WaterDAO on Gitcoin💧

This WaterDAO grant is a continuation of the ReFi DAO Water Circle grant made in GR15. Since GR15 the WaterDAO has grown quickly. The WaterDAO has begun multiple research projects such as credit class development, solvent extraction desalination testing, and Solar energy desalination analysis tool feasibility. The WaterDAO has one live pilot project that it supported that is treating septic waste for reuse. A credit class and methodology are currently in their final stages of review with the Regen Network for water credit production. These credits will have significant co-benefits like carbon reductions and improved soil health.

Purpose of these funds: These funds will go directly towards bringing the first water credits on chain. Credits will be issued on Regen Ledger once water is fully treated and verifiably put back into the system. Currently the pilot is separating fats from the waste very well, now the next step in humidifying the water is needed to treat on site.

Work has begun towards creating an on chain monitoring system for water producers. As the DAO grows the goal is to continue to find more ways to add transparency to credits and automate the verification process on chain.

The purpose of the WaterDAO is to create transparency around sources of water, how they are generated, and establish a water credit classification system. We believe this can be done by creating a trustworthy and verifiable water credit that can be easily purchased and used to offset water usage. This would allow companies to continue to focus on their operational efficiencies while supporting the replacement of their water usage with equally efficient water producers.

The purpose of the WaterDAO can be summed up through four main goals:

1. Create a universally accepted water credit that is first supported by the Regenerative Finance (ReFi) community and eventually, by larger outside organizations. This credit class can serve as a building block for many types of water credits to be created.

2. The WaterDAO will act as a support mechanism to verify credit quality. The DAO will oversee specific verification standards to provide a certain level of quality, standard for the credits issued through the DAO.

3. Incentivize companies to be "Water Positive" or at lease Water Neutral. This will come as the DAO expands and gains more influence. The DAO will make the process of becoming "Water Positive" a significantly easier process than it was previously, leaving companies fewer excuses to maintain their indifference.

4. Incentivize more environmentally friendly forms of desalination and other water treatments. This is done through a tiered credit system. For example, a water producer using desalination methods that require energy intensive methods and that has a potentially damaging runoff, would only qualify for second tier credits. To receive top tier credits, water producers must power their operations with cleaner and less energy intensive methods while mitigating harmful runoff.

RH2O water credits will be validated through the Regen Network.

If you are interested in joining our mission, please visit our website and join the Discord channel to get involved, we look forward to seeing you!

A little bit more information if you have read this far:

The WaterDAO will not only be validating water credits, but also actively working towards increasing the development of water treatment and credits by funding targeted areas that the DAO deems to be impactful. These areas will likely include:

-Funding of specific tier 1 water treatment projects

-Water technology development

-Pilot projects leading to IP development

-Sponsor water research and development

-Acquisition of a specific water asset that can be licensed to water projects

By funding water treatment projects, the WaterDAO is able to further develop the water credit space. The WaterDAO treasury will hold assets that are created or purchased by that DAO. These assets can be licensed out to water producers to help them provide higher tiered credits. The DAO will get to vote on the licensing agreements for specific projects as well as which ventures will receive funding.

Validating water credits:

Each credit validated by the WaterDAO represents one cubic meter of additional treated water that is added back into the water system that is represented by the credit. Water generators who participate in the WaterDAO can mine water credits using Proof of Water (PoW). Once a water generating facility is certified to produce regenerative water (e.g. solar desalination), it will receive a blockchain-enabled IoT smart meter that communicates directly with the network through Proof of Water. PoW is a way to secure water by ensuring that every regenerative water credit (RH2O) is backed by a physical unit of water mined on the RH2O network. Water miners are rewarded with water credits by using Proof of Water to validate the generation of a unit of water and communicate the data associated with that unit of water through the IoT smart meter. In the future RH2O tokens will serve as water contracts where physical water can be collected. In addition, the physical mining of water ensures that the creation (supply) of water credits is limited by the capacity to generate physical water and the value of each RH2O token is a function of the balance between supply (miners) and demand (users).

The WaterDAO will have specific credit classes based on the Regen Network that water producers must fall under in order to produce a specific credit. The first water credit will be for desalination projects and will generate RH2O (Regenerative Water Credit) tokens. Each Regenerative Water Credit measures one cubic meter of treated water that is added back to a specific water system. In other words, these credits are localized and set to the specific water system in which the water has been added. RH2O credits are only produced when water is verifiably added back into a water system.

We will create three tiers of water credits based on the applications suitable for the quality of treated water. The credit tiers are based on a 100-point scale designed to promote the activities we deem to be the most advantageous for the health of the environment and to stimulate technological innovation.

Those wishing to be funded through the DAO will be required to fill out an application form. Once completed, the DAO review committee will evaluate the results and assign values based on eight parameters.

The results of the application will designate the project as one of the three water credit tiers based off of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the treated water.

Potable Water Class: TDS less than 400 ppm and sterilized

Agriculture Class: TDS less than 700 ppm and healthy for the environment.

Industrial Class: Water of any TDS with a pre-approved buyer or application.

The WaterDAO could really use your support both through Gitcoin Beta as well as participation in the DAO. We hope to see you around. Thank you for your contribution 🙏.