US citizens expect access to clean and safe drinking water, yet hundreds of thousands across the country are being denied this basic right. From Houston, Texas to Jackson, Mississippi, residents in numerous American cities face daily struggles accessing clean water for their families and communities – a critical issue that has become a stark reality for many municipalities across America.
What cities are in crisis?
Several cities in the United States are currently going through or recently faced significant water crises. In Houston (2022), more than two million people were advised to boil their water due to a power outage at a water purification plant, which has resulted in low water pressure. This precautionary measure is necessary to ensure the safety of residents as they use water for various purposes like cooking, bathing, and drinking.
Another city grappling with a water crisis is Jackson, Mississippi. Since July 2022, most of the city’s 150,000 residents have been under a boil water notice. The Mississippi State Health Department found cloudy water that could potentially cause digestive problems. This situation has raised concerns about the quality of the water supply and has necessitated ongoing measures to ensure the well-being of the residents.
The discovery of E. coli in several West Baltimore locations has also affected over 1,500 people. As a precaution, some Baltimore residents were advised to boil tap water. While the health department worked through finding and fixing leaks in the area, residents relied on bottled water.
These examples highlight the vulnerabilities of water infrastructure and the potential health risks faced by communities when such infrastructure is compromised. It underscores the importance of robust and well-maintained systems to ensure the availability of safe drinking water for the population. Efforts to address these crises are crucial to safeguard public health and well-being. Reducing single-use plastic waste is a huge challenge for society and one that consuming bottled water only adds to during times of water crisis. At Purafy, we continue to engineer solutions that can address such problems in a much more sustainable manner, making society more resilient to challenging water conditions as similar events undoubtedly occur again.
What can be done about the issue?
Improving access to clean and safe drinking water is a priority for many municipalities across the United States. The federal government has allocated funding to help cities with aging infrastructure to improve their systems and ensure that citizens have access to potable water. Local governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders are also engaged in efforts to mitigate water shortages. The issue of water scarcity needs urgent attention due to factors such as climate change, population growth, and resource depletion. Addressing this challenge requires innovative solutions that focus on promoting water conservation and better management.
How Purafy can help relieve water scarcity
At Purafy, we believe in a world where clean water is accessible to all. We use advanced materials and nanotechnology to create, produce, and deliver strong and efficient water filtration systems for both commercial and residential purposes, to address the problem of water shortage.
Our project to recycle greywater, which is the wastewater from non-toilet household plumbing systems like sinks, washing machines, showers, and baths, is very promising. Purafy researchers started working with teams at St. Lawrence College and Queen’s University in Kingston in April to develop greywater recycling technology over a three-year period. When treated and recycled, greywater can be safely reused in toilets and for outdoor purposes such as watering lawns and gardens.
Purafy is committed to transforming current water filtration systems by utilizing their exclusive graphene materials and technology to enhance power, capacity, and cost-effectiveness.
To learn more about Purafy’s water filtration projects and mission, visit purafy.com