Microsoft, PepsiCo, FIDO Tech, Oldcastle Infrastructure (a CRH Company), Water Foundry and Atlantean Media have worked to help develop the ‘Water, United’ initiative.
’Water United’ plans to unite the public and private sectors to accelerate water action across the Colorado River Basin – one of the most overstressed, overallocated water sources in the world.
Estimated to support $1.4 trillion in economic activity and 16 million jobs*, the Colorado River provides water for more than 40 million people across seven Western states, including Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Arizona and California.
The first project is planned to take place with the Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD), a not-for-profit water utility that provides water to more than 1.7 million people.
‘Water, United’ follows an existing collaboration between Microsoft and FIDO Tech that is reducing water network losses through the power of actionable artificial intelligence (AI). Launched in London, United Kingdom, the project expanded to Phoenix, Arizona and then Querétaro, Mexico.
In 2020, Microsoft announced that it would be working to become water positive by 2030. To get there, the organization is focusing on five key pillars: reducing water use intensity, replenishing more water than it consumes, increasing access to water and sanitation services for people across the globe, driving innovation to scale water solutions, and advocating for effective water policy.
The World Bank estimates that as a global average, 30% of the world’s piped water is lost before it reaches the customer, most of it due to leaks and theft. In developing nations, roughly 45 million cubic metres of water are lost daily, worth over $3 billion per year**.
Water Foundry and Atlantean Media will be responsible for project management for ‘Water, United’.
Eliza Roberts, Water Lead at Microsoft, said: “To help replenish water sources and meet our 2030 water positive ambitions, we’re focused on driving innovation to scale water solutions. Following the initial work with FIDO Tech across London, Phoenix and Querétaro, we are excited to expand our collaboration to include other key stakeholders and help reduce water losses across the Colorado River Basin.”
“The Las Vegas Valley Water District continually leverages new technologies and partnerships to improve water efficiency and enhance water system reliability,” said Doa Ross, LVVWD Deputy General Manager of Engineering. “While our overall water system does not have significant water loss, some portions of our water system are approaching 50 to 60 years of service, and we are eager to utilize AI technology through this partnership to help ensure aging infrastructure remains reliable for all our customers.”
David Grant, Senior Director, Global Climate & Water Solutions at PepsiCo, said: “As part of our pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) agenda, we are aiming to be net water positive in our operations by 2030 and replenish more water than we use back into local supplies. To bring about long-term, positive change to at-risk watersheds, there needs to be a focus on scale, partnership, innovation and engagement from all stakeholders in each catchment. That’s what Water, United sets out to achieve and so we’re delighted at the opportunity to become part of this initiative.”
Victoria Edwards, Co-Founder & CEO of FIDO Tech, said: “I am delighted that Microsoft saw the potential for us to create a bigger catalytic community, uniting stakeholders across a key river basin. I’m looking forward to working with all key stakeholders where we can make real impact with pace and scale. FIDO Tech has already been working with key utilities around the world using AI to reduce non-revenue water and increase water security and resilience within communities. We’re looking forward to working with the other utilities in the Colorado River Basin.”
Jeff Petrosky, VP Strategic Marketing, Oldcastle Infrastructure, said: “Oldcastle Infrastructure is proud to be a key part of this Colorado River Basin project, providing innovative leak detection technology combined with our leading expertise in resilient water management infrastructure solutions. Through this initiative and shared vision, we forge a game-changing alliance to increase water security and foster a sustainable future.”
Will Sarni, Founder and CEO of Water Foundry, said: “Over-allocated and overstressed, the Colorado River Basin is threatened by the ongoing impacts of climate change. Under current and projected conditions, the Colorado River Basin is not able to meet the demands of its many users. Water Foundry is proud to play a role in building and implementing this catalytic community to deploy innovative solutions with scale and speed.”
