Introduction
The problem of water quality and access has become more acute for communities impacted by the water crisis. Our team seeks to develop an efficient strategy to address the problem of water pollution and disparities in local communities. The report is based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) targeting the quality of water resources (United Nations, n.d). It includes water pollution elimination, minimization of hazardous chemicals, and safe reusable increases (United Nations, n.d).
The current report proposes a radical solution of the implementation of AI technologies as the main component of the water treatment system, controlling and utilizing the combination of purification options. The report contains a discussion of the sustainable goal and potential solution for its achievement with the outline of outcomes, stakeholders, and implementation process.
Sustainable Development Goal
The report focuses on SDGs related to the safe use and management of water resources. More specifically, goal 6.3 is the subject of the report (United Nations, n.d). The goal focuses on the improvement of water quality for all communities, which includes dumping minimization and decrease of releases of hazardous chemicals into water. Additionally, SDG requires reducing the amount of untreated water and increasing the safe recycling of water resources. The goal implies that affected communities should be provided with high-quality water services in the most challenging contexts (Bain et al., 2020).
It is also important that even the poorest households should have access to clean and safe drinking water (Ho et al., 2020). Additionally, efficient and safe drinking water services should be sustainable and resilient to environmental conditions (Ho et al., 2020). However, Roy et al. (2022) note that little progress has been made around the world since the introduction of SDG, reporting the statistics of the changes that do not compare with planned. Therefore, affected communities need more efficient solutions to the problem in accordance with SDG.
The radical approach that is proposed by the current report is the need to implement AI technology that would control and execute the measures of water purification, combining various treatment options. The solution is not the fastest way to target the problem, but it provides the most efficient option to address the water crisis. Despite strict regulations regarding water release and water quality control, industries and households generate enormous levels of water pollution (Tromler, 2023). The issue should be addressed by the implementation of appropriate purification systems that can provide local communities with access to safe drinking water. Other approaches to the problem, such as research, raising awareness, and regulations, need decades to start working, which may be potentially harmful.
The Problem and the Solutions
The problem is the water contamination crisis that is present in various communities across the US. Water pollution is associated with outdated pipe systems, the release of chemicals into rivers and lakes, and accidents that lead to contamination. For example, the Flint water crisis started when the city’s government decided to switch to the local river water supply, which was contaminated by chemicals released into it (Denchak, 2018). As a result, many people were affected by the poor quality of water, leading to various negative health outcomes.
Another example is water pollution in the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District, which is subject to numerous water quality regulations (Tromler, 2023). Dangerous levels of chemicals were detected in Ohio water supplies despite adequate control measures. Additionally, the derailment of a Norfolk Southern carrying chemicals caused contamination of local soils and water, though the government claims its safety (Hauser, 2023). No measures were introduced to ensure the quality of water and the accident’s potential impact on the health of the community.
The proposed solution is the use of advanced technologies, such as AI and modern chemicals, to create clean and safe water supplies that can be efficiently recycled and reused. The major problem with water pollution is the need for extensive research and the introduction of particular systems of purification in order to target contaminants (Li, 2020). It leads to the inability to efficiently use measures due to their high costs.
However, Nti et al. (2023) propose that AI technologies may be efficiently used to address the problem of water supply contamination. The implementation of AI tools may help optimize the use of various treatment technologies such as “adsorption, ion exchanges, electrokinetic processes, chemical precipitation, phyto bioremediation, and membrane technology” (Nti et al., 2023). Optimization brought by AI may reduce the costs of water purification, eliminate the need for complex research, and ensure the use of only necessary options. It can also efficiently utilize modern chemicals that can target a wide range of contaminants (Meneceur et al., 2023). Additionally, the technology may monitor and control the quality of water, introducing the measures that are required at the moment with an account of environmental challenges and social conditions.
Logic Model
Stakeholders
The problem involves a wide range of both internal and external stakeholders. First of all, the key internal stakeholder is the community affected by the problem. While they have a potentially low impact on the problem, they are the main subject of it. However, the federal and state governments may be interested in addressing the problem at the border to gain public support and be accountable for the positive environmental change.
Other key internal stakeholders that are directly involved in the situation are local authorities and leaders of local industries. Authorities are responsible for the regulations and control measures that should be imposed on water supply organizations. The leaders of the industries should make an effort in order to follow the regulations and ensure the positive environmental impact of their activities. They act as the primary group that can influence the whole project. Both of them may be involved in the problem solution, issuing appropriate regulations and acting as investors.
It is important to attract external investors as well, as the project requires a great amount of funding. Key external stakeholders are environmental organizations, public health advocates, water pollution researchers, as well as AI tools developers. They ensure both technological and conceptual support of the project. Combined activities of the stakeholders are critical to achieving the required outcomes of the proposal.
The project requires complex expertise from numerous parties, which also needs a detailed planning and execution control process. Therefore, the support of various environmental organizations would be critical as they are experienced in the organization of initiatives and projects. Additionally, the local government should communicate with the members of the community in order to keep them informed on the measures taken to address the problem. Therefore, they may be actively involved in the process of the project implementation.
Table 2 – Stakeholders and Their Roles.
Implementation
The process of implementation should be divided into three critical steps in accordance with the goals of the project. The first step is the achievement of short-term aims that require preliminary preparation for the AI tools implementation. All the stakeholders should be mobilized in order to conduct research on the water pollution and contaminants levels.
After that, it is important to develop a plan for AI tool integration in collaboration with the developers. The developers should focus on the creation of optimizing tools that can control the process of water purification. The technology should be specific to the problem and the water supply. Therefore, the project requires the test utilization of it in a single water supply due to time restrictions.
The next step requires actual implementation of the technology to the water supply. At this stage, local industries and authorities play a critical role. They need to introduce both the technology and the appropriate regulations that can support the efficient operations of the new system.
AI developers should monitor and control the implementation of the technology to a water supply and test its capabilities in the water treatment process. The technology should be ready to analyze the quality of water, detect hazardous contaminants that are present in it, and utilize various filtration systems to elevate its quality. The focus should be made on the compounds that are potentially harmful to public health, which requires the involvement of public health advocates and healthcare professionals.
The last step encompasses the long-term targets of the project and aims at providing the community with safe drinking water of increased quality. After the elimination of hazardous chemicals and heavy metals from the water, it is important to raise the awareness of people about water quality and access, which was achieved due to the project. Therefore, the step requires the involvement of volunteers and local authorities that can spread the information about the changes made. It is important to educate people on drinking water access that they have and promote the use of safe water supply. Additionally, it is critical to raise awareness regarding the actions that can prevent the contamination of water.
Consequences
The proposed solution is associated with numerous risks and potential consequences. First of all, the development and implementation of the AI tools may take longer time, which puts the whole project at risk. Therefore, it is important to ensure detailed planning so that the development process may start at the same time as the initiation of the research. It can give the developers enough time for preparation and system creation. Additionally, they can improve it later during the execution stage.
Another risk is associated with the lack of funding and challenges in attracting investors. However, it can be addressed by the active involvement of the community, environmental organizations, and local authorities. It is critical to advocate the importance of the problem and outline potential reputational benefits for investors. It is critical to include local industries in the process as they are the main actors impacting the situation.
One of the most unintended consequences that is associated with the project is a potential increase in expenses that the local industries may have to deal with. The regulations and the technology implementation require additional expertise, as well as extra funding to implement. The local industries may be reluctant to be involved in such measures. Therefore, the local and state authorities should be aware of the need to implement the project on public grounds. They need to treat the problem as a public health threat rather than a commercial project. It can help with additional funding and new regulation introduction.
Conclusions
The problem of water access and quality disparities has become more acute in the last decades as people experience more difficulties with safe water supplies. Water pollution and contamination have a negative impact on people around the world, affecting vulnerable populations the most. The UN targets the safety of water as one of the major prerequisites of people’s equality and quality of life. However, little progress has been made in order to achieve better access and quality of water all over the world. Therefore, the solution proposed has paramount importance in ensuring the safety and health of current and future populations.
The problem is especially relevant to people from poor communities and remorse locations. Therefore, they are at risk of great health damage, while more advantaged communities do not experience such threats. It is critical to eliminate any water quality disparities as it is one of the fundamental rights of people that are required for living and health.
The implementation of AI tools is the future of any technology as they can be used efficiently to address the problem of water safety for affected communities. Although they require extensive funding and research, the tools may be utilized to increase the safety of water supplies for decades ahead. It is an investment into the clean future of numerous communities around the water that are currently deprived of quality water.
References
Bain, R., Johnston, R., & Slaymaker, T. (2020). Drinking water quality and the SDGs. NPJ Clean Water, 3. Web.
Denchak, M. (2018). Flint water crisis: Everything you need to know. NRDC. Web.
Hauser, C. (2023). How the Ohio train derailment and its aftermath unfolded. The New York Times. Web.
Ho, L., Alonso, A., Eurie Forio, M. A., Vanclooster, M., Peter, & Goethals, L. M. (2020). Water research in support of the Sustainable Development Goal 6: A case study in Belgium. Journal of Cleaner Production, 277. Web.
Li, P. (2020). To make the water safer. Expo Health, 12(3), 337–342. Web.
Meneceur, S., Bouafia, A., Laouini, S. E., Mohammed, H. A., Daoudi, H., Chami, S., Hasan, G. G., Ahmed Abdullah, J. A., & Salmi, C. (2023). Removal efficiency of heavy metals, oily in water, total suspended solids, and chemical oxygen demand from industrial petroleum wastewater by modern green nanocomposite methods. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 11(6). Web.
Nti, H. K., Cobbina, S. J., Attafuan, E. E., Senanu, L. D., Amenyeku, G., Gyan, M. A., Forson, D., & Safo, A. R. (2023). Water pollution control and revitalization using advanced technologies: Uncovering artificial intelligence options towards environmental health protection, sustainability and water security. Heliyon, 9(7). Web.
Roy, A., Basu, A., Su, Y., Li, Y., & Dong, X. (2022). Understanding recent trends in global Sustainable Development Goal 6 Research: Scientometric, text mining and an improved framework for future research. Sustainability, 14(4). Web.
Tromler, M. (2023). Watchdog report: Traces of harmful chemicals reported in Valley drinking water. 21 WFMJ. Web.
United Nations. (n.d). Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development. Web.