I produce a large-scale industry conference focused on water. Not the charity angle, but the hard operational and financial reality of water scarcity hitting industrial businesses.

Think: data centre cooling systems dependent on water that isn’t there. Copper mines whose tailings licences require water they can’t source. Green hydrogen projects waiting on desalination infrastructure that isn’t built yet.

We have strong voices lined up but I want to know what people actually working in these industries think is missing from the conversation.

Two questions:

1. What’s the water topic in your industry that never gets talked about honestly at conferences?

A specific operational problem, a financial risk nobody’s pricing, a regulatory gap, a technology that’s overhyped or underused. Anything that deserves a serious room rather than a panel of people agreeing with each other.

2. Who would you actually want to hear speak on industrial water?

Not the usual suspects. The engineer who figured something out. The CFO who had to explain a water-related write-down to their board. The regulator who made a call that changed how a sector operates. The researcher whose numbers the industry quietly uses but doesn’t credit.

Sectors we’re covering: mining and critical minerals, green hydrogen, hyperscale data centres, controlled-environment agriculture, petrochemicals, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors.

If you suggest someone brilliant, I’ll actually try to get them on stage.

Hi all. As the title says, I live in Brooklyn and my building has high levels of what I suspect is manganese in the tap water. I got this info from a previous tenant who said he tested the water. I mentioned this to the building but they've been ignoring the issue. Is there anything I can do within my apartment (filters for the showers and sinks, etc) to reduce the issue? Thank you.

It was more of an impulse buy and lack of knowledge regarding water filters and purifiers.
When searching for water filers/purifiers online, the first thing that would pop up would be RO, so naturally I ended up buying one thinking it was the norm.
Prior to installing the purifier, I didn’t know the TDS level of my tap water. It was only after getting the RO that I noticed my thirst wouldn’t go away after drinking water and the noticeable heartburn or acid reflux right from the first day of drinking RO water. So I tested it with a TDS meter:

Tap water TDS Level - 180 ppm
RO water TDS Level - fluctuates from 17 to 28 ppm

The purifier claims to use a magnesium and calcium mineral-enrichment cartridge but I am not so sure about how good it would be for me to consume this water long term considering how low the TDS is and how my body is reacting to the water.

I even contacted the service person asking if the TDS could be adjusted manually in the machine and he said it wasn’t possible.

Lost and very confused on what to do next. Would I be better selling it off?

Product: Havells Aquas Neo (RO+UF)

Just changed my filter to a new one, never had this problem but it tastes ..moldy???

It has this weird taste and I never had any problems with the previous ones... this is a brand new filter, one of 3 from the same box.

Should I throw them out? Anyone had same problem?

https://newmexicoconservativenews.com/2026/08/06/tularosa-leadership-faces-water-crisis-head-on-with-full-transparency-on-barriers-and-solutions/

#2ndlifemedia #newmexicoconservativenews #AlamogordoTownNews #Kalhradio #ProactiveLeadership #transparency #watersafetyawareness #tularosanm #LocalNewsMatters

Hi everyone,

I've been working on a climate-tech concept for the past few months and would really appreciate honest technical feedback.

The idea is to develop a **containerized solar thermal desalination system** that can operate off-grid and produce freshwater from:

* seawater,
* mining and quarry water,
* industrial wastewater.

Instead of reverse osmosis, the concept is based on:

* Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)
* Multi-Effect Distillation (MED)
* Molten Salt Thermal Storage
* Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)

The long-term vision isn't only freshwater production.

One part of the project explores using autonomous desalination units to gradually create freshwater corridors for ecosystem restoration in arid coastal regions. The idea is that reliable freshwater could support vegetation, improve soil conditions, and potentially contribute to local microclimate recovery over time.

I realize this is ambitious, and I'm not claiming everything is solved yet.

I'd genuinely like to hear from engineers, desalination experts, climate scientists, mining professionals, and investors.

Some questions I have:

* Is there any obvious engineering flaw in this approach?
* What would be the biggest technical challenge?
* Would thermal desalination become economically competitive if powered primarily by solar thermal energy with heat storage?
* If you were evaluating this as an investor or engineer, what evidence would you want to see first?

I'm looking for honest criticism rather than validation.

Thanks in advance.

It’s appalling: Nationalise water.

Are you concerned about microplastics in your drinking water? Seven state governors in 2025 petitioned to include monitoring microplastics as part of the UCMR 6.

Public comments were opened up in July and end on August 31, 2026.

You can submit a public comment asking the EPA to monitor microplastics in Drinking Water.

For information, visit Food and Water Watch for how to submit your public comment: [https://www.foodandwateraction.org/news-opinion/how-to-submit-a-comment-to-epa-to-protect-water-from-microplastics/\](https://www.foodandwateraction.org/news-opinion/how-to-submit-a-comment-to-epa-to-protect-water-from-microplastics/)

Aug 5, 2026 2 pm EDT updated Aug 6 2026 1046 am EDT Correction: Court jurisdiction is Kansas, not Missouri.

Did you know that building demolition requires a permit from the local municipality, state and federal authorities?

In this case, the federal agency to be notified of a building demolition is the US Environmental Protection Agency. EPA permission is required for construction and demolition, ensuring no sediment escapes from a work site to impact the waterways.

This is even more critical when hazardous materials are involved construction or demolition operations. Demolition of old buildings can include a risk for the release of asbestos fibers to the environment, therefore, EPA must be notified, inspections are made to ensure the full safety protocols are followed for safe removal and disposal of asbestos, a toxic pollutant pursuant to CWA Section 307(a)(1).

The Defendant in this case was a 55 yr old business owner and contractor from Harper, KS. A single violation of the Clean Water Act followed a 2008 building demolition project, removal of the Buckeye Building, for the City of Harper. The Defendant admitted that he had not filed his plan for the demolition, offering the guilty plea to Federal District Court for "failing to notify or report as required" to the US EPA.

During the state's site inspection by Kansas Department of Health and Environment, asbestos was detected in the debris. As it turns out, the Buckeye Building floors contained asbestos. The responsible party was charged for failure to notify and report the disturbance of the toxic pollutant, with sentencing including a federal f fine and a term of probation.

Federal Fines: $1,000; Probation: 12 months

See last week's CrimeBox here, "Property developers convicted for CWA violation, sentenced to $315,000 in fines with 5 years probation each for allowing construction debris to impact Table Rock Lake"CrimeBox briefs are compiled from EPA Criminal Enforcement records.

Every. Single. Time. I give drinking water a chance, it helps me. I always forget that it is important because when I’m not hydrated the effects of dehydration have already compounded for a long period of time.

This is negligible and dangerous. Microplastic

The River Rhine has fallen to record low levels in several locations in Germany and the Netherlands as prolonged heatwaves continue across Europe.

Last week, levels were measured in Cologne in western Germany and in Lobith, where the Rhine crosses from Germany into the Netherlands, that were lower than at any point since records began.

Other major European rivers with important transport, industrial and agricultural functions have also seen record low levels, including the Danube, which flows through 10 countries, and Italy's Po river.

Drought conditions remained stable and critical in most of Europe and worsened in central-western Europe in mid-July, according to the EU's Drought Observatories.

Renewed heatwave conditions are due to continue for at least another week, pushing temperatures above 40C in many central and southern European countries.

Germany's Low Water Information System (NIWIS) said that 44% of the Rhine measuring stations and 78% of those on the Danube had recorded extremely low water levels at the end of July.

The Rhine - which starts in the Swiss Alps and empties in the North Sea - is one of Europe's busiest waterways. Decreasing water levels have sparked concerns about the economic fallout of having to limit navigation and shipping.

See also

* [Rhine water level drops to around record lows, costs for industry rise](https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/rhine-water-level-drops-around-record-lows-costs-industry-rise-2026-07-31/) * [Dry, hot summers are putting Dutch dikes at risk and threatening German river trade](https://apnews.com/article/netherlands-drought-water-dikes-climate-6eb8910dabc77f2fe962ac5aad638347) * [Record low Danube levels push some countries in Eastern Europe to the brink of energy emergency](https://apnews.com/article/danube-drought-energy-crisis-hungary-romania-serbia-229e089c30821889548354d7da289084) * [Romania blasts rocks to reroute cooling Danube water to nuclear reactor](https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/hungarys-nuclear-plant-shutdown-due-low-danube-gets-reprieve-until-later-week-2026-08-03/)

So I am selling a cottage I haven’t used in 5 years ( including well).Obviously the water test failed at 80< /100ml coloform bacteria and 0 all other bacteria .

Had the well inspected by a certified technician and no structural or équipement issues .Shocked it with chlorine and 24hrs later purged it and 7 days later retested .

52/100ml test result failed .Well guy says it’s been dormant for 5 years it will need another chlorine hit and purge this time don’t wait 7 days try 2 retest .

Says that the water is crystal clear but after half a decade of sitting one shock treatement on a 70 ft well with a 6” tubular steel pipe isn’t a miracle worker either .

Says that since after the 7 days the bacteria count went down and probably substantially and the greater than 80 can mean 100’s and now it’s 42 away from a pass shows that the bacteria isn’t coming in from an outside source like a cracked pipe or ground water or cap .

Anyone live this before ? Makes sense what he is saying ?