Israeli companies continue to churn out technologies that are being lapped up by a global water sector intent on raising efficiency levels as growing populations and other factors continue to exert pressure on available resources.

One such company is TaKaDu, whose cloud-based water-network-monitoring solution, developed only a few years ago, is now used in six countries to monitor 30 000 km of pipeline round the clock. The company announced last week that it had partnered with Psomas, a leading engineering firm, to offer TaKaDu’s solution to the US market.

Founder and CEO Amir Peleg told visiting journalists last week that the solution analyses existing network data to generate real-time alerts relating to leaks, bursts, inefficiencies, network availability, faulty equipment, meter faults and water quality, besides others.

Peleg said real-time monitoring had become increasingly important in the face of dwind- ling resources and given that the network infrastructure of many utilities was old.

“Since our solution is cloud based, we sell a service rather than software, and this allows easy deployment and use, with a simple recurring service fee according to network size,” he said.

TaKaDu, which employs 35 people, including an elite research and development team, was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2011.

SmarTap, another company on the visiting journalists’ itinerary, has developed an electronic cartridge that replaces the mechanical thermostat unit currently used in showers.

The system, which is being piloted in several high-end commercial buildings in Israel, including hotels, controls the water flow rate and temperature levels and also enables remote access to all faucets that are part of a network.

The system constantly monitors water pressure and sends an alert in case of problems or leaks.

“The system is designed to supply water only at the desired temperature and flow rate, thus enhancing the shower experience and bringing additional savings,” enthused founder and chief technology officer Yuval Shapira, adding that the SmarTap system had the added advantage of eliminating the risk of scalding, even when there is a loss of pressure in the cold water pipe.

Meanwhile, Rishon Lezion-based Water-Gen is coming into its own as a designer and manufacturer of vehicle-mounted and ground-based atmospheric water generating units.

The water-from-air units offer an alternative solution to the constant need for safe and pure water for troops in remote locations.

“As this water is generated from the humidity in the air and is generated at the point of use, it is very difficult to sabotage,” said Water-Gen CEO Arye Kohavi, adding that the com- pany was already supplying its water-generation units to the British, French, Indian and US armies.

The units are powered by either a vehicle’s electrical system or a portable generator. These units can also be adapted for civilian use.

Water-Gen also makes units that convert water from air conditioners in buildings into drinking-quality water as well as a water purification unit that runs off a battery.

A new project has been launched in partnership with the Indian authorities, and entails collecting water from train air conditioners before treating it so that it can be drunk by train passengers who need it. The costs involved are much lower than the cost of bottled water that the rail authorities already provide for passengers.

Kohavi said users of the battery- powered water purifier included troops in remote locations who needed to replenish their water supplies. However, this unit, which incorporates automatic validation of the quality of the water produced, shuts off when the quality dips below a predetermined benchmark. It can also be used for non- military purposes.

These technologies and lots more will be showcased at Watec 2013, to be held in Tel Aviv from October 22 to 24. The last Watec event, held in 2011, attracted 270 exhibitors from across the globe. A total of 27 000 visitors went through the portals of the conference venue. These included 40 Ministers of Water from five continents and members of 150 official delegations.