The Energy Department has introduced a program to explore technologies and strategies to address the country’s water security, cost and safety challenges.
DOE said Thursday it partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency on the Water Security Grand Challenge that will include competitions and funding opportunities for early-stage research and development efforts aimed at increasing access to clean water by 2030.
The program’s goals include developing desalination technologies; transforming wastewater from the energy sector and municipal entities into a resource; achieving near-zero water impact from thermoelectric power plants; and establishing small modular energy-water systems for various mission such as national security and disaster response.
DOE added it intends to collaborate with other government entities and companies to meet the objectives.
The department issued a request for information earlier this year to gather public input on how to address water-related problems through competitions.