Water, a Growing Concern
'lf all the world's water were poured into a liter-sized bottle of Evian, the quantity humans could drink would fill half a teaspoon. The rest is too brackish, too dirty, too hard to reach, or undrinkable seawater.' Twenty years from now, 48 countries are expected to face severe water shortages affecting 2.8 billion people. Currently there are 300 Water Conflict Zones around the Globe. The quest for clean water pits neighbor against neighbor and nation against nation. The United Nations has identified 300 water conflict zones around the globe. That figure is only likely to grow: While world population has tripled over the last 100 years, water use has grown by six-fold. ln fact, the United National Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) predicts that by 2025 the global demand for clean water will increase 20% for agriculture, 50% for industry and 80% for domestic consumption. Uncontrolled Use, fuels risk of Significant Negative Human Health Impact As freshwater becomes increasingly scarce due to population growth, urbanization and, probably, climate change, the use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture and aquaculture will increase. ln some cases, these are the only water and nutrient resources available to poor communities. Although there are benefits to using these substances including health benefits, such as better nutrition and food security for many households- uncontrolled use of these substances may be associated with significant negative human health impacts. These health impacts can be minimized when good monitoring and management practices are implemented. Affordable water is not a problem confined to countries in the developing world such as India and China. Southern Europe, Israel, the western part of the United States the Middle East, and areas of southeast Asia such as Singapore all suffer from increasing pressure on scarce water resources. It is little wonder, then, that finding ways to purify more of the world's undrinkable water has become a global priority, or that the search adaptation of converting unusable water into safe clean water will drive the need for more frequent and rapid testing methods in the environmental sector. In North America and many parts of the world we have the good fortune to be able to use lakes, rivers and seas for a variety of recreational activities including swimming, diving, fishing and sailing. If these activities are to be enjoyed safely, attention must be given to health hazards such as sewage pollution and excessive growth of toxic bacteria, as well as to the prevention of accidents.
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Water, the Oil of the 21rst Century
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| > $365 Billion Global Market > Double Digit Industry Growth > 2.1 Billion in Revenue for G.E. in only 3 years |  |
A huge demand for answers and solutions creates an equally enormous opportunity for business and profits.
"Water is thought by many as the oil of the 2lrst century,"
Today the water industry, which is divided into the subsectors pumps, valves, water testing, filtration, treatment, infrastructure. automation and consulting/engineering services, is a $365-billion global market. It is dominated by a small number of large companies, and that number is expected to shrink.
Large utility companies like General Electric and Siemens are driving consolidation in the sector. Since GE formed its water company through a series of acquisitions three years ago, it has grown its water business to $2.1 billion in revenue. T e company, G E Infrastructure Water & Process Technologies, says it has experienced double-digit organic growth in its business group. Goldman Sachs says these water acquisitions have multiples that range from 0.8 to 3.6 times the sales of the company.
The opportunities for businesses with innovative solutions in the environmental sector are significant and cannot be ignored.
Escherichia coli (E. coli strain 0157:H7) is a bacterium that normally lives in the intestines of people and animals. It is a gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod prokaryote. Under certain conditions it may become pathogenic (disease causing) and cause food poisoning, hemorrhagic diarrhea and kidney failure. E coli O157:H7 produces toxins that damage the lining of the intestine. The strain originates from the intestines of some cattle and spreads to contaminate beef products and milk.
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Use OBIE ™ for:
Source water protection to determine the quality of incoming source water and support raw material quality management
Confirmation testing of 3rd party lab samples & to confirm 3rd party testing and obtain results in significantly less time and off-hours
In-House process monitoring for HACCP control points
Watershed management
Beach water monitoring
Disaster relief
Remote & laboratory testing