Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene September - October 2016 Vol. 11 No.4 | Page 17
TECHNOLOGYINNOVATIONS
“Currently, we have a system on-site from Water Planet that does
500 barrels a day,” Dundee Kelbel, the manager of Sweetwater Tech
Resources, told local broadcasters about the project. “But, our intent
is obviously to put in an industrial facility long-term ... which would
handle about 25,000 barrels — a million gallons, if you will — on a
daily basis.”
4. OptiRTC: Stormwater
infrastructure through
active control and reporting
According to OptiRTC, the U.S. discharges
over 900 billion gallons of raw sewage
into natural bodies of water every year
through combined sewer overflows. This,
along with the fact that stormwater runoff
carries pollutants to said bodies, inspired
the two-year-old tech company to develop
its platform for enhanced stormwater
infrastructure.
With OptiRTC’s system, rain is collected
from roofs and stored in basement cisterns.
When the weather forecast calls for rain,
water is automatically discharged from these
cisterns to accommodate the oncoming
runoff. The water that’s been collected
can be reused for agriculture during dry
periods. This system enables stormwater
management facilities to increase retention
times and infiltration, reduce downstream
erosion, and improve water quality. The
company claims that its platform is 30 to
80 percent less expensive over its lifetime
than traditional retrofits. To date, it’s been
employed in more than 19 states.
5. Dropcountr:
Smartphone connections
for customers and utilities
It’s clear that all of our interactions are
moving to a more digital place. There
is certainly still a need for traditional
communication — face-to-face, through
mail, and by telephone — but many
consumers would prefer to interface with
their water providers the way they do with
everyone else: through their smartphones.
Dropcountr is an app for mobile devices
that connects utilities with customers. It
allows customers to see their water usage
and compare it to that of their neighbors,
connect to rebate offers, and stay on top
of leaks or abnormalities. Utilities can use
the app to send targeted messages directly
to the consumers that need them, access
advanced analytics, and find out who uses
the most water and why. n
About The Author
Peter Chawaga is the associate editor for Water Online. He creates
and manages engaging and relevant content on a variety of water
and wastewater industry topics. Chawaga has worked as a reporter
and editor in newsrooms throughout the country and holds a
bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in journalism. He can be
reached at [email protected].
This article first appeared in the July 2016 edition of Wateronline. It has been
reprinted with permission.
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Africa Innovations
Water, Sanitation
Water
& Hygiene • September - October 2016
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