Water & Wastewater Treatment

8 | october 2014 | WWt | www.wwtonline.co.uk port he chaired; 'Tapping the Potential: a Fresh Vision for UK Water Technology.' There are, estimates the document, some 15,000 people working in the tech space with water, creating about £1.5bn per year. The recommendations in the report say we should be looking to raise that towards 71,000 jobs by 2030, worth about £8.8 billion. That, says Lane, would shi‡ us in this country from three to 10% of global market share. "Overall, to 2050 there's about $8.6 trillion in tackling global water innovation," he smiles. "But you also have to fix the infrastructure we have, and juggling those two drivers is challeng- ing. Nonetheless, we have the chance to sow the seedcorn for the future, for example with the removal of antibiotics from water." Water security According to the United Nations, around 700m people in 43 countries suffer today from water scarcity. By 2025, 1.8bn people will be living in coun- tries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world's population could be living under water stressed conditions. With the existing climate change scenario, almost half the world's population will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030, including between 75m and 250m people in Africa. In ad- dition, water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will displace between 24m and 700m people. Water security is, says Lane, "frankly not looking that brilliant. You can live in a world without gold, diamonds and oil, but you cannot live without water. The simplicity of this argu- ment can be missed at times." With population growth to 2050, he points out that water features in some four of 10 factors established at Davos likely to destabilise the world. The food, water and energy nexus is vital and will become more so. "The point is that of the 3% of non-saline water in the world, more than 80% is used for agricultural purposes," Lane points out. In China and India especially, the growing economies are causing dietary change and the meat-based diet shi‡ has important water implications. There is, he advises, something like 16,000 litres of water embedded in the production of one hamburger. "Plus embedded water in terms of energy needs globally; you can't make energy without water. The picture is not optimistic, in Yemen for example water may run out in ten years." At that point the world may see displaced peoples, violence and conflict; the true fruits of over-population and climate change. "Solving all this is about new tech but it is also about efficiency. Wastewater is not a liability, it is an asset." With this in mind, Lane would like to see a change in public attitudes towards drink- ing water that has been produced from treated wastewater - especially when one considers the phosphates in wastewater, which will one day run out. In places like Namibia and Singapore drinking water from wastewater is positively marketed, he says. Water from waste "The then Prime Minister of Singapore was shown drinking a bottle of New Water (water derived directly from wastewater) in order to demonstrate that it was safe to drink and to boost its popularity," he says. Psychological barriers notwithstanding, using sewage sludge might have a role in creating low carbon emission coal, or as fertiliser. "I have drunk water from wastewater in Singapore and I am still standing," Lane muses. "There is a saying every glass of water in London has previ- ously been through six other people." More widely, he has strong feelings regarding ways we might be helping developing countries with water. One is through charity and the other is trade missions. But these must be accurately planned and implemented. "You have to send the right trade missions, with the right people. They can show developing countries options of how we can help, and they can tick on the boxes saying we're interested in x,y and z solutions." This is what Lane calls a "vertically-integrat- ed trade mission". The words he chooses are representative of a man whose views focus on practical, scalable environmental solutions. Ultimately, he is concerned about tomorrow. He wants measures that help innovators influ- ence and mitigate the risks every one of us, reli- ant as we are on that lifegiving mix of hydrogen and oxygen, will face. Mark Lane spoke with WWT in a personal capacity; his views are his own and not those of organisations he works with or for. He will be speak- ing at WWt's Water Industry Supplier conference on November 26th. For more details, visit WWt- supplychain.net Industry leaders Path to the top 2014 chairman of british Water. chairman of the UKtI environment and Water Advisory Group. Mark also works as managing director of Mark Lane Water consultancy Ltd, and is chair of the business and economy Working Group of the UK Water research and Innovation Partnership.today, Mark also acts as a consultant to Pinsent Masons where he heads up its Water Sector Group. Mark is a Liveryman of the Worshipful company of Water conservators and is a court Assistant to the company. 1996-2013 Set up and ran Pinsent Masons' Water Group 1988 became partner in Masons, which later became Pinsent Masons 1983-1986 Solicitor with cameron Markby working in bahrain, the UK and Hong Kong 1979-1982 Solicitor with Iliffe and Edwards working in bahrain "Wastewater is not a liability, it is an asset... there is a saying that every glass of water in London has previously been through six other people." Mark Lane

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