The Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize: Honouring the best minds in water solutions

Canadian hydrogeologist John Anthony Cherry credits his stellar career in groundwater research, protection and management to a series of “fortuituous incidents”. This year’s Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize laureate shares his journey with Eco-Business.

28 Apr 2016

Studio EB California’s Orange County Water District took ‘reuse and reduce’ to a whole new level with its ground-breaking work in recycling used water. Its general manager Michael R. Markus shares his insights on the organisation’s decades-long journey in protecting the region’s water basin and ensuring water security for millions, efforts that helped it win the 2014 Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize.

Studio EB A true science man, Professor Mark van Loosdrecht invented Anammox, a breakthrough wastewater treatment method that significantly reduces the energy needed as compared to conventional ways. Now, the 2012 winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize is working on taking water treatment a step further: recovering useful materials and making the process pay for itself.

Studio EB After seeing water that looked like “green paint”, Dr James Barnard resolved to devote his life to helping protect water resources and the communities that depend on them. For developing Biological Nutrient Removal technology, he became the fourth winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize in 2011. In an interview with Eco-Business, he shares how the work that he once viewed with ‘disgust’ eventually led to him finding his life’s purpose.