Celebrating Innovation & Stewardship Across the Great Lakes
This week, community leaders from across the Great Lakes region gathered in Milwaukee for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative annual conference. As they discussed the challenges of the region and potential solutions, water innovation and stewardship were well represented, and rightfully so.
The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative is a multinational coalition of municipal and Indigenous government executives representing communities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region. Together, they are working to promote economic prosperity in their communities and protect freshwater for the benefit of current and future generations.
It’s a big responsibility for the area that contains 20% of the world’s surface freshwater, and clearly one that leaders take seriously — many mayors and other elected officials attended, including Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.
The conference kicked off proceedings with its first-ever pitch competition, PitcH2O. Our vice president of economic development and innovation, Karen Frost, served on the judging panel, along with Soula Chronopoulos of AquaAction, based in Montreal. They heard pitches from:
- Christopher M. Foley of P4 Infrastructure, creator of civil engineering products for infrastructure
- Kimia Shafighi of Biocene Solutions, tackling harmful algal blooms and valorizing algae
- Matys Tessier of Ozero Solutions, decontaminating boats to prevent the spread of invasive species
- Harrison Richarz of PIA Global, a suite of technologies for pipeline assessment
- Mayor Wayne Redekop of Fort Erie, Ontario, describing how the town reduced infiltration in its sanitary system
- Laura Gerencser of Peel Region, Ontario, describing the region’s unified framework for water and wastewater asset management.
We’re pleased to share that PIA Global, a member of The Water Council and alumnus of our BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator, won the competition!
On Thursday, our vice president of water stewardship, Matt Howard, led a panel on public-private partnerships in water stewardship. Panelists Peter Coffaro of Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Paul Sambanis of Sloan and Alvin Tedjo of the City of Mississauga, Ontario, discussed successful public-private projects and the critical need for more cooperation to protect freshwater resources.
The panelists emphasized that climate change has enhanced water-related risks, including flooding, scarcity and contamination. As a result, businesses, government and community members need to work together to build resiliency. These partnerships often push the boundaries of stewardship innovation.
As Pete said, “Everyone can play a role in water stewardship.”
