The Water Council at WEFTEC® 2025
We are excited to be participating in WEFTEC, held Sept. 27-Oct. 1, 2025. This page will tell you more about The Water Council and our participation in the event.
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Schedule
TWC Programming
About the water council
doing business in wisconsin
know before you go
Check out our WEFTEC Know Before You Go 2025 guide to learn where you can find us and our members during WEFTEC.
Where you can find us:
Here is a list of panels and events when you can find us at the exhibition.
Breakthrough Circular Technologies to Recover & Reuse Nutrients
3:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 29
Circular Water Economy Pavilion
Nutrient pollution from wastewater severely degrades water quality, posing diverse and significant threats. These impacts range from direct human health challenges and the proliferation of harmful algal blooms to increased greenhouse gas emissions and widespread negative consequences for both aquatic ecosystems and the economy. This panel will delve into circular economy solutions designed to recover these nutrients from water for beneficial agricultural applications.
Moderator: Katie Kollhoff Mouat, Director of Innovation Programs
Featuring:
- Phil Gates, Director of Business Development, Gross-Wen Technologies
- Jon Teaford, CEO, Green Steel Environmental
- Inés Larrea Villanueva, CEO, Címico
Big Steps to Sequester & Eliminate Emerging Contaminants
9:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 1
Circular Water Economy Pavilion
Explore recent first-of-a-kind installations to trap and destroy micropollutants as the starting point to commercialize breakthrough technologies from early-stage companies.
Moderator: Katie Kollhoff Mouat, Director of Innovation Programs
Featuring:
- Nathaniel Banks, CEO, PolyGone Systems
- Marten Hillen, CEO, Weaver Labs
- Sarah Meyer, COO, Enspired Solutions
Beyond the Standalone: Integrating Innovation for the Future of Wastewater
10 a.m. Wednesday, October 1
Global Center
No one in water works alone. Integrating available tools into built-for-purpose systems can expand the number and types of solutions available to match customer wastewater profiles. In this session, global innovators and integrators will explore what it means to be at the cutting edge of newtechnology and how those technologies can partner to form end-to-end solutions to growing challenges.
Moderator: Karen Frost, Executive Director
Featuring:
- Orianna Bretschger, CEO, Aquacycl
- Ticia Heward, CEO, Legacy Watercare Innovations
- Joaquin Martin, COO, BIOBOX
- Stephen Slessor, CEO, RSE
TWC programming:
tech challenge
Our fall Tech Challenge is open through Oct. 10. This session, we seek technology solutions and/or new systems, processes or tools for decision making support for water quality addressing any stage of the water cycle related to human consumption, including drinking water and wastewater systems across residential, commercial and utility-scale applications well as their distribution networks. Finalists present their innovations to our corporate sponsors, A. O. Smith Corporation, Badger Meter, Xylem and Watts Water Technologies, and compete for a $10,000 prize.
BREW 2.0 Post-accelerator
BREW 2.0 is a next-stage post-accelerator created to help young companies build connections and grow their company’s capacity. This virtual and in-person hybrid program focuses on expert-led sales and growth training tailored for water tech businesses. Afterward, participants have access to ongoing training opportunities to continue their growth trajectory. Applications for the 2026 cohort will open soon.
About the water council:
The Water Council (TWC) is a global hub dedicated to solving critical water challenges by driving innovation in freshwater technology and advancing water stewardship. Built on more than a century of water innovation, TWC has coalesced one of the most concentrated and mature water technology clusters in the world from its headquarters at the Global Water Center in Milwaukee, Wis., USA. Recognizing the need for smarter and more efficient use of water worldwide, TWC also promotes water stewardship as a natural complement to water innovation in the effort to preserve freshwater resources in the Midwest and around the world. Today, The Water Council has established itself as a global leader in the water industry and one of America’s premier economic development clusters as recognized by government agencies, Brookings and the Harvard Business School.
Click here to see our press kit and social media links.
Click here for staff contact information. (Email is preferred during the conference.)
Doing business in wisconsin: A COMMITMENT TO LOCAL AND GLOBAL WATER STEWARDSHIP
As a state with more than 15,000 freshwater lakes, Wisconsin knows water. Our access to ample freshwater has put us at the forefront of commercial activity in agriculture, power generation and more while sparking the innovation that improves lives across the globe. When it comes to moving, metering, treating and using water in a sustainable manner, Wisconsin leads the way.
Today we’re home to a broad range of water-focused academic programs, including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, the nation’s only graduate-level institution dedicated solely to freshwater. Wisconsin is also home to The Water Council, the nation’s premier water technology cluster, and many water-related businesses.
Thirty major public and private educational institutions throughout Wisconsin offer more than 50 different water-focused degree programs. Where better to begin or continue a career aimed at addressing the world’s water challenges?
Foreign Direct investment: wisconsin Economic Development corporation (WEDC)
Our forward-thinking team and unique relationships between government, nonprofit and private-sector entities, including The Water Council, make our state highly entrepreneurial and nimble. This approach ensures that your project will get up and running smoothly, and at an accelerated pace. It’s a collaborative approach that minimizes risk, maximizes opportunities and helps ensure successful outcomes.
For more information about FDI in Wisconsin, contact Francisco Carrillo, international business development manager.
