CHICAGO (September 23, 2019) – The Water Council and supporting partners Fund for Lake Michigan, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and Wells Fargo, announced today that the fifth round of the Pilot Program is now accepting applications. The program connects water-related businesses with potential sites and funding to further validate and commercialize technologies.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Wells Fargo, MMSD and The Water Council to support game-changing technologies that address our most urgent water quality challenges,” said Vicki Elkin, executive director of the Fund for Lake Michigan. “The challenges we are facing require new approaches and cutting-edge technologies.”
“With infrastructure as a top priority for the U.S. federal government, coupled with the amount of time it takes for a water tech product to work its way from concept to market-ready, means it’s crucial to provide as much support as we can right now to help businesses test, refine and validate their products,” said Dean Amhaus, president and CEO of The Water Council. “We’re pleased to work with our partners to support businesses that provide solutions for infrastructure and innovation needs.”
“Wells Fargo is honored to support The Water Council through our Clean Technology and Innovation grant program,” said Mary Wenzel, executive vice president and head of sustainability and corporate responsibility at Wells Fargo. “The Council’s platform for gathering technical data in order to scale and commercialize technologies will provide much needed enhancements to our water infrastructure and fills a critical gap in the clean-tech ecosystem.”
“There will always be better, more cost effective ways to protect public health and our rivers and lakes through clean water innovations. We fully support these local efforts that harness the potential to benefit the world,” said Kevin Shafer, executive director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
Applications are being sought for the following areas of emphasis:
For application requirements, entry forms and other Water Council program details, go to watertechhub.com. Applications are being accepted through November 3, 2019 and winners will be announced in December.
The Water Council is at WEFTEC in the Wisconsin Water Lounge on the Grand Concourse of McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois from Sept. 23 – 25 from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and is available for media interviews by contacting Taylor Baseheart at tbaseheart@thewatercouncil.com.
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About Pilot Program
The Water Council’s Pilot Program offers water technology innovators the opportunity to conduct in-field proof-of-concept testing at real-world demonstration sites. Field testing is a critical phase in the progression of new water solutions from the lab to practical application to commercialization. Through the funding support of Wells Fargo, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), Fund for Lake Michigan and the Israel Innovation Authority, the Pilot Program provides services, potential sites and funding to help validate new, cutting-edge products and move them from prototype to production and manufacturing.
About Fund for Lake Michigan
The Fund for Lake Michigan, a private foundation based in Milwaukee, was established in 2011 as part of an agreement between We Energies, Madison Gas and Electric, WPPI Energy, Clean Wisconsin and Sierra Club to safeguard the lake and improve water quality in the region. The Fund supports efforts, particularly in southeast and eastern Wisconsin, that enhance the health of Lake Michigan and its shoreline and tributary river systems for the benefit of the people and communities that depend upon the system for water, recreation and commerce. The Fund has awarded more than $25 million in grants to restore habitat, improve beaches, clean up rivers and streams, promote new clean water technologies and revitalize waterfronts in the Milwaukee area and in other communities within Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan basin.
About Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
MMSD is a regional government agency that provides water reclamation and flood management services for about 1.1 million customers in 28 communities in the Greater Milwaukee Area. The District serves 411 square miles that cover all, or segments of six watersheds. Besides its core responsibilities, the District also handles water quality research, household hazardous waste collection, pharmaceutical collection, industrial waste monitoring, laboratory services, planning and engineering services, and Milorganite®, a fertilizer trusted by professionals for more than 90 years.
About Wells Fargo
Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,600 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, and the internet. With approximately 263,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. With its corporate philanthropy, Wells Fargo aims to pave a path to stability and financial success for underserved communities by focusing on housing affordability, small business growth, and financial health, among other local community needs. In 2018, Wells Fargo donated $444 million to nearly 11,000 nonprofits. For 10 consecutive years, Wells Fargo has held the honor of No. 1 in workplace giving by United Way Worldwide. Wells Fargo team members also actively support communities by donating more than 2 million hours of volunteer time in the last year. News, insights and more information on the company’s overall corporate responsibility are available at Wells Fargo Stories and www.wellsfargo.com/impact.
About The Water Council
Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA next to the world’s largest freshwater system and home to one of the most influential freshwater technology hubs in the world, The Water Council (TWC) is recognized as a global center for advancing water technologies and stewardship. At its heart, TWC is a non-profit, membership organization that connects, convenes and showcases the hub comprised of more than 238 water technology businesses and the diverse water leadership network of 200 members it is linked to from around the world. While TWC’s mission is centered on driving economic development, attracting and connecting world-class talent and supporting water-focused technology innovation, its larger goal is to help secure freshwater resources for the world by driving solutions to the numerous industries that need and use a large amount of water.