Why Copenhagen Has Almost Perfect Water

Haunted by a 1962 drought in the town of Westminster, Colorado, the city's planners now incorporate water data in their planning processes to ensure that they never face the same sourcing issues again. By breaking down the silos between its water management and planning departments, the town has figured out how to manage its finite water resources, even in the face of a ballooning population. Now, other towns are following suit.

Scientists and activists in India are training citizens to collect information on water issues like contamination — and upload it so it can be used to push for change.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Washington State could pass one of the toughest restrictions on water bottling operations in the United States, thanks to activists who raised environmental concerns over a bottling facility that wanted to open in a town. Their advocacy is modeled after a similar legal fight in Oregon, where environmentalists, Native American tribes, and labor unions came together behind the campaign. Their success could provide a plan for similar efforts in other communities.

Upcycling spent barley helps to ease wastewater treatment. In Havre, Montana, the town’s wastewater treatment plant uses barley from a local brewery, Triple Dog Brewing, to feed bacteria. The nutrients from the barley give the bacteria a boost, helping to reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the water. The collaboration means that Havre can save on expensive solutions and upgrades to its wastewater treatment plant.

If you’ve ever been to a music festival, you’ve probably stepped inside a chemical toilet. The blue, plastic toilets, are meant to be temporary. However, in post-Apartheid, Cape Town, they are permanent fixtures for a large population of mostly black, poor residents.

As the U.S. Southwest continues to navigate ongoing water crises, several places — including Las Vegas; Orange County, California;, and San Diego — are turning wastewater into drinking water. Their various systems are recycling and treating wastewater as a way to save money and create a reliable supply of drinking water for residents in arid climates. Outreach and education in these communities helped make these systems successful and could be a model for others looking to supplement their traditional water supplies.