Investing in Water

One aspect of investing that some people consider when they decide where they put there money is helping mankind. That could be in the form of a simple donation or investing with companies that help mankind develop. One area that needs investment that will forever be necessary is water transportation and desalination. Water scarcity is one of the largest risks to economies around the world, as populations continue to grow and glaciers and fresh water sources continue to diminish. I visited Lake mead less than two months ago and it currently sits at the lowest level since Hoover dam filled up this artificial lake in the 1930’s, its clear to me that civilizations across the world cannot continue to rely on traditional reservoirs and a certain amount of precipitation to divert emergency. As we have done with oil infrastructure, the same will eventually have to be done with water – desalination and purification of ocean water and pumping that water across lands to irrigate and placate populations.

The biggest players in that type of game can definitely change if the need escalates, but currently we have a list of the following companies who are related to supplying water infrastructure or desalination services:

  • General Electric (GE)
  • Ecolab (ECL)
  • American Water Works (AWK)
  • Watts Water Technologies (WTS)

This is a short list, but in summary General Electric has worked on desalination plants and will definitely be a player to come in this field. Ecolab is involved in water purification technologies. America Water Works is more of a utility company that provides water service and waste water treatment (another vital component of sustainable water infrastructure). Watts Water technology helps provide water quality solutions – in layman’s terms it creates plumbing pieces that help buildings smoothly move water around. Feel free to view each company’s website for more details.

These types of investments can be a form of macro trend investing – investing in technology which is up and coming and required for a sustainable future. As folks have witnessed in recent history investments into coal and dirty energy have proved very unprofitable, and that is based on standards governments have been setting which have resulted in fewer coal powerplants and slower growth in the demand for crude oil as car efficiency goes up and electric car sales increase. Water is a resource that everyone needs – which can be conserved but will need more supply soon!

 

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