Businesses in the Great Lakes region have not had a forum of their own to discuss water issues, encourage water stewardship and promote this valuable resource in our collective backyard – until now. That’s what we are creating, in collaboration with the Council of the Great Lakes Region, in Great Lakes WISE (Water Innovation & Stewardship Exchange), which held its first roundtable last week in Chicago.
In just one week, I’ll join our vice president of water stewardship, Matt Howard, on a trip to New York City for the UN 2023 Water Conference. We have officially submitted a commitment to the UN’s Water Action Agenda. We believe our unique focus on connecting water stewardship and water technology will help industrial water users from across the world both improve their material water risks and make an impact on several sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Learn about more of our upcoming events and activities in our March newsletter.
The groundhog might have seen his shadow (for our overseas friends, that indicates six more weeks of winter), but spring is quickly approaching from where I sit as the days get longer and warmer. For instance, it’s hard to believe that the 2023 United Nations Water Conference is just over a month away. This is the first UN conference focused on water in more than 40 years, so it’s bound to be a vital event.
Welcome to another edition of our Where Are They Now? series. Today’s featured company is really making the most of the programs available through The Water Council. In 2021, BloomOptix participated in the first cohort of our BREW 2.0 Post-Accelerator and started a pilot project in Wisconsin and New York through our Pilot Program. Learn about how those programs benefited the company and what it has planned for the future in this interview with Igor Mrdjen, BloomOptix project and science lead.
I hope everyone had a restful holiday with family and friends because we are jumping right into 2023 with new leaders, strengthening programs and growing collaborations.
In part 2 of our New Horizons series, we talk to Rapid Radicals Technology, a high-rate wastewater treatment technology organization. Rapid Radicals is based in the U.S. and looking to expand to other markets, particularly the United Kingdom.
In 2022, it seemed that every other week a new water crisis dominated the headlines. The scale and speed of escalation only intensified during the year. Yet I remain optimistic about our ability to address water challenges.
The Water Council is currently working with several start-ups around the globe who are making an impression by pursuing growth opportunities beyond their current geographies, identifying regions beyond their own, where their solutions can make a meaningful difference. Here we talk to WaterWebTools of Denmark about their growth into the United States.
When we look back at 2022, we might see it as the year the world finally took notice of the rapid and dramatic escalation of critical water challenges. But I remain optimistic about our abilities to solve and adapt to these challenges as I watch our members develop new water technologies and adopt water stewardship best practices to use water more wisely and reduce operational risks.
Learn about our new matchmaking web page, the search for start-ups to take part in BREW 2.0 2023, growth in our water stewardship programs and more in the November newsletter.