Water
1.4 billion cubic kilometres of water turn the Earth into the blue planet. An unimaginable amount: the precious blue liquid seems to be available in sheer abundance. But the impression is deceptive. Only a small amount of the resource, about 3%, is drinkable fresh water. And most of that is deep-frozen – as ice on the polar caps. Ultimately, only 0.3% of the water available worldwide is suitable for use by people. And the reservoir is shrinking because groundwater reserves are steadily declining.
Underpinning sustainability
RWE supplies some thirteen million people on the European continent with a high-quality product. The most important task therefore is to underpin this supply standard by operating water-treatment systems. In addition, RWE researches and develops innovative technologies and processes which conserve the resource water for future generations as well. In close cooperation with recognized experts from science, RWE's engineers and technicians are steadily exploring new ways of further optimizing the production, treatment and distribution of drinking water as well as the discharge and cleaning of wastewater, and of increasing the economic efficiency of the processes involved.
Promoting ideas
As a member of the Rhenish-Westphalian Institute for Water Research (IWW), RWE supports the advances made in the water sector in various projects. And, with the "Muelheim Water Award" awarded for the first time in 2006, RWE and Rheinisch-Westfälische Wasserwerksgesellschaft mbH (RWW) are additionally sponsoring new ideas that improve drinking-water supplies and wastewater disposal.
In November 2012 the fourth Muelheim Water Award will be awarded for outstanding projects in applied research and implementation of innovative concepts in the water and waste water sector. It will be awarded at the 5th Water Contamination Emergencies Conference which will take place in Muelheim/Ruhr (Germany) from November 19 to 21, 2012.
More Information:
