Water is essential for life as we know it.

But climate change is reshaping water access by causing both droughts and floods. At least 2 billion of the planet’s 8 billion people use drinking water contaminated with feces, according to the World Health Organization. Even in the US, which has extensive water infrastructure, authorities have not always provided clean water to communities.

This report delves into the technologies that start-ups and laboratories are developing to purify water. You’ll hear about entrepreneurs breaking down PFAS with supercritical water, a company that draws purification inspiration from a cow’s multichambered stomach, and firms desalinating water using innovative materials instead of fossil fuel energy.

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