Sustainability experts weigh in on how rainwater collection might help be the cloud-to-bottle solution for renewable water sourcing.
3: The Future of Processed Foods
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Put plainly: Its not enough.
Its a huge problem, and solving it is fraught with challenges.
One factor straining our planets present and future freshwater stores that consumer habits stand a chance at reversing?
Finally, vaporized water condenses to form clouds, and the cycle begins again.
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Capturing rainwater is one of the key ways to maintain a water supply.
Rainwater can be used both around the house and as irrigation for crops.
It also works with the Mississippi-based Lazy Magnolia facility.
In regions with bountiful rain seasons, the tanks are emptied and refilled multiple times a year.
And when rainwater is harvested, its in the purest possible state water can be.
Water falling through the atmosphere can meet gasses or particulate matter, which can contaminate rain.
Think of acid rain, he says.
After the first 15 minutes of a rain event, the air has been totally wiped clean.
Aside from the ozone water treatment, disinfection between the two forms of water looks quite different.
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Then the water gets ozonated and bottled.
Packaging rainwater also results in less wasted water.
Anywhere from10 to 40 percent of water is wastedusing other bottling methods, Dietrich says.
Thats almost 40 percent.
Meaning nearly half a liter of water gets wasted in the process of bottlling a single liter for use.
[When processing rainwater], we have minimal steps, so theres minimal waste.
Over 95 percent of the rainwater captured is put into our bottled products, from start to finish.
How sustainable is drinking rainwater?
Dietrich agrees, noting that expansion will be necessary to provide rainwater on a mass scale.
Moreover, Dr. Packman raises concerns over the impact that sourcing rainwater could have on other ecosystems.
If you divert large amounts of rainwater into reservoir storage, you keep it from going downstream.
This naturally raises a lot of questions, he says.
That said, he notes that likely wont be the case regarding Richards Rainwaters operation.
The source should also have efficient treatment and distribution methods, he adds, which isnt always the case.
There are justsomany different local conditions to account for, Dr. Packman says.
And when it comes to our future water supply, every last drop in the bucket counts.
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