Citizen Empowerment thanks to WasteWater

Description

WasteWater Data is key to drive better : - health - security - economic opportunities Every citizen and organisation generates wastewater. Our solution is to give access to wastewater data in a simple, transparent and in an easy to understand format to empower the users, so they can: - act and be informed about health issues via wastewater analysis, such as a virus detection early warning mechanism - extract wastewater value by transforming it into renewable energy, fertilisers, bio-cements, clean water and other valuable commodities or products - get rewards or incentives to improve the overall wastewater management cycle

Technologies used

There are numerous smart-meters to measure wastewater volumes and content. For example Biobot.io To those technologies independent monitoring would be requested basis some ISO standards that can be inserted in smart contracts for blockchain e.g. with Etherium.

Accomplishments

The Team 1003 is like a gift: this shows us that acting together in the interest of everybody is possible. In 48h00 we achieved to agree on core content, strategy for next steps and on presentation!

Obstacles

- regarding Health matters : Prior Covid19 pandemic, in 2019, I (Valerie Issumo) asked stakeholders supposed to be catalysts for changes (e.g. Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator) to consider virus detection and other targeted wastewater analysis to reduce uncertainties and act proactively. The poliomyelitis, SRAS and other diseases have indeed been eradicated (when vaccin are available) or contained thanks to wastewater analysis. The pandemic would not have happened outside China if an endemic management plan (to track patient 0 in Europe or other places when signalled by the wastewater plant) if I would get more consideration despite my insistance. Empowering people by enabling them to be alerted (smart meters at household level or detectors at streets levels) is therefore key also for data protection and liabilities - on wastewater valuing : today wastewater transformation are lacking (this is the case for 80% of global wastewater) or are often not efficient. This is partially due to content expensive to treat due to some chemical pollutants. To enable efficient and profitable wastewater transformation, it is therefore important to empower everybody to consume according to conscious choices thanks to branding and clear information. For example, cleaning cloths with biodegradable soap with local ingredients (e.g. oil) does not only drives local productions, it enables better valuing of wastewater transformation

Learnings

That there is plenty of room for a better world through an initiative that presently has the size of a virus. Our Team know that the leverage effects of good communication can be huge. To be compared with a vaccine, we learned that : - the energy of our team was contagious - a medical vaccine will never have the positive effects of empowering people by knowledge and by deciding to be rewarded or not (the polluter pay principle doesn't work) - it is possible to upgrade existing wastewater treatment plants and build additional wastewater biorefineries just by matching existing needs such as the car industry to be converted into biorefineries assembly production lines. The Covid19 lockdown showed us that some people have supported artists or other sectors by leaving funds for a forward delivery. We therefore have hopes that reversing the supply chains to produce what makes sense, how it makes sense and where it makes sense is possible.

Next steps

Our next steps are: - to join VersusVirus incubator - get partners and think tank members to make a show case of smart-resilient city - search for sponsors for a comic, video or other media support to demystify the wastewater value chain