This is not the punch line to a joke….what you get is “WaterMatch”, a free, non-commercial web-site developed by CH2M Hill designed to increase water reuse, and it was recently featured on ASU’s web site.
WaterMatch is similar to on-line dating in that its purpose is to initiate dialogue between people (waste water treatment plants) that produce effluent or waste water, with people (industrial and agriculture) that might be able to use waste water in lieu of using fresh water. One important aspect of increasing water sustainability in our local communities, especially in arid regions such as Arizona, is to increase the amount of water reuse. If we can use waste water for many applications instead of fresh water, we can increase our water sustainability.
We (Intel) liked the idea so much that we partnered with CH2M Hill, ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability, and their Decision Center for a Desert City to understand how this tool could be used in Arizona. When I first met with CH2M Hill, I looked at their map and typed in “Tempe, Arizona” into the database. There were no “water drops” in the entire State of Arizona. A water drop represents a waste water treatment facility, or in our analogy here, a potential partner in a water match-up. After working with students at ASU to populate the website with water drops, we now have over 130 water drops in the system. In addition to the water drops, Intel is sponsoring research at ASU to “deep dive” into the topic of water reuse in the State of Arizona, and understand how WaterMatch might play a role in increasing water reuse. I encourage you to check out the site - if you are interested, leave a comment or send me a message via Twitter.
WaterMatch is similar to on-line dating in that its purpose is to initiate dialogue between people (waste water treatment plants) that produce effluent or waste water, with people (industrial and agriculture) that might be able to use waste water in lieu of using fresh water. One important aspect of increasing water sustainability in our local communities, especially in arid regions such as Arizona, is to increase the amount of water reuse. If we can use waste water for many applications instead of fresh water, we can increase our water sustainability.
We (Intel) liked the idea so much that we partnered with CH2M Hill, ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability, and their Decision Center for a Desert City to understand how this tool could be used in Arizona. When I first met with CH2M Hill, I looked at their map and typed in “Tempe, Arizona” into the database. There were no “water drops” in the entire State of Arizona. A water drop represents a waste water treatment facility, or in our analogy here, a potential partner in a water match-up. After working with students at ASU to populate the website with water drops, we now have over 130 water drops in the system. In addition to the water drops, Intel is sponsoring research at ASU to “deep dive” into the topic of water reuse in the State of Arizona, and understand how WaterMatch might play a role in increasing water reuse. I encourage you to check out the site - if you are interested, leave a comment or send me a message via Twitter.