Fresh water is becoming a valuable commodity. The amount of
fresh water worldwide is declining at the same time that the
population is exploding—on track to reach 9.39 billion by 2050
from 6.68 billion currently, according to U.S. Census Bureau
estimates. One way to ensure that there is enough potable water
to accommodate population growth, as well as to meet industrial
and agricultural demand for clean water, is through water reuse
and desalination technologies. "There is the same amount of
water on this planet as there was at the beginning of time. All
water is reused, but through technology we can speed up Mother
Nature's process," said Zachary Dorsey, a spokesman for the
Alexandria, Va.-based WateReuse Association. Houston-based water
consultant Tom Pankratz, whose clients includes the
International Desalination Association (IDA) and Global Water
Intelligence, said that demand for such technologies has been
growing steadily at about 8 to 10 percent a year globally,
"really spiking" in the past few years.