Water, Energy, and Sustainability

In a biotech world, water networks are a bigger deal than bit streams. You’re not made out of digital bits – like all living things, you are made mostly of water. So that’s where you sensibly place your high tech investments.

Bruce Sterling

Water is:• An Economic Issue• An Environmental

Issue• An Aesthetic Issue• A Food Issue

• A Health Issue

• A Climate Issue

• A Security Issue

Our Bottom Line: During the next 10 years, many countries important to the United States will experience water problems – shortages, poor water quality, or floods -- that will risk instability and state failure, increase regional tensions, and distract them from working with the United States on important US policy objectives. Between now and 2040, fresh water availability will not keep up with demand absent more effective management of water resources. Water problems will hinder the ability of key countries to produce food and generate energy, posing a risk to global food markets and hobbling economic growth. As a result of demographic and economic development pressures, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia will face major challenges coping with water problems.

Global Water SecurityICA 2012-082 February, 2012

Source: McKinsey 2030 Water Resources Group

Remaining Gap 60%Remaining Gap 60%

Estimated Cost of Basin Scale Strategies to Address Shortfall:

Wastewater ReuseWastewater Reuse

We consume

massive quantities of water

to generate energy,

and we consume

massive quantities of

energy to deliver clean

water.” Michael E. Weber,

“Catch-22: Water vs. Energy”, Scientific American Earth 3.0

Water Saving is Energy Saving

• Water not consumed saves energy• Water not transported saves energy• Water reused saves energy• Decentralized, ecological water treatment does all of

the above

Moving 1 billion gallons of water one mile consumes 16,500 megawatt hours,

= annual consumption of about 1,000 homes

The Energy – Water Nexus

Fossil Fuel &

Fossil Water

Gravity Flow & Natural Cycles

EnergyWater SourcesReceiving WaterFunds

Ecological Synthesis?

© 2011 Worrell Water Technologies, LLC

Energy Embodied in Water

• Direct Energy– To access, move, and

treat

• Indirect Energy– To build and maintain

infrastructure

Water Embodied in Energy

Personal water consumption

Water for personal energy

Water for personal food

Standard Fossil Fuels

Bio Fuels

Grid Electricity

Renewable Electricity

Graphs combine various sources with different values. Scale represents rough order of magnitude

Fundamental Change in Real Costs

• Energy and Materials• Information

$¥

€元

₩Rp

Time

Desalination is Not Economic

Price per Acre Foot1 Ac Ft = 327,000 gallons

Source: Modesto Irrigation District

BiofuelsFuel type Water Consumed

(gallons per mile)Water Withdrawn(gallons per mile)

Gasoline, Diesel, and Electricity from Renewable Source Less than 0.15 Less than 1

Electricity derived from U.S. Grid 0.30 – 0.75 5 – 20

Corn-ethanol 28 36

Soy-based biodiesel 8 10

King, C. and Webber, M. “Water Intensity of Transportation.” Journal of ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY / VOL. 42, NO. 21, 2008 <http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/es800367m?isMac=289642>

Water: Yet Another Reason to Push for Wind and Solar

Source GallonsPer kWh

Wind 0.001

PV Solar 0.030

Nuclear 0.62

Coal 0.49

Oil 0.43

Hydro 18.27

Gipe, Paul. “Wind Energy Comes of Age,” 1995 <http://www.awea.org/faq/water.html>