[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":151},["ShallowReactive",2],{"icziy5PrZTqFr-H6z-Z-SbMh360q01Wup6F-UZshWD0":3,"article_the-next-wave-of-water-treatment_solidworks":10,"_apollo:default":149,"_apollo:identified":150},{"mailchimpAudience":4},{"actionUrl":5,"slug":6,"locale":7,"default":8,"__typename":9},"","the-next-wave-of-water-treatment","en","https:\u002F\u002F3ds.us3.list-manage.com\u002Fsubscribe\u002Fpost?u=ed4601044e1936748c0d2aa6b&id=e5080ff9fe&f_id=002d4de2f0","MailchimpAudience",{"posts":11},{"nodes":12,"__typename":148},[13],{"id":14,"slug":6,"title":15,"uri":16,"excerpt":17,"locale":18,"featuredImage":21,"tableOfContents":30,"content":31,"date":32,"authorJobTitle":5,"author":33,"masterings":43,"globalTags":64,"products":93,"disciplines":104,"seo":137,"__typename":147},"cG9zdDoyOTgzNQ==","The Next Wave of Water Treatment","\u002Fproducts\u002Fsolidworks\u002Fthe-next-wave-of-water-treatment","\u003Cp>Turning on a tap is the easiest of tasks. Yet the process…\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"locale":19,"__typename":20},"en_US","Locale",{"node":22,"__typename":29},{"large":23,"__typename":24,"medium_large":25,"thumbnail":26,"srcSet":27,"sizes":28},"https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-1024x789.jpeg.webp","MediaItem","https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-768x592.jpeg.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-150x150.jpeg.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-1024x789.jpeg.webp 1024w, https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-300x231.jpeg.webp 300w, https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-768x592.jpeg.webp 768w, https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-1536x1183.jpeg.webp 1536w, https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2.jpeg.webp 1920w","(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px","NodeWithFeaturedImageToMediaItemConnectionEdge",[],"\u003Cp>Turning on a tap is the easiest of tasks. Yet the process that gives you instant access to safe, drinkable refreshment is anything but simple. 844 million people don’t have access to \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwater.org\u002Four-impact\u002Fwater-crisis\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">safe water\u003C\u002Fa>. That’s one in every nine. It’s a stark statistic that highlights humanity’s need for a long-term answer to a long-running global problem. Here’s how science is turning safe running water from a privilege to a priority.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"615\" height=\"410\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_1-615x410-1.jpg.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29837\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_1-615x410-1.jpg.webp 615w, https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_1-615x410-1-300x200.jpg.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp>Surface water, groundwater… no water?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Current water refining systems are competent. Almost. However, the increasing global population furthers a greater need for free-flowing, disease-free water. The traditional methods of filtering surface water sources (reservoirs and lakes) or groundwater supplies (springs and wells) aren’t enough to sustain demand. The alternative has water sourced from perhaps the most unlikely of places: our toilets. More or less.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\nWaste not, drink not\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Global water treatment company \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpwntechnologies.com\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PWNT\u003C\u002Fa> are researching refinement methods that seek to filter sewerage and polluted rivers, producing safe drinking water from waste water sources. In densely populated cities with little available space, alternatives to enormous treatment facilities are needed urgently. PWNT currently uses a combination of ion exchange filters (think large scale versions of your Brita water filter jugs) and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fpwntechnologies.com\u002Fportfolio-item\u002Fceramac\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ceramic membrane\u003C\u002Fa> technology to achieve a more efficient and economically viable method of producing water. The plan is to extend that ethos to more readily available recyclable sources by 2020 – a mere few months away.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Craig Criddle and Bill Mitch claim that they’re there already. The Stanford environmental engineers have been looking at more sustainable ways of treating wastewater. In doing so, their research took them to resurrecting bacteria to help in the fight against contamination using a system known as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fengineering.stanford.edu\u002Fmagazine\u002Farticle\u002Fold-bacteria-new-tricks-future-water-purification\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anaerobic processing\u003C\u002Fa> – very similar in principle to biogas production. A California-based plant is already in production, with the Silicon Valley Clean Water utility assessing its productivity for possible expansion upon its success.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"615\" height=\"474\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-615x474-1.jpeg.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29838\" srcset=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-615x474-1.jpeg.webp 615w, https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fwater_2-615x474-1-300x231.jpeg.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \u002F>\u003C\u002Ffigure>\u003Cp>Nano, nano\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Another technology in its infancy that takes aims at water pollutants is the nanoparticle filtration system. Developed by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, the cheap and contaminant targeting biological \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.scientificamerican.com\u002Farticle\u002Fcheap-nanotech-filter-water\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">filtration method\u003C\u002Fa> uniquely both kills microbes and removes deadly pollutants such as lead and arsenic. Made from inexpensive materials (including the chitin from crustacean shells) and produced using little energy, the technology looks certain to expand to large scale production in the near future.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\nWater water everywhere, but can we have a drink?\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>Almost cruelly, two thirds of our planet is covered in a form of water that humans can’t digest. The salty brine of the ocean isn’t made for our bodies, but that hasn’t stopped scientists from trying to find a way to make it so. In its simplest form, distilling saline by simply boiling and capturing the steam is a fairly straightforward method of removing the deadly salt from the ocean. On large scale production however, it’s cumbersome, energy-extensive and prohibitively expensive. Recent \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnypost.com\u002F2017\u002F04\u002F05\u002Fscientists-figured-out-how-to-make-seawater-drinkable\u002F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">developments\u003C\u002Fa> have seen a filtration method that uses a graphene-woven \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.nature.com\u002Farticles\u002Fnnano.2017.21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">membrane\u003C\u002Fa> to sieve out the sea salt, potentially kick-starting a desalination revolution that could solve global thirst and contamination issues for the next generation.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>A near infinite supply of recyclable, fresh water that’s safe for consumption? That’s certainly no drop in the ocean.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\nYou may also be interested in: \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>>> \u003Ca href=\".\u002Fbrands\u002Fsolidworksblog\u002F2018\u002F10\u002Fhow-technology-is-changing-the-beverage-industry.html\">How technology is changing the beverage industry\u003C\u002Fa>\n>> \u003Ca href=\".\u002Fbrands\u002Fsolidworksblog\u002F2018\u002F04\u002Fplantscrapers-and-robotic-bees-is-this-the-future-of-food.html\">Plantscrapers and robotic bees: is this the future of food?\u003C\u002Fa>\n>> \u003Ca href=\".\u002Fbrands\u002Fsolidworksblog\u002F2018\u002F09\u002Fhow-design-is-reimagining-transport-in-a-clogged-world.html\">Streets of the future: how design is reimagining transport in a clogged world\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>","2019-01-08T07:00:37",{"node":34,"__typename":42},{"nicename":35,"description":36,"slug":35,"name":37,"firstName":5,"lastName":5,"avatar":38,"__typename":41},"tgreenwell","Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. offers complete 3D software tools that let you create, simulate, publish, and manage your data. SolidWorks products are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better, faster, and more cost-effectively. The SolidWorks focus on ease-of-use allows more engineers, designers and other technology professionals than ever before to take advantage of 3D in bringing their designs to life.","SOLIDWORKS UK",{"url":39,"__typename":40},"https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F12\u002Fc84035a7d2eb9ede8f23fa6104dc2e5c_400x400.png.webp","Avatar","User","NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge",{"nodes":44,"edges":56,"__typename":63},[45,51],{"id":46,"name":47,"slug":48,"uri":49,"__typename":50},"dGVybTo5MQ==","Certification","certification","\u002Fmastering\u002Fcertification\u002F","Taxonomy_mastering",{"id":52,"name":53,"slug":54,"uri":55,"__typename":50},"dGVybTo5Mw==","SWUGN","swugn","\u002Fmastering\u002Fswugn\u002F",[57,61],{"isPrimary":58,"node":59,"__typename":60},false,{"id":46,"name":47,"slug":48,"uri":49,"__typename":50},"PostToTaxonomy_masteringConnectionEdge",{"isPrimary":58,"node":62,"__typename":60},{"id":52,"name":53,"slug":54,"uri":55,"__typename":50},"PostToTaxonomy_masteringConnection",{"nodes":65,"__typename":92},[66,72,77,82,87],{"id":67,"name":68,"slug":69,"uri":70,"__typename":71},"dGVybTo5NjA1","3DEXPERIENCE Platform","3dexperience-platform","\u002Ftags\u002F3dexperience-platform\u002F","Taxonomy_tag",{"id":73,"name":74,"slug":75,"uri":76,"__typename":71},"dGVybTo5NjIw","Collaboration","collaboration","\u002Ftags\u002Fcollaboration\u002F",{"id":78,"name":79,"slug":80,"uri":81,"__typename":71},"dGVybTo5NjA4","Customer Stories","customer-stories","\u002Ftags\u002Fcustomer-stories\u002F",{"id":83,"name":84,"slug":85,"uri":86,"__typename":71},"dGVybTo5NTk5","Design","design","\u002Ftags\u002Fdesign\u002F",{"id":88,"name":89,"slug":90,"uri":91,"__typename":71},"dGVybTo5NjAz","SOLIDWORKS","solidworks","\u002Ftags\u002Fsolidworks\u002F","PostToTaxonomy_tagConnection",{"edges":94,"nodes":101,"__typename":103},[95],{"isPrimary":58,"node":96,"__typename":100},{"id":97,"name":89,"slug":90,"uri":98,"__typename":99},"dGVybTo1Ng==","\u002Fproducts\u002Fsolidworks\u002F","Taxonomy_product","PostToTaxonomy_productConnectionEdge",[102],{"id":97,"name":89,"slug":90,"uri":98,"__typename":99},"PostToTaxonomy_productConnection",{"nodes":105,"edges":130,"__typename":136},[106,120],{"id":107,"name":108,"slug":109,"uri":110,"parentId":111,"disciplines":112,"__typename":119},"dGVybTo2MA==","3D CAD","3d-cad","\u002Fdisciplines\u002F3d-cad\u002F","dGVybTo1OA==",{"nodes":113,"__typename":118},[114],{"title":108,"uri":115,"parentId":116,"__typename":117},"\u002Fdisciplines\u002Fdesign-engineering\u002F3d-cad","cG9zdDozNzcz","Discipline","Taxonomy_disciplineToDisciplineConnection","Taxonomy_discipline",{"id":121,"name":122,"slug":123,"uri":124,"parentId":125,"disciplines":126,"__typename":119},"dGVybTo3Mg==","Management and Collaboration","management-collaboration","\u002Fdisciplines\u002Fmanagement-collaboration\u002F",null,{"nodes":127,"__typename":118},[128],{"title":122,"uri":129,"parentId":125,"__typename":117},"\u002Fdisciplines\u002Fmanagement-collaboration",[131,134],{"isPrimary":58,"node":132,"__typename":133},{"parentId":111,"id":107,"name":108,"slug":109,"uri":110,"__typename":119},"PostToTaxonomy_disciplineConnectionEdge",{"isPrimary":58,"node":135,"__typename":133},{"parentId":125,"id":121,"name":122,"slug":123,"uri":124,"__typename":119},"PostToTaxonomy_disciplineConnection",{"canonical":5,"title":138,"metaDesc":5,"opengraphAuthor":5,"opengraphDescription":139,"opengraphTitle":15,"opengraphUrl":140,"opengraphSiteName":141,"opengraphPublishedTime":142,"opengraphModifiedTime":143,"twitterTitle":5,"twitterDescription":5,"readingTime":144,"metaRobotsNoindex":145,"__typename":146},"The Next Wave of Water Treatment - Blog Solidworks","Turning on a tap is the easiest of tasks. Yet the process…","\u002Fproducts\u002Fsolidworks\u002Fthe-next-wave-of-water-treatment\u002F","Blog Solidworks","2019-01-08T12:00:37+00:00","2026-02-13T01:18:58+00:00",3,"noindex","PostTypeSEO","Post","RootQueryToPostConnection",{},{},1776256741483]