The world is in severe water shortage due to the gap between demand and supply. The increase in demand is due to population growth, urbanization processes, and economic growth. Supply is limited due to climate change, poor infrastructure, and inappropriate business models in the water infrastructure sector.

Given the challenges mentioned, global market interest in smart water technologies, including, for example, the use of smart water meters, big data, and IoT (Internet of Things) is increasing in favor of efficient management of water infrastructure.

Israel exports $2 billion in water technologies annually. Israel's relative advantage in the global water market stems from the knowledge and experience gained for years, they have faced acute water shortages and droughts in the face of high development and agricultural needs. 

The provision of safe water, sanitation and waste management, and hygienic conditions is essential for preventing and protecting human health every day and even more during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Ensuring communities, homes, schools, marketplaces, and healthcare facilities have a continuous supply of water as well as good water conservation management practices will ensure that the world has enough water for washing hands and clean water for drinking that will help in the management of the Covid 19. 

New innovative solutions are needed to help fight the novel coronavirus. Here are some of Israel’s top water technologies:

Researchers from Bar-Ilan University have developed new methodologies to produce powerful, environmentally-friendly disinfectants, based on tap water, that can eliminate bacteria and kill viruses, including microbes from the coronavirus family. The disinfectants are effective and safe to use and do not contaminate groundwater. The technology works through an array of nanometer-shaped electrodes with unique surface properties. The meeting between water and electrodes creates a cleaning material in a unique aquatic environment. The combination of these compounds gives rise to an effective antibacterial capability for microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and spores), while at the same time is safe for macro-organisms (larger bodies such as skin cells).

BlueGreen Water Technologies has developed solutions to prevent harmful algal blooms (HABs) that are endangering the health and economy of nearby communities. BlueGreen was founded in Israel in 2014. Today, it has subsidiaries in the US and China. The blue-and-white solution begins out of the water – in outer space, actually – and uses its proprietary blend of algaecides to kill the algae, and prevent it from coming back, in an eco-friendly way. cyanobacterial blooms, algae that grow out of control, are also producing toxic effects and causing harm to animals, birds, marine life, people, and local ecology. But it’s not just the chemical solution that enables BlueGreen to combat the cyanobacteria problem. The company uses a near real-time monitoring system based on satellite imagery and AI analysis that allows it to monitor big water bodies all over the world, detect algal blooms at their earliest stages of development and prevent them from becoming a problem altogether.

Kando, founded in 2011, uses IoT, advanced algorithms, and artificial intelligence technologies to enable wastewater utility organizations to detect pollution anomalies and blockages in real-time to keep sewage systems hygienic and working. The company turned its attention toward SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in early April 2020. Kando’s solution, Clear Upstream, provides real-time awareness of events in wastewater networks. Using live maps, online dashboards, and text messages, the company looks at the collected data and identifies the problems, events’ sources, and tells its clients where to act. Kando’s solution allows cities to control – continuously and remotely – their wastewater quality and protect the public health

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev​ (BGU)  scientists have developed a new methodology to trace the SARS-CoV-2 virus through the sewage and wastewater systems. They already determined that it is transferred through feces into the sewage in their first round of sampling. However, no one is sure yet if the virus remains contagious in sewage. Moreover, if their new methodology is added to the regular screening tests for sewage and wastewater, it could be used to determine the extent of the current outbreak and become an early warning system for future outbreaks. Looking to the future, the group believes that their new methodology could be incorporated as a standard screening test of sewage to provide early warning should another outbreak occur.