on new best practices, especially with a growing population and increasing water security concerns. The future of water relies on this essential evolution.

The water industry offers a diverse range of career opportunities to manage, clean, and renew our world's most essential resource. These roles include engineers, tradespeople (plumbing, wastewater, and landscape), science and technical professionals, managers, and positions in academia or government.

This concept and challenge were echoed by many speakers throughout the two-day event, but the panel, “Educating the Next Generation,” provided actionable insights.

Michelle takes a holistic approach to engaging people with water. Her ideas for educating the next generation of water professionals span from fostering interest in young children through her work with Girl Scouts of America to career development and recertification for professionals. She emphasizes the importance of “catching them young” and igniting a passion for water sustainability.

Mera Burton from Valley Water posed a crucial question: “How do we redesign and reimagine what a water career professional is? And how do we provide the necessary training for people to step into those careers?”

She discussed the program she initiated, Next Gen Career Pathways, which supports career development in the water industry through high school and college internships, programs, and funding. Her focus is on bringing these opportunities to underrepresented and underserved communities, and she proudly noted that their competitive summer internship program received 1,200 applications this year.

“It is imperative that stakeholders continue to invest in and support programs like this, recognizing their potential to transform not only individual lives but also the entire regional and statewide economy,” Mera concludes.

Energy, Water, Carbon and the Built Environment

As an exemplary model of water management, Jonah Schein from the EPA highlights a community in Menifee, California, developed by KB Homes. This community, consisting of over 200 all-electric, solar-powered homes, is WaterSense certified and incorporates sustainable practices, setting a benchmark for other builders.

Schein explains that every gallon of water has an energy footprint due to the processes of moving, treating, and heating. The EPA's WaterSense program evaluated the impact of water savings in these homes compared to typical new construction.

The study demonstrates that WaterSense labeled homes significantly contribute to energy and carbon emission goals. On average, each home in this community saves 61,000 gallons of water annually, making them about 40% more water-efficient than the average new home. Collectively, the community saves approximately 13.4 million gallons of water each year. But what does this mean in terms of carbon emissions?

To answer this, we need to consider the water sources and their energy intensity, along with onsite water use patterns. For these homes, the savings translate to 640,000 kWh of electricity and 357,000 pounds of CO2 each year.

These homes are constructed with the most energy-efficient components, including top-of-the-line heat pump water heaters, solar panels, and a community-scale microgrid, which significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the water used. Additionally, low-flow and WaterSense-labeled products were selected to decrease overall water demand.

Schein refers to a 2015 UC Davis study showing that 2.7 kWh was saved per dollar spent on energy savings, whereas a much larger 10.3 kWh was saved per dollar spent on water savings. "Not only does water efficiency save energy and carbon, but it does so in a cost-effective manner," Schein explains.

When scaled to larger proportions, projects like this can save significant amounts of water, electricity, and consequently, carbon emissions.

Lessons from Nature

Mother Nature has perfected a system where each element is intricately connected and interdependent, working in harmony. There's much we can learn from the Earth, and it's time we seek inspiration from its natural processes.

Shayla Woodhouse, from Biohabitats—a certified B Corp dedicated to restoring the Earth and promoting ecological stewardship—emphasizes the importance of preserving Indigenous ecosystems and restoring biodiversity through commercial net zero water practices.

"Why stop at net zero when we can aim for net positive?" Woodhouse asks. "Net positive water is the evolution of a regenerative approach to designing with, and for, water. By returning more water than we consume, we contribute positively to our water resources."

So, how can we leverage Earth's natural systems to achieve water independence? Woodhouse suggests that diversifying and localizing our water supply is key.

This concept can be implemented in various ways, such as harvesting rainwater and stormwater, foundation dewatering, and utilizing condensate, blackwater, and greywater. Woodhouse emphasizes the importance of creating harmony between the building site and the watershed.

"It's crucial to consider place-based knowledge and Indigenous land-based techniques," she says. Examples of such designs include waffle gardens, acequias, rainwater harvesting methods, and adobe construction.

Drawing inspiration from plants, Woodhouse highlights how we can mimic the water-saving strategies of Southwest plants. Mesquite trees minimize growth during dry periods, acacias have smaller leaves to reduce evaporation, saguaros store large amounts of water to withstand droughts, and yuccas capture moisture from the air.

"It's all about finding synergies and connections between your water supply and demands, and understanding how they relate to each other," Woodhouse concludes.

Moving Forward on Water Conservation

The 2024 Next Generation Water Summit highlighted the urgency and opportunity for transforming our approach to water management in the face of growing environmental challenges. From the innovative MAD Water framework to the critical focus on workforce development and education, the insights shared at the summit underscore the need for a multifaceted approach to water sustainability.

As we move forward, the collaboration and knowledge-sharing fostered by events like the Next Generation Water Summit will be instrumental in driving the systemic change needed to secure our water future. It is a collective effort that requires innovation, education, and a deep respect for the interconnectedness of our natural world.

By taking these insights to heart and committing to action, we can ensure that we are not merely reacting to water challenges but proactively shaping a sustainable and just water future for generations to come.