Veolia Water Technologies by GineersNow Engineering Magazine GineersNow Engineering Magazine September 2016 | Page 85

Photo by Boschrexroth
One of the methods of power
generation that is highly dependent
on the availability of water is, of
course, hydropower generation.
A consistent supply of water is
extremely important in hydropower
plants, that even minute variations
in rainfall and ambient temperature,
and a small dip in water levels in
dams and reservoirs can have a huge
effect on hydropower generation
and on the health of the turbines.
Water-related weather phenomena
like droughts, El Niño, or floods can
lead to exceedingly low levels of
water in dams, or to destruction of
and damage to turbines due to silt,
respectively. When these happen
to hydropower plants, a shortage
in electricity supply may ensue,
which may jeopardize business and
industrial operations, and the daily
activities of common residents.
Power for water
Water supply and sewage disposal
requires power. A considerable
amount of electricity is needed to
extract, transport, treat and use
water in urban and rural areas.
For instance, drinking water must
be pumped to treatment facilities,
pre-treated, and then pushed or
transported to consumers. According
to experts, energ y consumed in
pumping groundwater is within the
area of 537 kWh and 2,270 kWh per
million gallons depending on the
pumping depth. cannot happen overnight nor
even in a span of few years. There
are numerous factors involved in
shifting a paradigm, and for new
technologies to gain traction, all
variables should fall into place, and
all parties involved should agree to
head to the same direction.
Water desalination is another process
that involves a copious amount of
power. As fresh water may not always
be abundant or available, salt water is
desalinated to produce water suitable
for human consumption or irrigation.
Compared to extracting water from
rivers or the ground, water recycling
or water conservations process,
desalination entails a relatively
increased level of electricity. While industry experts are looking
into the wider adoption and
improvement of renewable energy
sources, like solar and wind, they
may find merit in tapping the
support of other stable power
technologies, like multi-megawatt
temporary power solutions. As the
world transitions to water-friendly,
alternative power sources, the need
of the hour is to find a balanced
energy mix – traditional, renewable
and temporary – where sources
complement each other to create
a system capable of providing
the most sustainable and stable
electricity supply possible.
Managing power and water for
the next generations
In the interest of maintaining a buoyant
supply of power and water for the
future, there is a steady drumbeat on
harnessing viable alternative sources
of energy that only require a negligible
amount of water, or are completely
independent. But as one may predict,
the adoption of nascent technologies
SEPTEMBER 2016
Clean Water Technologies
85