current events put water issues front & Center
By Dean Amhaus, President & CEO
I know my radar is up when it comes to water, but it seems like water issues might finally be hitting critical mass with the business community and the public. Unfortunately, not a day goes by where we don’t see another major news story about water problems.
Then again, when drought, climate change and increasing demand threaten the water supply of 25 million Americans, you can’t help but take notice. That’s what’s happening on the West Coast, as Lake Mead – the country’s largest reservoir – sinks to historic lows that will most likely trigger water shortages and restrictions in the coming months. As you know, those low water levels also create significant challenges to the production of needed energy for a vast area of the U.S. Here in our own region, climate change is threatening to redraw the Lake Michigan shoreline in Chicago, as documented by reporter Dan Egan.
Barclays Capital is certainly paying attention. Its analysts recently declared water scarcity the top environmental concern in the food and beverage sector, with a potential $200 billion impact.
Water stewardship issues – including climate change, ESG (environmental, social and governance reporting) and healthy buildings – will be a major focus of our annual Water Leaders Summit starting next week. Make sure you’re registered to gain access to six sessions July 20-22 and 27-29, including our July 27 session with Sara Gonzalez-Rothi, the first-ever senior director for water on the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
Water Stewardship Update
This increased focus on water stewardship and the trends in ESG offer us major growth opportunities at The Water Council. We are currently piloting our Corporate Water Stewardship Accelerator (CWSA) with four companies as a solution for building a bridge between corporate action and investor evaluation of water stewardship performance. We’ve kicked off a six-week NSF Innovation Corps program to refine the business model around the CWSA offering.
We are also excited to welcome two new Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) members in North America: A. O. Smith and the J.R. Simplot Company. We look forward to engaging with them and all of our members at the upcoming Alliance for Water Stewardship Day in North America. This free virtual event, for AWS members only, will take place July 27 from 2 to 4 p.m. CST. It will include an update from Matt Howard, director of AWS North America, on the changes occurring to the AWS system in 2021, plus a chance to discuss pre-submitted member issues and questions. There will also be time for virtual networking and sharing of best practices. Please RSVP by July 20.
Growth Trajectory
Stewardship is not the only area where we’re growing. This month we welcome another new member, KenWave Solutions of Ontario, Canada. We’re excited for you to join us in making water work!
Earlier this month, we were pleased to announce a new partner for our Tech Challenge: Xylem. Xylem joins A. O. Smith, Badger Meter and Watts Water Technologies as corporate sponsors of the challenge, crafting each challenge topic and selecting the winner.
We also announced the winner of the spring 2021 challenge recently: PANI, an innovative coating that prevents biofouling in water equipment. It was developed by Dr. Ran Y. Suckeveriene of Kinneret Academic College, Zemach, Israel. This is the latest example of The Water Council’s increasingly worldwide reach. Watch for an announcement of the next Tech Challenge topic later this summer.
Wisconsin State Budget Update
Last week Wisconsin wrapped up its state budget with several items of particular interest to The Water Council and our members, including:
- $5 million over the next two budget years for the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, a partnership of Wisconsin’s 13 public universities connecting with industry partners, local communities, policymakers and advocacy groups.
- $250,000 for The Water Council and our members to work with the U.S. Department of Defense on water-related technology solutions.
- $500,000 over two years to help Wisconsin farmers with watershed protection.
More details to come on these exciting initiatives.
Member News & Opportunities
- News: Several of our members have recently released sustainability or social impact reports, including Kohler, Watts Water Technologies and Xylem.
- News: Primo Water Corporation, an Alliance for Water Stewardship-North America member, has appointed Shayron Barnes-Selby, a strong AWS supporter, as its chief diversity and inclusion officer. Congrats!
- News: Beckhoff Automation has opened a new Process Industry Technical Center in Houston, Texas.
- News: PowerTech Water, the manufacturer of ElectraMet water treatment technologies, recently closed on $6 million in venture capital to expand its operations in Lexington, Kentucky. As a result of the expansion, it is hiring for several positions.
- Jobs: Sweet Water, a nonprofit committed to restoring the watersheds in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is hiring a watershed program manager.
- Events: Green Tech Station, a brownfield redevelopment project that includes all types of green infrastructure in partnership between the city of Milwaukee and Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, will hold an open house July 22.
- Opportunity: The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is organizing a virtual Global Trade Venture to Australia and New Zealand from Nov. 8 to 19, 2021, to help Wisconsin companies connect with export partners in these markets.
- Opportunity: The Greater Milwaukee Committee is recruiting companies for its newly redesigned Scale Up Milwaukee Growth Accelerator. The accelerator targets companies approaching or over $1 million in annual revenue and includes 100 hours of virtual curriculum, discussion and consultation. Classes take place every Monday from August through December. With the support of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and other generous partners, some participating companies will be awarded scholarships to decrease the price of the program. Click here to refer a company, here to apply or here to contact Elizabeth Cizinsky for more information.
- Opportunity: The U.S. Commercial Services’ Environmental Technologies Trade Mission to Latin America happening Oct. 21-29 is now fully virtual. The registration deadline has been extended to Aug. 6.