Recycling for all: 100% participation guaranteed!

When you drink a glass of water, you are participating in the largest and longest lasting recycling program on the planet along with over seven billion other humans on the planet. Since the beginning of time, we have been using, abusing, recycling and reusing the same, finite water supply. While scientists are not in agreement about much, when it comes to water, there is consensus that the ecosystem of our planet and the continued existence of all living things are fundamentally dependent on water.

So why is it that we spend so little time thinking about how this vital resource is being used?

We all know that water falls as rain from the sky—the hydrologic cycle was taught in grade school—as the constant cycle of rainfall and evaporation cleans and recycles our water. Yet the vast majority of water consumers, especially in our Western culture, have little appreciation for the importance in preserving our use of water for future generations.

Debating recycling issues is usually shaped by traditional political camps and there is the perennial carping about its ranking in worthy causes. A recent example is the actions taken to preserve the habitat of the California Delta Smelt and its devastating impact on the California agricultural and farming industry. While the purpose of this article is not political, there is much that can be learned from this story. As I look at the significant impact on the central valley of California and the billions of dollars in lost productivity, I am reminded that water shortages are really nothing new, and sadly, they will be continually repeated in the future. This water shortage "problem" will be coming some day to a city near you soon!

I was introduced some years ago to a compelling book called "When the Rivers Run Dry : Water-The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century" by Fred Pearce.   This book carefully, but definitively gives a detailed insight into the reasons for many historical and current water shortages around the globe. It is a compelling read. If you do nothing else, find and read Fred Pearce's book.

For the past twenty years, I have been fascinated by water, the fact that it is the only property on the planet that can exist in all three states (solid, liquid, or gas). We turn on the faucet and immediately enjoy a clean and constant supply of fresh water. Few think about what is involved (in terms of science and industry) to deliver that experience or the wonders of just where and how that water came to be in our glass or shower.

In our SpiroFlo business, we have developed technologies that reduce water consumption without requiring a change in personal behavior. We produced a report (sponsored by the Colorado Energy Office) in 2010, which proved the beneficial attributes of our technology, and we fully expected cities, municipalities, states and even countries to be interested in what we had to offer.

In 2013, SpiroFlo was selected as a semi-finalist in the CleanTech Open – an international accelerator program – to present our SpiroFlo technology and its water savings benefit. We showed dramatic charts of drought water levels in Lake Mead and described the impending water crisis facing Las Vegas and much of California. We made, what we considered, to be a compelling argument for affirmative action in this area of water conservation. However, we received only tepid support from our peers in the CleanTech community. One of the business advisers in the CTO, responding to our claims that many millions of gallons of water could be saved annually, said, “I just do not see the compelling interest.”

Recently, we posted an article in one of the networking groups on LinkedIn about the water shortage problem in California. We felt that, with the prognostications from politicians of all stripes in California, interest in water saving solutions would increase. However, it seems that low-flush toilets and low GPM showers are the extent of the interest that the “average Joe” has in helping with this problem. In fact, we received comments back from only two LinkedIn members (both in India).

There are many, many technology solutions which can be helpful in optimizing both the quality and use of water on a global scale. Sadly, there are over 750 million people (or more than 1 in 10 of the entire world population) that lack access to safe  drinking water (source: water facts: Water.org) and over 2.5 billion lack access to adequate sanitation (source: unwater.org). One out of every five childhood deaths before age five around the world results from a water-related disease (source: thewaterproject.org).

So next time you turn on the shower or the sprinkler, or reach for the fresh ripe tomato to add to your freshly harvested juicy lettuce, just remember we all benefit from this perfect recycling program, and it’s best we all do something to make sure it is here for all our future.

For more information on the water - and energy-saving SpiroFlo device, visit our SpiroFlo.com website or contact us at (303) 761-7010 or just email our marketing manager. He can be reached by email at [email protected].