National Alliance for Water Innovation tapped to address water security issues

The National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) was tapped as an Energy-Water Desalination Hub to address water security issues in the United States.

The Hub will focus on early-stage research and development (R&D) for energy-efficient desalination technologies, including manufacturing challenges and “non-traditional” water sources. Congress appropriated $40 million since Fiscal Year 2017 for the Hub while public and private stakeholders will contribute $34 million.

“I’m excited by the incredible possibilities we have focused on the energy-water nexus today to create a secure and prosperous tomorrow, including the Energy-Water Desalination Hub,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said. “The Hub will spur technological advancements in the treatment of non-traditional water sources. I’m proud that the Department of Energy is already a leader in this area, not simply in energy and water security, but in energy and water innovation.”

The NAWI is a public-private partnership that includes 35 members and over 180 organizations within the alliance. It is led by the DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in collaboration with National Energy Technology Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

NAWI’s goal is to enable the manufacturing of energy-efficient desalination technologies that treat seawater, brackish water, and produced waters, for use in municipal, industrial, agricultural, utility, oil and gas, and other water supply needs. It supports the Water Security Grand Challenge, a White House-initiated program to advance technology and innovation for affordable water through a coordinated suite of prizes, competitions, and early stage R&D.

One of the competitions is the Wastewater Resource Recovery Prize Competition. The competition will seek teams from wastewater treatment plants, engineering and design firms, technology developers, resource customers (e.g., farmers, electric and gas utilities) and others to develop recovery plans for their respective wastewater treatment systems.

Another is the American-Made Challenges: Solar Desalination Prize. This prize is designed to accelerate technology innovation through the design, development, and demonstration of desalination systems that use solar power to generate freshwater from saltwater.