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Water Conservation
New touch-free faucets use capacitive sensors to boost reliability
02:05 April 24, 2009 PDT
Automatic faucets are a good idea, they're convenient, hygienic and big water savers, but many of us who've encountered these "smart taps" in public washrooms would be familiar with the inordinate amount of hand-waving that's sometimes required to actually make them work. Fontaine believes it has the answer with its new line of Sensa Field automatic faucets. Rather than relying on motion activated Infrared sensors which have a tendency to cut out mid-rinse, these taps utilize a capacitive omni-directional sensing zone around the spout which the company says guarantees activation the first time. Read More
AquaHub conserves H2O in the garden
21:03 April 22, 2009 PDT
With water conservation becoming an increasingly urgent priority in many parts of the world, we're always on the lookout for something that saves on H2O. Described as a "power strip + surge protector for watering outdoors", the AquaHub is a water management tool that connects to a standard garden hose, branching out into six regulated irrigation outlets to pinpoint and cater for the specific needs of different areas within the garden, saving time as well as water. Read More
Drinkwell Hydro-Go portable water bowl for pets
18:00 March 12, 2009 PDT
Anyone who has ever embarked upon a road trip with their four-legged friend will appreciate this clever, simple invention. Drinkwell Hydro-Go is a two-in-one canteen and drink bowl designed to cut down on mess and water wastage. The integrated bowl is connected to the top of the bottle neck, flip out the bowl and pour water through the connecting funnel and you have a simple solution to re-hydrating your pet on the go without having to share your own water supply. Read More
The Playpump – innovation and inspiration conspire to solve myriad problems
By Mike Hanlon
23:30 January 27, 2009 PST
The Playpump is a playground merry-go-round that uses the boundless energy of children to pump water out of the ground. More than 1000 such pumps have been installed in schools in South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia and apart from bringing joy to children, and providing easy access to clean drinking water for the local community, the simple installation of the playpump has catalyzed improvements in health, education, economic development and even gender equality. The PlayPump system also provides one of the only ways to reach rural and peri-urban communities with potentially life saving public health messages. Read More
The pedestrian-powered Human Water Pump concept
By Emily Clark
19:10 October 28, 2008 PDT
According to research from the Pacific Institute, more than five million people die each year from water-related disease, primarily due to inadequate access to clean water which, if it is available, often requires trekking over long distances to reach it. Gunwook Nam from South Korea has proposed a solution that harnesses people power - literally. The Human Pump concept uses a boardwalk structure fitted with springs that captures and stores kinetic energy from foot-traffic and uses it to pump underground water to the surface. Read More
WaterMill provides energy-efficient alternative to bottled H2O
By Emily Clark
17:05 October 20, 2008 PDT
The WaterMill from ElementFour is an atmospheric water collection device for the home that produces up to 12 liters of clean drinking water each day using only air. Once the drinking water is ready for consumption it can be fed directly to your sink, an existing bottled water system, your refrigerator, or a custom dispenser. Read More
Sheraton’s Wild Horse Pass Resort launches GeoGreen sustainability program
By Jude Garvey
17:09 September 8, 2008 PDT
The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa has launched a new initiative called GeoGreen which is designed to ensure environmental and cultural sustainability whilst maintaining the heritage and well-being of the Gila River Indian Community. Guests will find a restaurant menu featuring local ingredients sourced from Gila River farms, grounds filled with native plants watered by a timed drip system, local businesses being engaged in the process of keeping the resort green and will have the opportunity to be exposed to the culture of the Pima and Maricopa people. Read More
geos zero energy residential community launches in Colorado
By Emily Clark
11:05 July 18, 2008 PDT
Colorado will be home to the largest net-zero energy, master-planned community in the US after plans were announced for 250 residences to be built. Construction of the Geos Neighborhood will begin this fall and, once complete, will generate enough renewable energy to offset 100% of the annual energy needs of the entire community. Read More
Aquasolo self-watering system
By Emily Clark
22:48 July 12, 2008 PDT
While you’re on holidays your plants need not suffer with this self-watering system from Aquasolo. The patented device enables users to water plants for long periods, using just a bottle of water and the Aquasolo system. Read More
Tests demonstrate effectiveness of BioSentry water monitoring system
By Kyle Sherer
20:09 April 22, 2008 PDT
April 22, 2008 The World Health Organisation states that one billion people lack access to clean drinking water, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change believes this number will rise. In the developed world, the issue is one of monitoring and maintaining the fresh water supplies that already exist, and that's where systems like JMAR Technologies’ BioSentry water monitoring system come in. Biosentry uses laser-produced, multi-angle light scattering technology to identify individual microorganisms, eliminating the need for consumables or reagents and is able to detect bacterial pathogens up to 25 times better than any other water monitoring system according to recent test results from the U.S. EPA. Read More
Pedal power delivers clean water to the developing world
By Emily Clark
00:00 April 9, 2008 PDT
April 9, 2008 A staggering 1.1 billion people worldwide lack access to clean drinking water, with an estimated 5,000 children per day dying from water-related diseases. In response to this global crisis, a group of inventors from the US developed the innovative and highly commendable Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Vehicle - a tricycle which uses pedal power to both transport and filter clean drinking water. Read More
Unconventional approach produces ultra-pure water
By Jude Garvey
00:26 April 2, 2008 PDT
April 2, 2008 Traditional water-purification techniques such as filtration or distillation attempt to remove the contaminants from water by fluid flow. Reversing this thinking, a new Scandinavian spin-off company is researching a new method of purification that takes the clean water molecules out of the contaminated matter using carbon dioxide gas. Read More
Water saving Water Aid Top Load Washer from Electrolux
By Emily Clark
17:23 March 16, 2008 PDT
March 17, 2008 Top loaders have generally been considered the water wasters of the washing machine world, but the new Water Aid Top Load Washer from Electrolux addresses this issue by delivering water savings of up to up to 7,800 liters (over 2000 gallons) per year using sensors that determine the load size and only supplying the exact amount of water needed to wash and rinse. Read More
Datamatic demonstrate Remote Shutoff Valve system for water utilities
21:25 January 23, 2008 PST
January 24, 2008 Water utility companies waste significant labor resources each year as staff try to overcome irate customers, vicious canines and difficult to access properties in an effort to disconnect or reconnect water services. Datamatic Ltd. has developed a solution to this problem in the form of its radio-frequency operated RSV™ Remote Shutoff Valve - a system that by-passes the need for physical access to properties, thereby reducing field service costs and preventing theft from inactive services. Read More
Advanced soil moisture monitoring technology saves water
By Emily Clark
22:09 December 4, 2007 PST
December 5, 2007 Effective use and management of precious water resources is increasingly a key concern for many countries. Two products from Agrilink offer optimization of irrigation scheduling via advanced soil moisture monitoring technology that promise vast water-savings for the environment. Read More
HTI's revolutionary forward osmosis filtration system
By Darren Quick
22:17 October 14, 2007 PDT
October 15, 2007 On any given day, over one billion people lack access to clean drinking water and over 50% of hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from water-borne diseases. In the face of these facts it is clear that any technological innovation that can help combat this problem is a worthy one, with water filtration systems such as the LifeStraw and the LIFESAVER bottle having recently grabbed our attention. Now new technology developed by Hydration Technologies (HTI) has become available that allows the user to create a safe, clean diluted sports drink from any contaminated (even sewage-like) groundwater source without the use of power, pumping or chemicals. Read More
Lifesaver: all-in-one water filtration bottle removes pathogens without the use of chemicals
21:09 September 18, 2007 PDT
September 19, 2007 Estimates put the number of people without access to safe drinking water at a staggering one billion, and with thousands – most of them children - dying daily from the risks associated with waterborne disease there is no doubting the significance of this new all-in one ultra filtration water bottle. The LIFESAVER bottle is a World first breakthrough for access to clean drinking water that removes waterborne pathogens without the use of expensive overheads or chemicals. The device has huge potential to save lives in humanitarian and disaster relief operations as well in military situations where its pressurized system also allows it to be used as a sterile wound wash. Read More
New water treatment system saves space and reduces costs
01:33 August 9, 2007 PDT
August 9, 2007 A new waste water treatment system may soon be available for commercial and governmental use which would reduce the costs associated with treating water, produce higher quality water than currently available systems and significantly reduce the size of land needed to house treatment plants. Read More
Domestic rainwater tanks with style: LUMI, the functional water feature
By Loz Blain
June 3, 2007 Long-term droughts in places like Australia have put water-saving solutions at the forefront of designers' minds - and while some manufacturers are keen to hide their domestic rainwater catchment tanks out of view, others are taking a very different approach. Melbourne's Full Tank has designed a household water tank that not only serves to cut domestic mains water usage by 20%, but also acts as an attractive and modern architectural design and lighting feature. The LUMI rainwater tank is a glowing sculpture in celebration of responsible water use. Read More
Terotech
- November 21, 2009 @ 19:38 UTC
