Water is life. It is also one of the primary elements needed for manufacturing and, of course, freshwater is necessary to support every aspect of daily life, including carrying away our sewage. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that Americans consumed 322 billion gallons of water a day in 2015, the last year for which data has been reported. Our guest, Prakash Govindan, is cofounder and Chief Operating Officer of Boston-based Gradiant, a global clean tech water technology provider that offers post-industrial water and wastewater treatment technology to large companies around the world. Gradiant recently raised an additional $100 million in venture capital to accelerate expansion, particularly in Asia, where post-industrial wastewater remains a challenge to the environment.

Prakash explains how water is used in several industries, including semiconductors and textiles manufacturing. Just one traditional industrial company might draw millions of gallons of water a day from acquifers and rivers, and might dump it back into nature polluted and heated to dangerous levels for wildlife. Gradiant's industrial customers are recycling and reusing 99% of the water they use. Because industrial water use accounts for about 85% of water consumed, industrial water recycling is essential to making the economy sustainable As a nation, we used 9 percent less water in 2015 than in 2010, so there has been some progress in water use efficiency. Stewardship of our water will be key to our becoming a sustainable society because the United Nations has warned that the world faces up to a 40% shortage of water supplies by 2030. You can learn more about Gradiant at https://www.gradiant.com/