The Town That Extended ‘Smart Growth' to Its Water

Israel experienced extreme drought a few years ago and its water supply was very low. National campaigns to install desalination plants have helped Israel turnaround its inadequate water supply into a surplus. The water scientists who have helped make this surplus see an opportunity for water diplomacy and the de-politicization of water in the Middle East so that more of it can be shared with other geographies.

Thanks to years of government intervention, the city of Copenhagen has almost perfectly clean water — even better than bottled water. Denmark utilizes overflow barriers, underground water storage, and rerouted wastewater to keep their public water sources clean. Public awareness and a water tax also contribute to the city's success so that residents conserve and value their water (using only 26 gallons a day as opposed to the 80-100 gallons that Americans use).

Though once the rivers were afoul with pollution and the carcasses of poisoned fish and the water from taps was too hazardous to drink, Denmark now boasts some of the world's cleanest drinking water and some of it's most comprehensive programs for good water management. The Danish government is looking to help other nations replicate their success, leveraging technology and collaboration to better manage water treatment and conservation for all.

Water conservation has been a hot topic for the last decade. As nations continue to search for ways to ensure a safe water supply for future generations, some places are looking to history for answers. Taking a page out of the 1970s water shortage era for Orange County in California, these places are finding ways to recycle sewage water into drinkable water.

Mysuru has become a gleaming example for solutions to India's vaster struggles with solid-waste management, toilet construction, sanitation strategy, public outreach, and other measures. The city uses a decentralized model that leverages a mix of municipal resources, NGO leadership, civil society, and cooperation from proud residents and businesses.

Israel has an abundance of water and independence from climate conditions through public ownership and government management of all water, a water-respecting culture, and innovative agriculture practices.

In Australia, the Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Council was formed after a severe drought to bring together federal, state and regional governments and bridge parochial concerns. It was meant to manage the basin as a whole and end overuse and salinization of farm land, leveraging new technologies to adapt to new realities.

As governments and residents wrestle with drought and dwindling water supplies, atmospheric water generation systems are popping up throughout the United States as a way to convert air into water. One product, called WeDew, collects water droplets that are formed when warm air meets a cool surface. That water can be used to water plants or create safe drinking water. These air-to-water generators are being used in places from California to Uganda.

While much of the state is still facing a severe drought, San Diego has access to plenty of water. Restrictions - like not allowing restaurants to serve water unless it’s asked for and barring residents from watering their yards during the day – have helped. Diversifying where the city gets their water from and investing in water-saving infrastructure, like lining Imperial Valley canals with concrete to prevent water from seeping into the earth, growing desalination capabilities, and adding more capacity to the reservoir, have also helped diversity and save water.

Indonesian villagers were experiencing water shortages as natural springs started to dry up in part due to climate change, so they installed infiltration wells to collect and absorb rainwater. Not everyone, at first, wanted to implement the wells on their property, but by 2020, there were 320 infiltration wells in Patemon village. This water conservation project is not being implemented throughout the rest of the country.