Case 1: Lowering plastic bottles consumption in Mexico

Case owner: Pure Water Technology (Mexico)

Bottled water covers a large source of drinking water. Mexico is number one in the use of bottled water per capita, and not all bottles are recycled. 99% of the costs for a water bottle are to cover the costs of the (usually plastic) bottle, advertising and transportation. Recycling of bottles is a good practice, which creates some money, but it does not solve the problem on the long term. Could we use this money for creating another way of drinking water provision, with water as a basic good, creating less pollution?

Final poster

• Poster Plastic off, tap water on – Reusable Water bottles

Case 2: Water Reuse Decision Support System (WAREDESS) 

Case owner: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Water reuse – the use of treated wastewater – is an obvious way to alleviate water stress in water scarce regions. Globally, still 80% of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused. Water reuse has a huge potential to provide water for drinking, irrigation, or industrial uses, but many factors limit the implementation. Technical and financial challenges can be solved, but is the public ready to accept it? And what do we need to know/do so that everybody understands the benefit of water reuse?

Final poster

• Poster New life – Revolutionizing the watercycle in Mexico City

Case 3: City Blueprint of water management in Ciudad Guzmán

Case owner: KWR Water Research Institute

KWR Water Research Institute has developed a process and methodology to provide a water management baseline assessment of municipalities and regions. This City Blueprint® Approach is a diagnosis tool and consists of three complementary frameworks. The main challenges of cities are assessed with the Trends and Pressures Framework (TPF). How cities are managing their water cycle is shown with the City Blueprint® Framework (CBF). Where cities can improve their water governance is examined with the Governance Capacity Framework (GCF). Currently more than 75 cities in 40 countries have already been assessed with this tool. The aim of this Wetskills project is the elaboration of the CBF and TPF for the city of Ciudad Guzmán, in collaboration with the utilities and other stakeholders.

Final poster

• Poster Everything Starts with a small step – Water Management in Cuidad Guzmán

Case 4: Industrial design of rainwater catchment systems

Case owner: Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua (IMTA)

Rainwater catchment systems are a sustainable and environmentally friendly solution to mitigate water scarcity for household use and consumption. In Mexico there are several application cases, like the National Program of Rainwater Harvesting developed by the Federal Government to deliver water to rural communities. However, storage of rainwater for use during the dry season is a serious problem when there are insufficient economic resources and/or lack of space for the installation of a cistern. The aim of this project is to develop a new design for rainwater catchment systems including the water storage, with emphasis on cost reduction and an efficient use of space.

Final poster – Winning team!

• Poster Water Shortage Hits Schools – Generating knowledge by harvesting water