ABSTRACT
Drinking water is being used faster than it is replenished. Population increases of 80 million people per year make water treatment a critical component of the overall water supply. Population growth is estimated at double the production of new water resources. The United Nations describes serious water shortages in more than 20 countries, and this will increase in the coming decades since 85% of the world population lives in the drier countries. Even in the United States critical water shortages are projected to occur in some municipalities by 2030. According to the United Nations, more than 1 billion people on earth already lack access to clean drinking water.1 Limited availability, with conventional cleanup technologies often constrained by the cost of equipment and the energy required to operate it, combined with a growing population, is a recipe for conŽict.2
