Waste Not, Want Not

The maternal origins of invention are often traced back to necessity, and in Israel where necessity requires that every drop of water be treated as a precious commodity, an entire industry has been invented to avoid squandering any. According to this article, Israel’s wastewater reuse technology is now a billion-dollar business and occupies a position of global leadership.

More than 80 percent of household waste water is recycled, amounting to 400 million cubic metres a year, the Environment Ministry says. That ratio is four times higher than in any other country, according to Israel’s water authority.

As water supply problems proliferate, the innovations emerging from Israel’s know-how in this sector should have a disproportionately positive impact around the world.