This year, World Water Day focused on Water and Sustainable development, one of the most important global challenges that guide those in the water industry to deliver innovative, sustainable solutions

The need to develop resource-efficient water treatment methods is underscored by the intrinsic relationship between water, food and energy, otherwise known as the Water-Food-Energy Nexus.

This is especially pronounced in regions where water scarcity is more prominent.

Furthermore, as the global population is expected to grow from 7 billion to 8.3 billion people by 2030, experts estimate that the world will require 30% more water, 40% more energy and 50% more food.

Zakia Bahjou, MEA&T Commercial Manager of Dow Water & Process Solutions (DWPS), a company which specalises in sustainable water separation and purification technologies says their company is committed to delivering cutting‐edge water desalination and water re‐use technologies for markets worldwide.

Ultimately the quality of the end product water needs to be of a sufficiently high standard to meet the specifications for which the re-use was intended. The quality is thus linked to the end use and a variety of technologies will be employed to reach that aim.

“Dow has the broadest and deepest processing and separation portfolio in the world and can combine these various technologies to create innovative solutions specific to the needs of the user,” Bahjou adds.

Dow is a leader in Reverse Osmosis (RO), Ultrafiltration (UF) and Ion Exchange (IE) technologies and applications for industrial waste water treatment.

The products are designed to optimise up-time (low fouling), technologies offer significant energy savings during plant operation pull a variety of contaminants such as salt and minerals out of the waste stream water and have the ability to combine RO and UF for a better performing, longer-lasting treatment system.

Bahjou adds: “Dow Water & Process Solutions UF & RO technologies have been used in plants built to treat coal mine drainage wastewater, processing the water to a standard whereby it is used as feed water to a nearby power station demineralisation plant. This is a good example of waste water re-use playing a very efficient role in conserving our scarce water resources.”