It is vital to prevent drought from worsening and to lessen its extent.  Attempts are actively being made at this, but they are not enough.  The three main routes are water supply increase, recycling, and conservation.

A popular method for water supply increase is desalination, the process of removing the high salinity from ocean water to make it potable.  A number of processes exist for this, the most popular of which is electrodialysis (Hell, et al.).  This involves the transfer of salt ions from one solution to another, by the use of a membrane (“How Does Electrolysis Work?”).  The downside to this process is a toxic, salty sludge created as a by-product of the process.  Another process is biodesalination, an application of salt eating bacteria.  The cyanobacteria consume the salt out of the water, making it potable (Amezaga).  However, some versions of this process also lead to a toxic sludge, by using the bacteria as an ion-exchange membrane.  Reverse osmosis is also a popular desalination tool, and will be explored in more detail later.

The most currently used source of water waste reduction is recycling, namely through the purification of dirty water, such as sewage and run-off (or grey water).  This most commonly involves reverse osmosis, or RO, which involves moving the water through a series of membranes and filters to purify it (“Reverse Osmosis”; Helmenstine; Schneider).  This water is then re-used, namely by returning it to the water system or by using it to water places like golf courses.  Scottsdale is the only place in Arizona approved for potable water reuse (that is, using reclaimed water as tap water), though this is currently solely experimental.  The city of Scottsdale re-uses 100% of its recovered water, sending some of it to cool nuclear power plants and back into the aquifer (Schneider).  

The third and most important route, conservation, can be accomplished in a number of ways.  The main user of water in Arizona is yards, specifically lawns.  A way around the necessary intensive watering, is to use clover lawns, which are much more efficient (Kodé).  Another tool is the use of black plastic balls to cover open water, to prevent escape via evaporation (Conley).  This could potentially be used on canals, and could conserve at least some minimal amount of water.  The most important aspect of conservation, however, is the human aspect; community education is vital (Schneider; Wilson).  The City of Scottsdale and the City of Phoenix, as well as many other places in Arizona, run programs to educate the community on how to reduce their hydro-footprint.  According to an interview with Dr. Max Wilson, a water scientist at the City of Phoenix, technological solutions only go so far, and people are the weak link in the chain.  He added that many people don’t know how much water is leaking through loose pipe fittings or leaky faucets, and that this can cause thousands of gallons of water loss in a year.  According to an interview with Ms. Julie Schneider at the City of Scottsdale, Las Vegas is banning lawns in some areas and cities are encouraging people to go to public parks instead of growing a lawn, as lawns are the greatest residential water users.

References

Arizona is in the middle of a severe drought, and the rest of the US is following. Many people are wondering why this drought is occurring across the US. This drought was caused by a combination of many factors including global warming, ignorance of water issues, and a lack of snow/rain in the desert. 

According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, “Drought is a natural occurrence and Arizona is especially sensitive to drought since water is scarce here even during average years. Population growth continues to increase the demand for water. Drought can impact domestic water supplies, ranching and farming production, vegetation, forest health, and wildlife populations.” This essentially states that because of Arizona’s natural location and decades-long drought as well as the increasing population and emigration from other states the demand for water has increased creating a water shortage (“Drought Frequently Asked Questions”). 

Arizona is also receiving some water cuts from the Colorado river which only contributes to the problem (“Officials impose new cuts to Colorado River water use in Arizona.). We as a society in Arizona were very much aware water would become a problem this fast because we expected this to happen. But while we expected it to happen we did not expect it to happen this quickly and have been unprepared.  An excerpt from a PBS article says “Three main factors contribute to the natural phenomenon of drought: snowpack, soil moisture, and temperatures. The Western states depend on snowpack for a good portion of their water supply” (Jones). Because we are a desert, we do not get a lot of snowpack. Because of this, we have already lost 1 major water source. Not much water makes it around in the air with the annual temperature being so high and the air being so dry. We imagine this is a problem in many places with an arid climate. 

The lack of water is becoming an increasing problem in not just Arizona but the rest of the continental US and the world (Heggie). In fact, according to Jon Heggie, “As the U.S. water supply decreases, demand is set to increase. On average, each American uses 80 to 100 gallons of water every day, with the nation’s estimated total daily usage topping 345 billion gallons” (Heggie) 

  Additionally, the drought has been linked to climate change which has led to warm winters and hotter summers. Climate change is a naturally occurring event however it is being amplified by human activity such as burning fossil fuels. As a result of the droughts water usage restrictions have been put in place, for example in 2015 Gov. Jerry Brown mandated that all Californians cut back their water use by 25 percent.

References

Living in a desert, water is one of the scarcest resources. With recent droughts and water cuts reducing our water supply even more, we decided to do something about it. 

One solution is to get people to conserve water. However, humans are often unwilling to change their habits. Old habits die hard, and we may not have much time left before the worst happens. Compared to technology, humans are the weakest link.

Knowing this, we decided to find more ways to get water, as the Colorado River is quite drained. Doing some research, we found that moisture harvesting was an option, despite our desert climate. Taking this opportunity, we developed a prototype of something that will not only benefit our community but also the world. 

Our prototype is able to run off-the-grid, and is carbon neutral, using a solar panel to power everything. In our computer simulation, it was able to make a liter or more of water every day of the year except for two problematic days. Additionally, this prototype can be easily sized up. 

Taking on a difficult problem isn’t easy, but we found a way to tackle it with a solution that is sizable, cost-efficient, and carbon neutral. 

Ira

Ira is a ninth grader in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has previously competed in eCybermission three times and has lots of previous experience in STEM contests, including various NASA engineering challenges. He has knowledge and experience with programming, CAD, and Arduino prototyping. He also has lots of leadership experience, is active in his community, especially with charity work, and is an experienced researcher.

Eric

Eric is a ninth grader in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has previously competed in eCybermission three times, and also in multiple school and state science fairs. He is knowledgeable in math, science, and technology, and has experience with coding with C++. Eric is also active in his community, volunteering at his local library, among other things.

Adi

Adi is a ninth grader in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has previously competed in eCybermission three times and also in multiple school and state science fairs. He knows coding, math, engineering design, and science. Adi is active in his community, volunteering and joining the Teen Advisory Board at his library. 

Chas

Chas is a ninth grader in Scottsdale, Arizona. He has previously competed in eCybermission twice. He is an avid tinkerer and innovator. He loves to design and build prototypes using many tools e.g. 3D printing, conventional wood and metal working tools, as well as paper and cardboard. He is an active member of his community volunteering for the Library and various community functions.