Embracing innovation in the wastewater sector

摘要

Innovation is not about incremental improvement. In classic economists' speak, incremental means moving along the supply curve. Innovation, on the other hand, is shifting the supply curve itself. Innovation is what solves big problems, and the wastewater sector manages a huge one: the ever-growing volume of biosolids or wastewater sludge. In the U.S., wastewater from households alone generates 81.6 million kg/d (180 million Ib/d) of sludge. But the wastewater treatment infrastructure that handles this challenge is wearing out and becoming less reliable. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified a potential $500 billion gap in funding by the year 2020 for the nation's water infrastructure needs. According to the American Association of Civil Engineers (Reston, Va.), not investing in our water systems will lead to leaking pipes, increased water costs, higher investment costs, delayed cleanup projects, and polluted waters.