Water
Going with the flow: how technology is driving the future of water
The climate crisis is exacerbating water scarcity. Fortunately, however, technologies are emerging that will make water management more efficient and sustainable.
Advances in recycling, membrane and filtration technologies, use of renewable power and new materials are transforming the water industry.
By James Chater
Reverse osmosis system for water drinking plant. Photo: Dreamstime.
What’ s at stake
The current year has highlighted both the climate crisis and the perils of ignoring it. The summer, one of the hottest and driest on record, was marked by devastating wildfires, while floods swept through Europe, Asia and the Americas. Water – or its absence – sits at the crossroads of these challenges. Scarcity threatens to make vast regions uninhabitable, while wildfires require abundant supplies to fight the flames. Meanwhile, sudden, intense rainfall underscores the need for smarter flood prevention and mitigation. Depending on the circumstances, water is both a problem and a solution.
Desalination
Desalination, once considered a last-ditch option, is now a vital tool against scarcity. Critics rightly point to its energy intensity and brine byproducts, but technological advances are steadily making it more sustainable. Hong Kong’ s Tseung Kwan O desalination plant, commissioned in 2024, is a case in point. Built on reclaimed landfill, the site avoids disrupting new habitats while placing production close to population centres and existing pipeline networks ensures efficient distribution. The plant uses ActiDAFF, a hybrid flotation – filtration system that adjusts energy use based on water quality: energy use is reduced when water impurities are low. Advanced reverse osmosis( RO) with energy recovery devices can reclaim up to 96 % of the brine’ s pressure energy, cutting pumping energy requirements by half. High-efficiency pumps and a 10 MW solar farm, along with over 1,800 rooftop solar panels, will further slash the plant’ s carbon footprint. Rainwater harvesting and greywater reuse are expected to halve freshwater consumption. Across the Middle East and North Africa, desalination plants are pushing capacity boundaries. The Shoaiba complex in Saudi Arabia holds the record for the world’ s largest water desalination capacity, at nearly 3 million cubic metres per day. Other mega-projects include the Ras Al Khair hybrid plant( Saudi Arabia), and Jebel Ali, Fujairah and Taweelah( all in UAE). These plants combine advanced thermal and
Did you know?
Solar desalination is older than many realise: it dates back to 1942, when Hungarian American scientist Mária Telkes designed a portable solar distillation device for the US military, providing lifesaving fresh water for stranded pilots and sailors. Her pioneering work earned her the nickname“ Sun Queen,” reminding us that innovation in water technology often builds on a long lineage of ideas.
14 Valve World November 2025 www. valve-world. net