Today, March 22, the world turns its attention to the sustainable management of water resources in recognition of World Water Day. ITT Corporation (NYSE:ITT), a world leader in the transport and treatment of water and wastewater, supports the United Nations’ (UN) 2011 focus on urbanization and water infrastructure—a critical, yet frequently forgotten, piece of the puzzle.
Today, half of the people on the planet lives in a city and according to UN-HABITAT, virtually all of the world’s demographic growth over the next 30 years will be concentrated in urban areas, with the world’s urban population expected to double by 2050. In China alone, 300 million people are expected to migrate from the interior of the country to the coastal regions in the next two decades, placing demands on infrastructure that cannot possibly be met over the long-term without massive investment in water treatment and infrastructure.
In other developed regions, water pipes as well as treatment and delivery systems are crumbling under the combined pressures of population growth, urbanization and chronic underinvestment. In the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 1.7 trillion gallons of water are wasted every year as a result of water main breaks and other leaks. Seemingly minor improvements in water infrastructure can also save enormous amounts of energy: California’s State Water Project, which pumps water over the Tehachapi Mountains, is the largest single user of energy in California and accounts for up to three percent of all electricity consumed in the state. Even incremental changes could realize significant energy savings.
Today, half of the people on the planet lives in a city and according to UN-HABITAT, virtually all of the world’s demographic growth over the next 30 years will be concentrated in urban areas, with the world’s urban population expected to double by 2050. In China alone, 300 million people are expected to migrate from the interior of the country to the coastal regions in the next two decades, placing demands on infrastructure that cannot possibly be met over the long-term without massive investment in water treatment and infrastructure.
In other developed regions, water pipes as well as treatment and delivery systems are crumbling under the combined pressures of population growth, urbanization and chronic underinvestment. In the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 1.7 trillion gallons of water are wasted every year as a result of water main breaks and other leaks. Seemingly minor improvements in water infrastructure can also save enormous amounts of energy: California’s State Water Project, which pumps water over the Tehachapi Mountains, is the largest single user of energy in California and accounts for up to three percent of all electricity consumed in the state. Even incremental changes could realize significant energy savings.
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