H2O Global News Magazine - Issue One - March 2022

March 2022 Issue 1

M A G A Z I N E

Women in water: Changing the face of the industry H2O shines the spotlight on ten women founders of global water-tech companies in recognition of international women’s day

Water trends 2022

Climate-tech investment

Exclusive Interview

An exciting and challenging year for the water industry

Investors now recognise there are venture and Impact opportunities

U.S. drought accelerates ‘water reuse revolution’

If you haven’t heard of these companies yet, you will.

Contact us for more information: info@mazarineventures.com

Mazarine

H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

March 2022 Issue 1

Publishers Note One year ago today (1st March 2022), H2O Global News was founded, with the mission to share water industry news from around the world.

One year on and the publication has seen impressive growth, making global partnerships with top-shelf water organisations, and fulfilling our commitment to quality, thought-provoking editorial from the cutting-edge of the industry.

Thousands of people from across the globe now tune-in each month to our website, to keep up to date with relevant news, in-depth feature stories, interactive video interviews, and - launching today - our first magazine!

It is only fitting that H2O’s inaugural magazine is published today on our one-year anniversary. This month’s issue celebrates women’s month and spotlights the amazing individuals championing innovation in the sector. This magazine will be the first of many quarterly issues to come, compiling the best of what we have to offer, all in one place.

Alongside the launch of our magazine, 2022 is set to be another year of growth and new opportunities for the publication. As more and more people become acutely aware of the water challenges we face today, the demand for water-focused editorial will only rise.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our partners and our readership for their passion and commitment to this industry. This year we look forward to consolidating these partnerships, forming new ones and expanding our global reach.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this magazine and let’s keep solving the water challenges together – one drop at a time!

Abby Davey Publisher

Partners Future Water Association

Global Water Works

Responsible Flushing Alliance

SWAN

Water Mission

Publisher Abby Davey abby@h2oglobalnews.com Editor Sion Geschwindt sion@h2oglobalnews.com

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Creative Director Louise Davey louise@bluemantamedia.com Content and Digital Coordinator Tom Pleass tom@h2oglobalnews.com Advertising +44 (0)7817 105 258 marketing@h2oglobalnews.com H2O Global News delivers news from around the world covering the Drinking/Potable Water, Hydropower and Wastewater industries incorporating technology, companies, legislation, the environment and case studies. The H2O Global News Magazine is published four times a year (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter) by Blue Manta Media Limited, Buckinghamshire, England, UK. H2O Global News t/a Blue Manta Media Limited has used utmost care to ensure and maintain the accuracy, completeness and currency of information published on this site. We, however, take no responsibility for any errors or omission, though if notified of any we will endeavour to rectify such.

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March 2022 Issue 1

Contents Global news p.4-11

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4-5 Water industry trends to watch in 2022 6 Students compete in Global Innovation Challenge 7 EPA Recognises Maine Wastewater Treatment Facility 8-9 Idrica strengthend international expansion

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10 European €10m research project

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11 Missouri American Water Investment

Feature articles p.12-27 12-13 Exclusive interview: Ainhoa Lete, BuntPlanet 14 Exclusive interview: Dr. Tali Harif, 374Water

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15 Exclusive Interview: Lara M. Wyss, Responsible Flushing Association 16-17 Technology that saves 69,000 gallons of water per year 18-19 An inflection point in tech investment has arrived 20-21 Exclusive Interview: Aaron Tartakovsky, Epic Cleantec 22 Mission to tackle the world’s untreated water

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23-24 Combatting Artificial Additive Threats 25 New year brings resolution on pollutions 26-27 Expert insights: Embedding circularity into water management

Spotlight p.28-39 29 Ainhoa Lete, President, BuntPlanet 30 Amanda Siqueira, CEO, VAPAR 31 Carol Maxwell, CEO, MICROrganic Technologies 32 Erika Schwarz Taylor, PhD, Co-Founder, EQO 34 Jennifer Kim, CEO, SEUNwater 35 Julie Bliss Mullen, CEO, Aclarity 36 Karen Schuett, CEO, Livestock Water Recycling 37 Dr. Macarena Cataldo-Hernandez, CEO, Viridis Research 38 Meena Sankaran, CEO, KETOS 39 Paige Peters, CEO, Rapid Radicals

Global events p.40 2

CONTENTS

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March 2022 Issue 1

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Asset inspection, repair and maintenance Expanding capacity of CSOs Consultancy led response Mechanical and chemical aeration Environmental and water quality monitoring

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March 2022 Issue 1

Water industry trends to watch in 2022

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ut on the flip side, many companies flourished due to the rising demand for water-related products and services – particularly within the public health sector.

Drought and water scarcity made global headlines once again in 2021 – spotlighting the immense challenges of climate change, urbanisation, and ageing infrastructure within the sector and beyond. To address these challenges, the industry doubled down its efforts to improve sustainability and accelerate digitalisation.

Within these macro trends there have been some technologies and approaches that are clearly ‘leading the pack’ going into 2022.

Water trends to watch in 2022: We have chosen six that we believe will change the face of the industry in 2022, and in the years to come.

Water reuse Climate change induced droughts have accelerated conversations around water reuse; there has been a clear drive this year to do more with less.

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Particular focus has been on decentralised water reuse technologies that recycle water onsite, in a circular loop

Particular focus has been on decentralised water reuse technologies that recycle water onsite, in a circular loop.

Three main factors are driving this shift: The urgent need to decarbonise water treatment processes, reduce the strain on aging infrastructures, and adapt to rising water costs. For these reasons the adoption of onsite water reuse is starting to take hold and this trend is only set to continue going into the new year.

PFAS Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were on the tip of everyone’s tongues this year.

And while the PFAS crisis is far from over, there have been some major moves to tackle the ‘forever chemicals’. The US passed the PFAS Action Act 2021 and Biden allocated $10bn to test for and filter PFAS from drinking supplies, as part of the country’s landmark $1tn infrastructure bill.

Across the water, in 2022, a consortium of EU countries will formally propose to the European Chemicals Agency (Echa) that PFAS be restricted across the continent.

This policy shift is giving rise to a number of startups and innovators, a trend that will only continue as governments across the world look to tackle what may well be the worst emerging contaminant this century.

Solar desalination Despite the high costs associated with it, a market for desalination still exists simply because there is a need – particularly for arid or island nations.

This demand has increased since the beginning of the

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pandemic as health facilities in remote regions need access to more reliable freshwater supplies.

March 2022 Issue 1

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This year there has been significant growth in the solar desalination industry, which distils saltwater without producing carbon emissions or harmful by-products. This subsector of the desalination industry is receiving significant government investment as well as start-up seed funding.

This buy-in, along with a rising urgency to provide sustainable water treatment solutions to vulnerable regions, sets the solar desalination industry on course for rapid growth in 2022.

Internet of Things (IoT), big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) The management of water networks is increasingly becoming automated. On the frontline of this digital transformation are IoT sensors which gather real-time data on the state of systems and processes – from leaks and operational issues to water quality and flow.

As this ecosystem of web-enabled devices grows, water managers are being equipped with vast amounts of ‘big data’ that is being transformed into actionable insights through cloud-based analytics, AI and machine learning.

2021 was a year of massive growth in these ‘smart water’ technologies, as utilities look to future-proof their networks.

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) Emerging technologies are complex and can present a steep learning curve for water managers. 2021 saw the rise of new, and consolidation of existing, SaaS companies to solve this problem.

Digital twins are offering the ability to trial something more accurately than ever before, improving situational awareness and scenario forecasting

actionable insights than ever before. Going in 2022, smart water solutions at the touch of the button are set to become the norm, not the exception.

Digital twins Digital twin technology sits at the cutting edge of the digital transformation of water utilities.

By giving a real-time view of an entire system, digital twins collate all the benefits of digital solutions into one place, helping utilities and other water managers adapt to 21st century challenges.

Digital twins are offering the ability to trial something more accurately than ever before, improving situational awareness and scenario forecasting.

A testament to their growing adoption, the global digital twin market size was valued at $3.1 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach a whopping $48.2 billion by 2026.

Want to share your point of view on water trends? Why not write to us via editorial@h2oglobalnews.com

Of particular prominence has been water monitoring SaaS solutions that integrate the full ecosystem of smart technologies into a single dashboard, often through mobile devices.

This is equipping water managers with more accurate and

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March 2022 Issue 1

Students Compete for Cash Prizes in Global Innovation Challenge to Solve Water Issues

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Students Urged To Sign Up Before March 7 Deadline for $20,000 Xylem Innovation Challenge

econdary and tertiary students worldwide are called on to expand water access and resilience, by signing up to join Xylem’s Global Student Innovation Challenge. Registration for the virtual challenge, which forms part of the Company’s dedicated student development program – Xylem Ignite, closes on March 7, 2022. Students will compete for eight cash prizes from the $20,000 prize pool.

“It is a critical moment for water, and also one that presents incredible new opportunities,” said Patrick Decker, Xylem’s Chief Executive Officer. “Now more than ever, a generation of engaged, passionate and creative young people are speaking up and taking action – advocating and innovating for a more sustainable world. Xylem Ignite is our global youth program to build a strong network of passionate young leaders and empower them to drive real solutions to water issues. Building on the success of our inaugural 2021 Global Student Innovation Challenge, we’re now calling on those who are passionate about solving water to join us in 2022 and help solve the world’s greatest water challenges.”

Over the course of 8 weeks, students will submit solutions to one of four challenge statements, with access to masterclasses and support from mentors across the water industry. The challenges include Solving Water with Alternative Sensing Technologies, Smart Floating City Master Plan, Raising Awareness for Water Equity and Kickstarting Water’s Race to Net-Zero. The participants will work in teams of up to five students, for the

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chance to win prizes for the top secondary and tertiary projects.

The global program is designed to enable participation from different countries and time zones and to accommodate school schedules. Students aged 13-25, and of all experience levels, are encouraged to participate. Individual registration for the innovation challenge closes at 2:59 am, US Eastern Time, on March 7, 2022.

Xylem Ignite was conceived in mid-2020 by a team of young professionals in Xylem, as a platform to engage the passion and creativity of students around the world. The investments are targeted to give interested students access to the resources needed to develop their ideas and innovations.

The Xylem Ignite program engages students to: Prioritize the need for the next generation of water professionals across several career fields and all relevant industries.

Accelerate innovation through hackathon events, critical problem-solving challenges, and incubator initiatives.

Advance water sustainability education with training, masterclasses and mentorship from Xylem leaders and industry experts.

Give back to the community with water-oriented volunteerism.

To learn more and to register for Xylem’s Global Student Innovation Challenge visit innovationchallenge.xylem.com

H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

March 2022 Issue 1

EPA Recognises Maine Wastewater Treatment Facility and Individual for Excellence The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New England Office recently awarded two 2021 Regional Wastewater Treatment Awards to a Maine wastewater facility and individual to recognize their commitment to improving water quality.

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PA New England’s Regional Wastewater Awards Program recognises and honors the employees of publicly owned wastewater treatment plants for their commitment to improving water quality with outstanding plant operations and maintenance.

Wastewater operators and staff work diligently to protect public health and the environment, often with limited resources.

“Across New England, the professionals operating wastewater treatment plants, and the municipalities and state environmental agencies that support them, are essential to keeping our environment healthy by protecting water quality,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David Cash. “EPA is proud to acknowledge these entities and individuals for their outstanding contributions to help protect public health and water quality for so many years and give them the credit they deserve.”

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP) was instrumental in the nominations that led to these recognitions.

2021 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator of the Year Award Louise Grant, Paris Utility District, Paris, ME – Ms. Grant, of the Paris Utility District Water Treatment Facility, was recognized for her outstanding work over the years operating and maintaining the facility. Ms. Grant, who retired at the end of 2021, worked for the Paris Utility District for many years as Laboratorian as well as treatment plant operator managing process control. She also performed drinking water testing for the utility district, and she was applauded for her efforts to implement effective

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EPA is proud to acknowledge these entities and individuals for their outstanding contributions to help protect public health and water quality for so many years and give them the credit they deserve

management of the facility following extensive plant upgrades made in 2011-12. Ms. Grant was one of only three individuals across New England to receive this award.

2021 Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant Excellence Award Stonington Sanitary District, Stonington, ME – The Stonington Sanitary District, led by Sanitary District Operator D. Gay Atkinson II and Tom Brophy, was recognised for exceptional work in operating and maintaining the wastewater treatment plant over the past year. The facility has shown a high degree of excellence for many years, and is credited with being an exceptional public service to the community. This facility was one of only two facilities across New England to receive this award.

More EPA information on municipal wastewater operations: epa.gov/npdes/municipal-wastewater

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March 2022 Issue 1

Idrica strengthens international expansion by opening five new subsidiaries

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In 2021, Idrica opened five new subsidiaries, in Hong Kong, Chile, Canada, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, in addition to those already up and running in the USA, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Qatar and Romania, in line with its international expansion strategy.

n just two years, the multinational headquartered in Spain has gained a foothold in 14 countries in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Latin America, providing technological solutions and services for the digital transformation of the integrated water cycle.

In accordance with the company’s strategic plan, in 2021, turnover from digital transformation projects in the industry doubled over the previous year. During this time, Idrica delivered 60 new international projects. These included participation in the digital transformation of the Mexico City Water System (SACMEX), as well as loss reduction services and the development of technological solutions for the wastewater network in Houston (USA) to prevent overflows. In addition, the company initiated its first project with a European utility and took part in a project within the framework of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program.

In Spain, Idrica has strengthened the positioning of GoAigua, its integrated water management platform, through its partner Global Omnium. For instance, thanks to the GoAigua SARS Analytics solution, Idrica has

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continued to support the implementation of Covid-19 monitoring programs in wastewater systems in various Spanish cities. In 2021, the company was awarded a number of major projects, such as the implementation of new management software at the Consorcio de Aguas Bilbao Bizkaia (CABB) and the implementation of an asset management system in Aljarafesa (Seville).

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Over the course of 2021, the company participated in a

To this end, the company continues to forge international partnerships with water utilities, providing them with a solid business vision that supports the conversion of data into useful information for decision-making

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pioneering pilot project aimed at applying 5G-NR technology to remotely read drinking water consumption, which led to the development of the first 5G-NR device specifically for the water industry. Other innovation pilots of note include the deployment of GoAigua in the Drinking Water and Wastewater System in Leon (SAPAL, Mexico), and the implementation of GoAigua SARS Analytics in the ACE environment in the United Kingdom.

According to Idrica’s Business Development Director, Chema Nebot, the key to this rapid growth lies in establishing “relationships with clients based on the experience and know-how we have acquired along the road to digital transformation, as well as proposing sustainable digital solutions. Through GoAigua, we can address the challenges facing utilities today, and also lay the foundations for the creation of new, more complex use cases in more mature stages of digital transformation.” In order to deploy this strategy, 96 new employees were hired during 2021, including technical and management profiles, thus increasing its workforce to over 200 people.

Idrica plans to continue with its internationalisation strategy this year, focusing its efforts on positioning GoAigua as a link between the different digital transformation projects within the same company. Another of the main objectives is to expand the range of integrated water cycle solutions including solutions for basins, drinking water, sanitation and water treatment, and agriculture. Thus, according to Chema Nebot, Idrica aims to become one of the leading smart water companies, at a time when the optimisation and intelligent use of water resources are essential to move towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

March 2022 Issue 1

Brown and Caldwell appoints Mid-South leader to propel regional growth

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rown and Caldwell has appointed Erin Williams as vice president and leader of its growing Mid-South business. The hire emphasises the firm’s focus to better serve clients in the region’s water, wastewater, and stormwater sector.

Williams brings over 17 years of extensive rehabilitation engineering design and supervising experience in public and private sector engineering and management roles. Her expertise encompasses separate and combined sewer collection system design, rehabilitation design utilising trenchless technologies, stormwater management, and condition assessment.

As Mid-South area leader, Williams will direct Brown and Caldwell’s Atlanta, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Memphis offices.

She will diversify and align the firm’s environmental engineering and construction services portfolio, helping municipal and private clients meet challenges related to capital program implementation, infrastructure reliability, and effective utility management. A key responsibility includes recruiting and mentoring top talent and strengthening its brand as the place to work on the most complex environmental engineering projects, as it continues its regional expansion.

“I am delighted to welcome a highly experienced leader of Erin’s stature,” said Brown and Caldwell East Leader, Chris Peluso. “Her client focus and first-hand knowledge of local and regional market drivers will be a great asset in helping our clients do more with less.”

Based in Atlanta, Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Website: brownandcaldwell.com

To this end, the company continues to forge international partnerships with water utilities, providing them with a solid business vision that supports the conversion of data into useful information for decision-making, which is key to efficient water management in any territory.

Website: idrica.com

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March 2022 Issue 1

European €10m research project to design smarter urban water systems Water Futures project connects five European countries ERC Synergy will provide €10 million over a six-year period Four prominent scientists unite, linking hydroinformatics to economics.

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new European collaboration will find out how we can design urban drinking water systems fit for the future.

Linking the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece and Cyprus, the six-year project will receive a total of €10 million through the European Research Council’s (ERC) Synergy Grant.

Entitled ‘Smart Water Futures: Designing the Next Generation of Urban Drinking Water Systems’, it will be led by a Water-Futures team that combines leading experience in water science, systems and control theory, economics and decision science, and machine learning.

Four prominent European scientists will oversee the Water-Futures initiative, including: Professor Dragan Savić, CEO of KWR Water Research Institute (KWR), the Netherlands and Professor of Hydroinformatics at the University of Exeter, UK Professor Barbara Hammer, Machine Learning Group at Bielefeld University, Germany Professor Phoebe Koundouri, Professor of Economics at the Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece Professor Marios Polycarpou, Director of the KIOS Research and Innovation Center of Excellence and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Cyprus.

The research will seek to find out how the world can provide

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high-quality water in a future filled with uncertainty.

High levels of urbanisation – 70 per cent of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050 – coupled with the impacts of climate change will accelerate the increase in water demand.

Professor Dragan Savić said: “Sustainable planning and management of water infrastructure are difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognise.”

The research will link short-term decisions to make water utility operations more efficient together with longer-term thinking to create resilient infrastructure for unpredictable environments.

An open-source toolbox will eventually help policymakers to better plan drinking water infrastructure.

Professor Phoebe Koundouri said: “We need a unifying framework for short and long-term decisions. This must integrate the correlation between time and uncertainty and be derived from a deeper understanding of the structure of human preferences.”

As water networks become more advanced with the integration of digital technologies, more data will be generated leading to large-scale, complex cyber-physical systems. The project will contribute to the design and operation of the next generation of smart water systems.

“Real-time monitoring and control will be integrated with long-term robustness and flexibility, while incorporating economic, social, ethical and environmental considerations,” said Professor Polycarpou.

Professor Barbara Hammer added: “We will face problems that will become moving targets due to changes in the environments and demand. We need to devise robust methods to deal with these uncertainties under continuous changes.”

Smart Water Futures will use a systems innovation approach to co-design future urban water systems by co-developing the necessary technological, policy and financial pathways.

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March 2022 Issue 1

Missouri American Water Invests $2.1 Million City Water System

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o improve Jefferson City’s water system, Missouri American Water is investing $2.1 million to replace more than 9,300 feet of aging water mains.

Missouri American Water President, Rich Svindland said: “Because our pipes are buried underground it can be easy to take our drinking water system for granted. Making investments to replace water mains as they reach the end of their useful life allows us to continue to provide clean, safe and reliable service for our customers in Jefferson City and around the state.”

The four water main projects include upgrading existing 6-inch cast iron main from the 1950s-1960s with new 8-inch PVC mains.

Jefferson City Mayor, Carrie Tergin said: “Missouri American Water continues to be proactive in making upgrades, and we appreciate their continued investment in water infrastructure, including a number of water main replacements scheduled for

early 2022. This is one of many examples of their interest in keeping up with and making improvements.”

The water mains selected for replacement have a history of water main breaks. Crossings, hydrants, valves, and services within the scope of the project will also be replaced.

Website: amwater.com

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March 2022 Issue 1

How deep tech is helping utilities reduce non-revenue water Exclusive interview: H2O Global News Editor Sion Geschwindt spoke to BuntPlanet CEO and co-founder Ainhoa Lete, about non-revenue water and how emerging smart technologies are helping utilities combat the problem.

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rom source to treatment to tap – a lot of energy, time, and expense goes into supplying the water that flows from our taps. And in a world confronted with challenges such as population growth and climate change – every drop really does count.

But shockingly, approximately 30% of all the water that is produced is lost before ever reaching the consumer.

This wastage is known as non-revenue water (NRW) and it’s a really big issue.

Water waste NRW can occur through physical losses from leaking and broken pipes as well as commercial losses caused by the under-registration of customer meters, data handling errors, illegal connections and theft.

High levels of NRW reflect huge volumes of water being lost, not being invoiced to customers, or both.

Not only is NRW a waste of precious freshwater, it seriously affects the financial viability of water utilities through lost revenues and increased operational costs.

A World Bank study published in 2006, estimated that, globally, water utilities incurred losses in excess of USD 14 billion per year as a result of NRW. However, a more recent study by the International Water

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Association (IWA) puts this figure at a whopping USD 39 billion per year. That is 346 million cubic metres per day.

“If the world’s volume of non-revenue water was slashed by a third, the savings would be enough to supply 800 million people.”

Authors of the study, Roland Liemberger (who also co-authored the 2006 paper) and Alan Wyatt emphasised that, “not only is this an enormous financial concern, but elevated NRW also detracts from water utilities, in a time of increasing scarcity and climate change, from reaching their goals of full service coverage at a reliable price.”

The researchers go on to highlight that if the world’s volume of NRW was slashed by a third, the savings would be sufficient to supply 800 million people.

Clearly NRW is a big problem that requires some pretty urgent solutions. But how exactly can utilities go about reducing NRW?

Ways forward Most utilities know it is more cost-effective and sustainable to increase the efficiency of their networks than the volume of water that enters them.

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The first port of call toward maximising efficiency is addressing physical leakage.

March 2022 Issue 1

BuntPlanet CEO and co-founder Ainhoa Lete.

Leakage recovery is the best new water resource and technologies like noise loggers can help by quickly detecting leaks in the network.

BuntPlanet is a Spanish company pioneering a smart approach to reducing NRW for utilities. Their software solution, BuntBrain, enables water utilities to detect and pre-locate leaks and other anomalies as soon as they appear.

However, prevention is the best cure, and leak detection is no replacement for rehabilitating and replacing ageing infrastructures. Pipe cleaning and relining, network replacement, service replacement, and valve and hydrant maintenance are all ways to keep water losses down.

BuntBrain receives real-time flow and consumption data information collected from IoT sensors in a utilities network, makes an analysis and identifies pipes with a greater probability of leakage. The solution also identifies water meters that should be checked or replaced if causing commercial losses.

But what about commercial losses?

“We are able to create a virtual ‘digital twin’ of a whole metering area,” Lete continues. “We use AI to optimise the number and location of the sensors, in order to achieve the greatest return on investment for water utilities.”

Making sure that water meters are properly installed and maintained, and that they are accurately gathering and transferring data on water consumption, is essential if utilities are to close the gap between the water bill and actual usage.

Tackling illegal consumption through mechanisms like routine inspections and prepay schemes is also crucial.

Through solutions like BuntBrain, utilities don’t have to be left in the dark waiting for the next leak to occur. They can proactively and accurately assess leakage risks and stay one step ahead.

All these solutions, while necessary, are difficult and costly to implement and its hard for utilities to know where to start.

“Some of our customers have been able to reduce their water losses levels by as much as 50%,” said Lete.

Thankfully, there are smart technologies available today don’t just alert utilities to the presence of a leak, but to those parts of the network that are most likely to fail in the future – saving time, finances and precious water supplies.

She concluded: “Water distribution networks are key components of our infrastructure and are essential to the security of our water supply. So identifying problems early, with the help of data analytics, should be high on the agenda of every government.”

A smart approach

Website: buntplanet.com

“The goal of water utilities around the world, independently of their regulatory framework or level of digitalisation, is to improve operational efficiency and reduce water losses,” said

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March 2022 Issue 1

That said, key advancements have occurred in digitisation and use of the “Internet of Things” (IoT), utilizing smart sensors and algorithms to monitor assets more effectively and gather real-time data that supports asset maintenance and operations. Use of IoT for leakage detection in the drinking water supply network is effective and has gained momentum. With the digital revolution, use of ‘smart data’ is almost expected, however if we look at water and wastewater treatment technologies, advancements are minimal.

Dr. Tali Harif

374Water Director of Business Development for the UK/Europe 1. What inspired you to go into the water and wastewater industry?

From childhood, I was always troubled by news on the TV about droughts and lack of water, particularly in Africa. I imagine that all of us can vividly picture communities with no sanitation relying on contaminated water sources. After graduating with two degrees in Chemistry, I wanted to further my academic education in a more practical subject that would truly be impactful at scale and would help make the world a better place. Water was the obvious choice; I was accepted to a PhD program in environmental engineering and have never looked back. I’ve had the privilege to work in many market verticals and countries and experience first-hand how the use of technology and better water management practices can make a huge difference. My goal has always been to be able to look back at my career and feel that I accomplished something impactful.

Working in water allows you to do that.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

374Water is working to shift the waste management paradigm.

Wastewater and waste are looked upon as a disposable endproduct, not a resource that could actually provide immense value. In addition, conventional disposal routes can be a source of pollution. Examples are seepage at landfills, hazardous emissions from incinerators, infiltration of carcinogenic micropollutants, such as PFAS, into the soil and water sources from land application of municipal sludge. This creates a perpetual cycle of environmental pollution that should be unacceptable today, with environmental sustainability high on global agendas. Conventional methods simply don’t cut it anymore, they cannot meet the changing regulatory landscape, and therefore deeply rooted practices must change. Our technology uses a novel approach to super critical water oxidization (SCWO) to solve these issues by offering a highly effective waste and wastewater stream elimination technology and enabling valuable resource recovery. We eliminate sludge and hazardous compounds very effectively, generate reusable effluent streams, and recover energy that is used to power the systems. A true end-to-end green technology.

3. What changes have you seen in the last 20 years?

Depletion of water sources remains a pivotal and alarming global problem, with an estimated 4 billion people currently suffering from some degree of water scarcity. To be brutally honest, I believe the pace of change within the industry has been painstakingly slow – not much has happened in the sector over the past 20 years that I could mark as truly ‘gamechanging,’ both in terms of mindset and implementation of new technologies. Movement is incremental and not fast enough.

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4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

At 374Water we embrace gender equality and diversity. Our belief is that a diverse workforce is a ‘must have’ rather than a ‘nice to have.’ It is well documented that diversity drives innovation and achieving it is core to our business activities and, ultimately, success. We apply measures both in our recruitment campaigns and in our company policies to ensure women receive equal opportunity and are able to grow with the organisation. A few examples: We target women in all recruitment campaigns, including senior roles, using dedicated networks, we apply an equal pay policy based on expertise and experience, offer a fair parental leave policy, promote work-life balance, and embrace a transparent culture where everyone has a voice. That being said, we also recognise that we have challenges and appreciate that we must be more inventive sometimes to achieve our diversity goals across the organisation. This is an ongoing effort, supported by the executive team, of which I’m also a member.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

It’s undeniable that women in technology roles are grossly under-represented. From a young age they are not provided with enough encouragement and information to choose a technology career. In addition, the lack of female role models in technology only reinforces the perception that a technology career isn’t for them. My hopes are that both utilities and water technology companies will take more of an active role.

Together with schools, we must initiate programs to raise awareness and interest in young girls and support efforts to build the skills, enthusiasm and confidence that will help drive a change. Whilst large digital tech corporations have identified a need to future-proof their workforce, and initiated programs to do so, the water sector must work to be more forward thinking in that respect. As a typically reactive and male-dominated industry, there is still much work to do. We are doing our “little bit” to make a difference but it requires prioritisation, proactivity and focus.

Website: 374water.com

H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

How the Responsible Flushing Association is working to improve America’s waterways and infrastructure

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2O Global News Publisher Abby Davey spoke to Responsible Flushing Alliance President Lara M. Wyss, about how the alliance is raising awareness to lead to healthier homes and the future of gender equality in the organisation.

March 2022 Issue 1

with a “Do Not Flush” symbol. The legislation calls for the launch of a comprehensive education and outreach program to be managed by personal care product manufacturers. The RFA is stepping in to lead in the consumer education component while also equipping manufacturers with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to remain compliant with labeling requirements.

What are the goals short term and long term goals for the RFA? The Responsible Flushing Alliance envisions great strides of improvement in America’s waterways and infrastructure as a result of corrected flushing habits. We aim to bring together California consumers, wastewater facilities, legislators, and manufacturers to set the example for the rest of the nation on how proper flushing habits not only contribute to a happy, healthy home and community, but also help improve the environment and prevent costly infrastructure failures.

Tell us about the Responsible Flushing Alliance The Responsible Flushing Alliance (RFA) is a coalition of companies committed to advocating for and educating consumers about responsible, smart flushing habits that will reduce damage to our nation’s sewage systems. We formed just over a year ago, but are already garnering so much support from our industry and wastewater partners.

What inspired the creation of the Responsible Flushing Alliance?

When we raise awareness and educate consumers about proper flushing, we know that it will lead to healthier homes, a cleaner environment, and properly functioning sewer systems.

Changes to flushing behaviors also free up consumer tax dollars and city resources that are currently being used to repair wastewater systems damaged by clogs. That’s partly why clear and prominent labeling of non-flushable items and the adoption of smart flushing habits are so essential. I also think we have a great opportunity to dispel misinformation about what should and should not be flushed which has led to confusion about all disposable hygiene products and spurred misguided policies.

What challenge is the RFA addressing in the water sector?

It’s estimated that hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year to clean up fatbergs from our nation’s 800,000 miles of sewer pipes. Since the pandemic started in 2020, there has been a 50% increase in sewer blockages. Further, according to data from the California State Water Resources Control Board Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Reduction Program, 73 percent of all sanitary sewer overflows in California are caused by tree roots, fats, oils and grease (“FOG”), as well as debris. To tackle this problem, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill 818, which requires premoistened non-disposable wipes manufactured on or after July 1, 2022, to be labeled clearly

You are the president of the RFA, what steps are you taking to encourage gender diversity and what are your hopes for the future for women in this sector?

The Responsible Flushing Alliance, an organization with a female president at the helm, acknowledges that poor flushing habits leads to unhealthy consequences that affect men and women alike. Our consumer education campaign is not solely focused on solving the problem for one demographic, but for everyone. For that reason, we work to ensure all our members and potential members embrace this diversity mindset to effectively empower women from all walks of life. Our messaging reflects that there is no gender requirement to be the primary decision makers in a family’s health and household.

Instead, we believe that any gender can lead by example in their home and carry our #FlushSmart message to their family and friends.

My hope is that the Responsible Flushing Alliance serves as a leading example of what can happen when women are given influential roles in leadership. They become involved enough to enact real change that betters each home, neighborhood, municipality, and environment.

More information RFA can be found on: flushsmart.org

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H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

March 2022 Issue 1

New chlorine sensor saves 69,000 gallons of water per year Halogen Systems Inc. has developed a new chlorine sensor technology that saves water using drinking water measurement processes.

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irtually all other chlorine instruments require roughly 69,000 gallons (261,000 litres) of treated water be discharged as waste. This water is discharged because it has been exposed to reagent additions or uncertified materials.

Unless the sensor is certified to NSF61, water that touches the sensor cannot be put back into a potable water tank.

However, since this new sensor is certified to NSF61 for drinking water health effects it can be installed directly in a pipe. The flow and pressure independent design enables direct insertion in a pipeline or varying flow.

These difficult parameters forced a new approach to the design of amperometric chlorine sensors because the biofouling environment required continuous electrode cleaning (see Figure 1). The successful outcome of this project led to the sensor’s commercial use in ballast water treatment systems to prevent the transfer of invasive species, such as zebra mussels. This new self-cleaning sensor was also ideally suited to the drinking water and wastewater applications.

Designed for flow independent operation, installation directly in a pipeline is something amperometric sensors were previously not capable of.

The MP5 sensor requires little to no maintenance, does not use reagents, and calibration is stable for many months. The dramatically reduces labour and reagent costs required compared with membrane style sensors (MP5 has no membrane) or online colorimetric units.

Water utilities can eliminate other discrete sensors for pH, conductivity, temperature and ORP since MP5 delivers all these parameters to its SCADA system. The MP5 has a single interface and displays all five parameters at once simplifying operator training. Maintenance is every twelve months which compares favourably to all other sensors and online DPD instruments. Its compact size is also attractive.

The development of the technology Figure 1: MP5 Cleaning Module

This technology was developed, in part from a Small Business Investment Research (SBIR) grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), part of the U.S. Department of Defence. It funded a project for the development of a sensor for measuring chlorine in seawater. The goal was a low maintenance, long calibration interval (3,000 hours or 125 days without calibration) sensor to be used on the U.S. Navy’s Next Generation Reverse Osmosis unit. Accuracy under various flow rates was also a requirement.

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In this sensor, cleaning beads (1) polish the electrode to remove biofilm, salts, and metals from the pH sensor (2) and electrode surface (3). An impeller (4) creates a constant flow through the sensor to both minimize the effect of flow changes in the tank or pipe and to move the cleaning beads to reach all the surfaces. An integral pump volute also holds the beads (1) captive. A Teflon® strainer to keep our large debris that could clog the inlet (5).

H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

Michael Silveri, president of Halogen Systems, Inc. said: “With water scarcity in many parts of the US, many remote well sites are being brought online to add to the water supply. Often these remote sites operate unattended.”

Some municipalities have hundreds of wells and require monitoring on most of them. Reagent cost and truck rolls for maintenance make some sites much more expensive to operate or even uneconomic. A reliable, low maintenance sensor that measures all the critical parameters can be deployed at much lower cost than a suite of discrete instruments.

The self-cleaning feature works well in wastewater and reclaimed water applications. Antonio Thompson, Chief Operator, Iron Bridge Wastewater Reclamation Plant, Orlando, FL commented: “Our other sensors required calibration every shift. MP5 has been accurate for 3 months.”

If chlorine is used in their process, other wastewater treatment plant operators should take notice of this new option. This new technology can save many man-hours, improve processes, and reduce cost, both CAPEX and OPEX, for plants. We believe that this technology is a huge leap forward for plant operators and we want to share our experience for the benefit of our industry and the environment.”

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sensor’s immersion installation: “It can read where no other sensor was able to. The Halogen MP5 sensor gave us better insight into our processes.”

Jason Erskine of CL2 Solutions, Florida, agrees: “The Halogen MP5 sensor is a game changer in municipal water treatment for both wastewater and drinking water. It measures five parameters, is not affected by pressure or flow, and is self-cleaning.

“Our customers really appreciate all of the Halogen Figure 2: MP5 Direct Insertion Sensor MP5’s benefits. The small footprint, ease of installation, its online and reading in minutes and no maintenance really makes the operator’s jobs much easier.”

Website: halogensys.com

Steve Gibbs, Plant Manager of Incline Village General Improvement District in Incline Village, Nevada, says of their

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The Halogen MP5 sensor is a game changer in municipal water treatment for both wastewater and drinking water.

It measures five parameters, is not affected by pressure or flow, and is self-cleaning

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H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

March 2022 Issue 1

Climate adaptation: An inflection point in tech investment has arrived To date, the bulk of climate-tech investment has been channeled toward climate mitigation strategies aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

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hile this investment is crucial, there is a risk of developing ‘net-zero tunnel vision’ and neglecting climate adaptation solutions such as addressing water-related risk.

To find out more about the need to drive investment in climate adaptation solutions, we spoke to John Robinson, Partner at Mazarine Ventures.

What exactly is the inflection point we are in?

Mazarine’s point of view is that while net-zero investments will still be important, we are now at an inflection point in climatetech where we can expect a surge in climate adaptation investments.

carries significant economic risks for finance, insurance, real estate, John Robinson, Partner at agriculture, extractive Mazarine Ventures industries, process, manufacturing, F&B industries, and tourism; virtually no asset class is untouched.

A warmer planet will cause water quality risks by affecting the water composition and biology, creating health and safety concerns, and making many water sources unsuited for their intended use, or forcing the use of alternative water sources.

This refers to backing innovations that increase the resiliency of companies, households, and the public sector in their efforts to manage water risks resulting from climate change.

Investors now recognise that there are venture and impact opportunities in technologies that address climate adaptation, especially in early-stage companies.

What are some of the water-related risks of climate change?

Though relatively stable for the last 12,000 years, the earth’s atmosphere is now warming. Despite best efforts to change the way humanity generates and uses energy, it’s a foregone conclusion that planetary warming will continue, resulting in fundamental changes to the hydrological cycle.

These water-related risks manifest in two main ways: changes in quantity and changes in quality. Too much or too little water

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Framing the climate adaptation opportunity by sector

How will tech help overcome these challenges?

Mazarine understands that hardware and software technologies play a growing role in helping various sectors in their efforts to adapt to changing water quality and/or quantity because of climate change.

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We are now at an inflection point in climate-tech where we can expect a surge in climate adaptation investments

Early-stage technology companies with solutions addressing climate adaptation risk can be placed in two main categories: innovations that proactively anticipate water risk and those that actively manage it. Both are important.

There are companies developing software and data science innovations to forecast precipitation and water levels, predict the availability of water both above and below ground, and anticipate changes in ecosystems and water composition using satellite, airborne and in-situ sensors.

On the flipside, there are companies developing hardware and software solutions to purify water, improve the efficiency of water usage, detect quality changes in real-time, and harness new sources of water.

March 2022 Issue 1

How does Mazarine help support these technologies?

Mazarine is a venture capital firm backing companies with innovations that generate social & environmental impact by supporting the climate adaptation needs of the private and public sectors, as well as of consumers.

We invest in nearly all sectors of the economy where climate change is creating water-related risks, including transportation, energy, buildings & infrastructure, food & agriculture, manufacturing, and utilities.

What companies in Mazarine’s Fund would you consider “Climate Adaptation Tech”?

Mazarine is tracking over 1,000 early-stage companies with innovations that address climate adaptation risk.

While all of Mazarine’s portfolio companies’ offerings help their customers address climate adaptation risks, AQUAOSO, Conservation Labs, EQO, Flume, SimpleLab, and WaterClick are particularly climate-adaptation competitive in the submarkets they operate in.

Website: mazarineventures.com

Investors now recognise there are venture and Impact opportunities in technologies that address climate adaptation, especially in early stage companies with innovations that address risks relating to...

Too much water or too little water (quantity risks)

Compromised water sources (quality risks)

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H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

March 2022 Issue 1

U.S. drought accelerates ‘water reuse revolution’ Exclusive Interview: H2O Global News Editor, Siôn Geschwindt, spoke with Epic Cleantec Co-founder and CEO, Aaron Tartakovsky, about their water reuse solution for buildings and, more broadly, the importance of designing smarter, more resilient cities for the future.

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n the heart of Silicon Valley, an innovative building complex is in the works. The proposed ‘Park Habitat’ workspace, in San Jose, California, has a ‘green lung’ 20-storey vertical façade, a rooftop garden, and energy saving and renewable technologies – setting the bar for truly ‘smart’ buildings.

But given the fact that California is beset by severe drought, can we really afford to water all those plants?

The answer to that question lies hidden in the basement.

Park Habitat will be fitted with a state-of-the-art recycling system that takes all the water used in the building, cleans it and reuses it for non-potable purposes like flushing toilets and watering plants.

And the brains behind the operation? San Francisco based startup, Epic Cleantec.

What’s so Epic?

Founded by father and son duo, Igor and Aaron Tartakovsky, Epic Cleantec installs on-site water recycling systems to process black and grey water for reuse within the building.

“The vast majority of water in buildings is used for non-potable purposes such as flushing or irrigation,” said Epic Cleantec Co-Founder and CEO, Aaron Tartakovsky. “Given the droughts and water scarcity we are facing – and will continue to face – it simply doesn’t make sense to use drinking water for these purposes.”

Epic Cleantec look to usher in a ‘water reuse revolution’, where getting the most out of our scarce water resources is the norm, not the exception.

While most water is reused for non-potable purposes currently,

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Tartakovsky predicts this will change in the near future.

“I think in 10-15 years it’s going to be very common to use recycled water for drinking,” he said. “The technology to bring recycled water to drinking standards is already here, and despite the ‘yuck factor’, I believe water scarcity issues will move us to adopt these technologies more quickly.”

And this is not just about water, it’s about food and energy too.

Epic Cleantec’s system extracts organic material from the building’s waste water to produce a natural soil amendment.

They’ve even built a food garden in downtown San Francisco, to showcase the amazing potential of this natural fertiliser Locally-made soil amendments from Epic Cleantec’s system.

Energy can also be extracted from the buildings water: “An incredible amount of energy is used to heat water in buildings,” said Tartakovsky. “We repurpose this energy, for example, to heat the domestic water of the building.”

Epic Cleantec have already installed their technology in two San Francisco high-rises: the 35-storey NEMA building, nestled between the Uber and Twitter headquarters, and the Fifteen Fifty apartments, a few blocks away. These buildings are reusing an average of 5000 gallons (22730.45 liters) a day, or 1.8 million gallons each year.

And the Park Habitat building is next in line.

“We will use our technology [at Park Habitat] to irrigate 20-storeys of living wall,” said Tartakovsky. “We will be tweaking our process to leave some of the organics in the water to give the plants extra nutrients.”

“15-20 years ago, having a green building was a nice-to-have but now it’s a must have; driven by a broader conversation around building smarter, more resilient cities,” he continued.

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March 2022 Issue 1

Smart buildings, smart cities Buildings are among the top five contributors to global carbon emissions, and office blocks alone make up 10% of annual water use in the U.S. Yet, as urban populations grow, so must the built environment, which poses the question: how can we design more efficient and sustainable buildings?

Reusing water on-site is one solution that helps buildings cut expenses, reduces overall water use and eases the strain on existing sewage networks, many of which are ageing.

There are also hidden advantages to this decentralised approach.

“The drought is accelerating the conversation and our decisionmakers understand the challenge, but there are a lot of stakeholders that you need to bring together,” said Tartakovsky.

“That’s why since the beginning we have been working with policymakers and urban leaders to create a conducive regulatory pathway to mainstream water reuse in our cities.”

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“About 20% of the state’s energy budget is spent on water, and a big chunk of that is for pumping,” said Tartakovsky.

“Decentralising water management will cut energy costs and diversify our water sources so that if one runs dry, we have others to fall back on.”

“In the 21st century we really shouldn’t have to depend on whether it rains or not to ensure that our communities have enough water,” he continued.

“There is a relative consensus that the main difficulties in increasing water reuse are not technological,” said International Water Association (IWA) Director of Strategic Programmes and Engagement, Daniela Bemfica, in an interview with H2O Global News. “The main barriers are related to policy, regulation and cultural aspects.”

Building resilience in our water supply will become increasingly important as climate change causes more frequent and extreme weather events.

Fortunately, most of the solutions to tackle climate change are already here. The big challenge is creating a policy framework that supports the rapid implementation of these solutions.

In the 21st century we really shouldn’t have to depend on whether it rains or not to ensure that our communities have enough water

Building for the future Building smarter, more resilient cities is a behemoth undertaking that will require targeted investment and political support.

In April of this year, the bipartisan Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 passed unanimously through the U.S. Senate. The bill allocates over $35bn in funding for drinking water and waste water infrastructure.

“We strongly support this bipartisan bill and applaud those who worked across party lines to negotiate this deal,” said National Association of Clean Water Agencies CEO, Adam Krantz.

“However, there is still much work to be done and clean water’s role must be placed on equal footing with other infrastructure sectors such as roads, bridges and broadband.”

The focus on water infrastructure at the national level is a promising sign, but as Krantz underscored, much more investment is needed.

Tartakovsky agrees: “The bill is a step in the right direction and signifies overwhelming support for modernising our water infrastructure.

However, if we are to tackle water scarcity and really build smart cities we will need much more investment and the deployment of all the solutions we have, and rapidly.

By ushering in a water reuse revolution, we at Epic Cleantec hope to be part of the solution – building better cities, not just for this generation, but for those to come.”

The Park Habitat office tower in San Jose, CA. (Credit: Kengo Kuma and Associates / Westbank)

Website: epiccleantec.com

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H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

March 2022 Issue 1

SurfCleaner - On mission to tackle the world’s untreated water

Swedish water treatment specialist and pioneer of the world’s first skimmer separator device is on a mission to make a positive, direct and sustainable impact on the environment.

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ith over 80% of used water still going untreated globally - the scale of the challenge is colossal. However, SurfCleaner is mobilising fast, rapidly expanding its distributor network across continents and forging new deals in multiple sectors worldwide.

The firm’s technology recovers contaminants from water surfaces including oil, diesel, petrol, plastics, sludge and other pollutants. It has identified huge potential across energy and industrial sectors, including wastewater treatment plants, refineries, process industries, steel mills, tunneling, mining, recycling, waste management and broader infrastructure projects, as well as oil-spill clean-up and recovery projects across harbours, ports and coastlines.

For environmentally conscious operators, the benefits are threefold. While improving water quality by recovering myriad pollutants, it also boosts green credentials by reducing VOC emissions and carbon footprints. Thirdly, it neatly collects by-products including oil which can be re-used and resold contributing to the circular economy while generating new income streams.

Following a recent high-profile deal with Scandinavian environmental services giant Ragn-Sells, SurfCleaner is managing a steep trajectory with strong order volumes in what promises to be its busiest year to date. Having already installed around 40 units across the oil-water separation segment its roster of clients include the Swedish Coast Guard, Preem Refinery, Esso Refinery, Sonatrach Refinery, Exxon Mobil and Ports of Stockholm.

New distributor partnerships in Norway and Italy with Christian Berner and WTE are also part of a broader strategic expansion

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plan, adding to an existing network spanning the UK, United States, Canada, Mexico, Nigeria, Libya and Turkey.

Led by an experienced team, SurfCleaner remains a passionate family-led firm, with the late inventor, Dr Stig Lundbäck’s daughter, Christina, now at the helm. Driven by a desire to solve environmental problems, Christina is upholding the Lundbäck legacy as an outspoken advocate for sustainable industry.

Aligning with global decarbonisation and net-zero targets, recently set out at COP26, SurfCleaner is also well positioned to help relieve future carbon tax burdens placed on industry – widely recognized as the most cost-effective mechanism to reduce emissions at the scale and speed necessary.

In the meantime, the technology remains at the ‘heart of global water treatment’ in more sense than one, as Stig’s innovative technology - coined DAPP (Dynamic Adaptive Piston Pump) - takes front and central stage, mimicking the pumping principles of the human heart which pulses blood through the body 100,000 times a day.

Website: surfcleaner.com

H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

March 2022 Issue 1

Combatting Artificial Additive Threats to our Environment and Health

By Atle Mundheim, Chief Technology Officer, M Vest Water

The prevalence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – often referred to as ‘PFAS’ - in the environment is one of today’s most pressing issues. Norwegian-based M Vest Water is addressing this major global challenge. The company has developed innovative green products that capture PFAS by flocculating these molecules or polymolecules in a manner that enables efficient removal from water and wastewater.

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FAS: the harmful “forever chemicals” that are virtually indestructible. These short or long chain molecules are among the most persistent in the world and are often called “forever chemicals” since they take thousands of years to degrade. Used in industrial activities and to produce consumables, these molecular bonding substances are disposed of in waste and then find their way into and accumulate in ground water and oceans.

Due to their nano sizing, they migrate in the food chain, and finally end up at our table in shellfish, fish, meat, food and water. They are even transported through air and spread over vast areas where they contaminate soil and waterways.

PFAS represent a large class of manufactured chemicals that have been used in firefighting and for stain resistance, water repellents, oil and fat repellents, lubrication, and many other industrial applications since the 1940s. Extreme high temperatures of around 1800 degrees Fahrenheit are required to destroy this ‘eternity product.’

Human exposure to PFAS is a global problem. PFAS have been linked to a number of adverse health effects, and exposure may occur via ingestion, direct contact, inhalation and occupational contact. According to a study executed by The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and published

by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PFAS may cause damage to the liver and heart, also auto immune disturbances, cancer and hormone disturbances.

Today, most people in industrialised nations have measurable amounts of PFAS in their blood. In fact, according to the U.S.

Products that contain PFAS

National Groundwater Association, studies estimate that 95% of the U.S. population has been exposed to PFAS and have measurable concentrations in their blood.

Although PFAS are no longer manufactured in the U.S. or Europe, their effect will persist for generations to come. They are still produced in elsewhere around the world, and older products as well as imported materials ranging from textiles to coatings may still contain PFAS. And the damage done since the 1940s shall still haunt us for generations, even if we manage to eliminate these substances from use as of now. continued on page 24

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The good news is that awareness of the PFAS problem has exploded

Tackling the PFAS problem The good news is that awareness of the PFAS problem has exploded. Major governmental entities, including the European Union and by the European Chemicals Agency and ECHA, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are pursuing action to combat the issues surrounding PFAS. In Europe, legislation for discharges of PFAS in wastewater, including thresholds in drinking water, has been substantially more stringently regulated, and member countries enforce and allocate financial instruments to implement additional micropollutant treatment steps at existing water treatment plants.

In the U.S., a key development is the passage of the PFAS Action Act 2021 and President Biden’s allocation of $10 billion under the $1 trillion infrastructure bill to test for and filter PFAS from drinking supplies. This comes as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has called PFAS “an urgent public health and environmental issue facing communities across the United States.”

It has advocated the approach of getting ‘upstream’ of the issue by preventing PFAS from entering the environment and holding polluters accountable for their actions and for PFAS remediation efforts.

Technological advancements M Vest Water has developed a ‘green’ flocculant called NorwaFloc®, which combines both polysaccharide-based flocculants and a highly charged coagulant in a single product that is applied in just one dosing step, using M Vest Water’s patented technology.

The combination of a biodegradable natural polymer with a highly charged coagulant leads to a complete natural product that achieves even better results compared to traditional synthetic polymers or other biopolymers.

NorwaFloc products are characterized by a significantly improved adhesion to the pollutants in the water and a clearly improved flocculation due to a higher utilisation of the charges.

In fact, M Vest Water doubles to triples the charges of the most common and best coagulants available, and in addition, combines this with a flocculant in one and the same product.

Normally these are sold separately.

The product was developed into formulations that can capture particles smaller than any other known flocculant/coagulant.

In fact, M Vest Water developed a flocculant/coagulant that

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can capture molecular and dissolved pollution from water. To our knowledge, no other flocculant/coagulant in the world can do that.

NorwaFloc can, in a conventional coagulation/flocculation process, capture and flocculate dissolved components and low molecular toxins and colloids in the range from below 1 nm upwards and separate these out with the flocculate. The good news is that this ability applies for thousands of contaminants, including PFAS and micropollutants. The specialised NorwaFloc products are able to remove dissolved components in water smaller than 1 nm by capturing and growing them in seconds into large conglomerates easy to separate in any conventional separation device.

The disruptive advantage is that by simply dosing and mixing the NorwaFloc product, these nano pollutants in can be captured in NorwaFloc, which then agglomerates the PFAS molecules into large conglomerates comprising reacted NorwaFloc, which is very easily separated in existing standard water treatment equipment setup with no need for expensive add-on installations (e.g., ozonation followed by like activated carbon or membrane filtration).

In most cases, existing water treatment installations can be used, and in addition, M Vest Water has developed special adapted separation devices for the NorwaFloc that would efficiently remove PFAS from drinking water and wastewater.

The NorwaFloc product has been verified to efficiently remove a large number of the most common PFAS products and that this can be done by simply applying NorwaFloc upstream ‘off the shelf’ media filtration.

NorwaFloc applications NorwaFloc may substitute any coagulation/flocculation additive in flotation, sedimentation, or mechanical separation of pollutants in wastewater. NorwaFloc is an all-round product that functions in a wide pH range, in hot or cold water, in potable or saline water, for removal of dissolved and suspended contamination in water.

Beside its innovative use to remove PFAS, the product is applicable for general water treatment in almost any kind of water from drinking water to municipal wastewater to industrial, agricultural and aquacultural water and wastewater and even sludge dewatering.

Solving the PFAS problem is a challenging and demanding task, and technological innovation is critical to addressing it. One of the most powerful and promising strategies is to look to green solutions such as those being pioneered by M Vest Water that not only cause no harm to the environment or people around the world, but also can actively and cost-efficiently reduce the amount of these substances going into the land and water, and ultimately affecting our health and wellbeing.

Website: mvestwater.com

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March 2022 Issue 1

New year brings resolution on pollutions With sector-wide recognition that a step-change is required to deliver the environmental improvements required by all stakeholders, a new year brings fresh opportunities for supplier and water company collaboration, writes David Frost, chief executive of Ovarro.

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smarter approach to network management is now non-negotiable for the water and wastewater industry, which has historically been conservative in the adoption of data-led solutions. The good news is that at all levels, this is now clearly recognised; commitments have been made and mechanisms put in place to enable innovation and collaboration in 2022.

Ovarro has worked collaboratively with utilities to monitor their water and wastewater networks for more than 30 years. It is these close partnerships that allow our R&D teams to respond to specific industry needs and challenges, meaning we are able to support utilities with their environmental protection commitments.

During 2021 it became clear that communities have ever-strengthening connections with their local water environment. Any detrimental impact this industry, or any other, may have on the quality of rivers and seas is no longer acceptable in the eyes of customers.

This is reflected in the intense scrutiny from regulators, politicians and the media we have seen over the past 12 months, most recently in the Parliamentary Committee on Water Quality in Rivers, in measures set out in the Environment Bill and the government’s Storm Overflow Evidence report.

Ofwat’s PR24 performance commitment document PR24 and beyond, published in November 2021, recognises that an outcomes-based approach to PR24 will include pollution incidents and environmental performance.

The Environment Agency’s latest environmental performance report also made clear its expectation for a “trend to zero serious pollutions”. The agency says it will always seek to hold those responsible for environmental harm to account, with the report noting fines for environmental offences were starting to reach the same level as the highest fines for crimes in financial services.

We can expect more scrutiny in the year ahead – customer priorities are changing and expectations will only increase, as concluded by research published by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), in July 2021.

One way in which we are doing this is through BurstDetect, a cloud-based early-warning system that detects rising main sewer bursts. This new technology was developed in collaboration with UK utilities, in direct response to the urgent challenge to reduce pollutions. Cost-effective and sustainable, the technology transforms existing data into actionable insight, while increasing real-time and predictive capabilities.

Across all areas of business and operations, having the correct technology and processes in place will set the stage for the water sector to regain customer and regulatory trust and, most importantly, ensure greater protection of treasured watercourses not only in 2022, but for decades to come.

For more information: Ovarro.com/BurstDetect

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March 2022 Issue 1

Expert insights: Embedding circularity into water management The circular economy aims to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature. Most discussions about circularity revolve around material goods – but what about water?

W

ater is by nature cyclical: it flows, freezes, evaporates, and infiltrates across the planet – but it is never lost. However, in human-built systems, water tends to flow in one end and out the other in a linear fashion.

Therefore water circularity in the built environment is about reducing or eliminating wastewater discharge, maintaining a continuous cycle of use and reuse.

To find out more, we caught up with Professor Dragan Savić, the CEO of KWR Water Research Institute and Professor of Hydroinformatics at the University of Exeter. Based in the Netherlands, KWR is one of the world’s leading applied scientific research centres focusing on the water cycle.

Professor Savić is an international expert in smart water systems with over 35 years of experience working in engineering, academia, and research consultancy.

damages our environment and climate.

The same principle of circularity should apply to water and water management so that we don’t have to deal with ‘wastewater’ but find new ways to extract material and energy during the water recycling process.

What are some of the benefits of this approach?

Savić: The benefits are numerous, but the main ones are related to the reduced use of non-renewable resources (e.g., oil, coal and metal ores) and lower carbon emissions.

Water reuse also helps to realise a zero-waste future and brings further benefits to the economy through business and job creation related to the circular economy products and services.

All in all, it’s a win-win situation.

How does water relate to other key sectors like manufacturing, mining and agriculture?

Savić: For me, ‘circularity’ is a synonym for doing things as nature does it, or in other words, continuously reusing all material in perpetuity.

Savić: Water is critical to all industries. A lot of water is required to manufacture products (e.g., a pair of jeans requires over 7,000 litres of water to make it through the production line) and for mining operations, which sometimes impact on water quality. Agriculture is the largest user of water globally with farmers in most countries not paying for the full cost of the water they use.

Using nature as a model is in opposition to our dominant ‘linear’ economic system, where after we make a product and it comes to the end of its useful life, it becomes waste and

Therefore, water in the circular economy is closely related to other crucial economic activities and should be considered as part of a much larger system of systems.

What do you understand by the term ‘circularity’ and how does it apply to water management?

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Have cities adopted policies on water circularity yet? If so, what are some of the challenges and opportunities to implementation?

Savić: I’m always an optimist and am encouraged by the drive and leadership of many cities that are turning to a circular economy to ensure city resilience and long-term sustainability.

However, the danger is that if we do not look at the challenge holistically we may end up doing more harm to the environment and economy.

For example, if we focus only on one system, say materials recycling, we can end up polluting more water or emitting more CO2. Similarly, if we focus on one sector only, such as transport or energy systems, we can end up with unintended consequences. An example is the first generation of biofuels where the main impacts were water overconsumption and pollution.

What is the role of technology?

Savić: We already have an array of effective technologies for reducing, recycling and re-using materials. However, I’d like to emphasise the role of digital technologies and data, which are essential for understanding the current level of circularity, following and measuring the progress and identifying bottlenecks on the way to a full circularity situation.

What is the role of governance?

Savić: While we have good technologies to support the creation of a circular economy, we lack the governance structures to identify priorities, synergies, engage people, provide supporting infrastructure, legislation, incentives, funding, and more. In other words, people are the key to the transition to a circular economy.

Can you explain a bit more about KWR’s Water in the Circular Economy Programme?

Savić: KWR participates in various Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe Project and ERC projects (Water Futures) on an international level. We provide expertise on water technology, serious gaming, stakeholder engagement and Community of Practice (CoP), amongst others.

In the Netherlands, KWR coordinates WiCE (Water in the Circular Economy), a joint research programme involving drinking water utilities in the Netherlands and Flanders, focusing on how the water sector can transition to circularity. The programme has the ultimate goal of enabling utilities to contribute to climate protection and sustainability.

Utilities provide water for domestic, industrial and commercial use and connect various sectors and therefore cannot work in isolation. The aim is to collaborate across sectors to help countries like the Netherlands fully embrace the circular economy by 2050.

Website: kwrwater.nl

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Spotlight: The changing face of the water industry Across the global water sector there are amazing women leading successful companies, innovating new technologies and inspiring the next generation of woman entrepreneurs to enter the industry. In this section, we spotlight these incredible individuals - who are tackling some of the greatest water challenges we face today.

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Ainhoa Lete

President, BuntPlanet 1. What inspired you to start your company?

The inspiration to create BuntPlanet came from various different sources. On the one hand, I was fortunate to be able to meet and be inspired by successful founders of multinational companies from a very young age. The examples they provided were an inspiration to me. At the beginning of my professional career, as an engineer working at Siemens in Munich, I was deeply impacted by the innovation taking place around me. I realised that I could make a positive contribution to the innovation ecosystem by founding a company in San Sebastián, to tap into the extraordinary pool of talent emerging from the universities of the Basque Country. San Sebastian is not only an important tourist destination but a hub for science and research. I believe science and technology should contribute to improving the planet, I studied engineering precisely for that reason, to help solve problems. It is essential for us to preserve our scarce fresh water resources, which are critical for life on earth. Artificial intelligence can contribute significantly to improving the management of water. My vision is for BuntPlanet to improve the planet, with the help of our technology.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

The water sector faces several key challenges. On the one hand, the emergence of new pollutants; and on the other, the effects of climate change. Climate change is increasing both the intensity and frequency of droughts and flood events. Meanwhile, water companies generally face budget constraints: In much of the world, the water tariff does not cover operating costs; the distribution networks are very old; and the rate of water reuse is low. Therefore, operational efficiency within water distribution networks must be enhanced to the maximum levels possible.

The combination of technologies offered by our BuntBrain solution - including artificial intelligence, Big Data and hydraulic simulation - is key to improving the management of water operations. With BuntBrain, water companies can detect and pre-locate early leaks before they grow and cause a burst.

BuntBrain can simulate different scenarios, detect water quality problems, determine which meters need to be checked or replaced from an economic point of view and which pipes need to be replaced. The system also notifies users if they have an internal leak or if their consumption is abnormally low compared to similar users.

3. What are your goals for your company?

I would like BuntPlanet to be recognized for developing world leading artificial intelligence applications for the water sector. We are making significant investments in R&D with this objective in mind. Siemens, has chosen our solution which it is incorporating into its portfolio of digital water solutions. This endorsement by Siemens indicates that our technology is at the cutting edge and is beginning to gain the recognition we aim for. I would like

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BuntBrain to be used widely, throughout the planet, to achieve more efficient water management. Convincing the leading global water utilities to adopt our technology is one of our key goals. Some of the world’s most innovative water utilities already use BuntBrain. But, we also want to extend our coverage, so that our solutions are used even in small cities and in rural areas. At BuntPlanet we are firmly committed to the goal of reducing our carbon footprint and we are working on different options to reinforce our future efforts in order to achieve this important objective.

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

Since BuntPlanet was co-founded and is led by women, it is clear that thepossibilities for a woman within BuntPlanet are limitless. We feel that an equality plan is not necessary, at least for now: the qualities of equality and respect for diversity are embedded within the company’s DNA. However, we do observe that, as is generally the case within the technology sector, the majority of BuntPlanet’s professional employees are men. The reason for this is that lower numbers of women tend to pursue technological careers. To address this underlying issue, at BuntPlanet we try to actively encourage women to study technological subjects and enter into careers in the world of technology. We do this by collaborating with awareness campaigns which target students in various different forums. We believe that awareness is key so that, in the future, the numbers of women who are active in the technology sector will grow enhancing gender diversity in the sector.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

I would like to see a significant increase in the number of women studying technical careers, because I believe that technology is key to addressing the major challenges, we face in the future.

BuntPlanet has chosen water, but in recent years we have become acutely aware of the need for science to solve difficult problems, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Technology is the future. That is why the presence of women in technological professions is so important. We cannot afford for half of the population to make no contribution - we need to take advantage of all available brain power and resources. It is critical that women contribute to defining the future. I wish there were more successful companies led by women in the field of technology.

There is not yet a sufficient critical mass, but progress is being made. The first examples of successful female entrepreneurs have already begun to emerge, especially in the field of biosciences. I hope that in the future there will be more and more examples of successful women, who will in turn serve as an inspiration to a new generation of female entrepreneurs.

Website: buntplanet.com

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continually providing support to our world-class team, to help them perform better as individuals and keep them inspired by putting ourselves at the forefront of problem solving for the water industry.

Amanda Siqueira CEO, VAPAR

1. What inspired you to start your company?

My inspiration comes from one of my personal experiences as a civil engineering intern at Australia’s largest water utility, Sydney Water. I reviewed sewer pipe inspection videos for 8 hours a day looking for faults. When deep learning technology first started being developed, I knew that automating this pipe fault detection would be a perfect use case. Trained professionals should be solving more complex problems and instead leverage software to do this manual, repetitive work. That’s what VAPAR exists to do; help decision makers in water utilities understand when their pipes are likely to fail and what to do about it before failure happens.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

Our mission is to revolutionise the US$88Bn global pipe repair market. We are creating a world where infrastructure selfmanages from installation to overhaul, creating a safer environment for all of us. We also aspire to be one of the most exciting and innovative companies to work with and for. We look forward to continually providing support to our worldclass team, to help them perform better as individuals and keep them inspired by putting ourselves at the forefront of problem solving for the water industry.

3. What are your goals for your company?

Our mission is to revolutionise the US$88Bn global pipe repair market to create a world where infrastructure self-manages, from installation to overhaul, creating a safer environment for all of us. We also aspire to be one of the most exciting and innovative companies to work with and for. We look forward to

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4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

Opportunity and challenge are defining aspects of working at VAPAR. All our employees are encouraged and supported individually to excel in their role.

We provide equal opportunity for gender, no disparity in pay and encourage our staff to sign up for courses to upskill themselves. In addition, we have monthly one-on-one meetings to express any difficulty that our team members are facing and how we can support them. We have flexible work hours and WFH options to ensure a positive balance of work and non-work priorities.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

My hope for the future of women in technology looks brighter than ever. Things have started to change; early introduction of technology in education is starting to democratise tech access and the ‘image’ of what a ‘tech-y’ person looks like. Women are more ready than ever to enter and thrive in the technology space. VAPAR reflects this future; for instance, my talented co-founder Michelle started coding when she was 7; we have a clear prodigy here! And she is just one of many that are forging a path for the next generation of diverse talent.

Website: vapar.co

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Carol Maxwell

CEO, MICROrganic Technologies 1. What inspired you to start your company?

The science behind Microbial Fuel Cells (the back-bone of our technology) has been studied for decades in academia, and several companies have attempted to commercialize the technology. MFCs are a combination of biology, electrochemistry, materials innovation, and engineering; it is a multi-disciplinary technology, which makes it quite challenging but also exciting.

There had been multiple attempts from other companies before we started, but nobody had successfully scaled the technology. The potential upside for MICROrganic was that there was initially an open field for innovation with MFCs. For the last 4-5 years, we’ve been very focused on the materials innovation that are required for MFCs; they have to be highly conductive, physically robust, and at a large enough size to be cost efficient. That part is our own innovation; we do our own materials manufacturing, as it is at the core of our technology.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

MICROrganic tackles three major challenges.

Energy Efficiency: Secondary Treatment is typically one of the most energy-intensive steps. Because we don’t need to aerate the wastewater, the energy savings are significant. Based on the pilots we’ve conducted, our solution VIVA reduces energy use by 85-90%.

Direct-current power generation: It’s important to note that VIVA is also continuously generating DC power. At our pilot stage, we’re not focused on power generation. But as we commercialise, we expect that some customers will want to harvest that DC, which can relieve costs when a plant has a power outage and can use the DC power to support critical infrastructure.

Wastewater Digitisation: As the microbes in the system treat waste, they’re depositing electrons onto each circuit, providing continuous, digital data. If a part was damaged, or if there was a biological “upset”, we would know right away, right down to the specific circuit. These features, which are built in to the technology, allow plant operators to have continuous, real-time data that confirms system health.

3. What are your goals for your company?

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the software for increasing intelligence.

Of course, we’re also focused on continuing pilots. We’re working now with Anheuser-Busch and will be piloting in about a month. We’re also in discussion with some other companies about pilots. As a new technology in a critical sector, piloting is a primary pathway to sales.

An important second goal is to scale up our team; we’re pretty small right now. We are raising funds now, and will be looking to hire later this year.

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

Right now, we are a small team. But as we grow, it is important to grow a diverse team, as an innovating company. Early on, my assumption was that there were few women in this sector. I was wrong. Over the last five years, I’ve been involved in lots of trade shows and conferences, and have been active in NEWEA (the New England Water Environment Association), as the co-chair of the Sustainability committee.) The diversity in our sector is inspiring and exciting, as a woman, and as CEO. Also, diversity is a very good thing for any company, but especially beneficial for innovation when you’re breaking new ground.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

I was born in the late 1950’s; as a child, I really did not know any women that had full-time jobs, let alone technical/ professional roles. When I graduated from college and grad school, I had a lot of opportunities, but given the culture it was difficult to manage home and work once I had children. I decided to be at home for over a decade. It was challenging to get back in the ring after being a stay-at-home mom for such a long time.

Before I began formally working again, I was a mentor at RPI, working with a professor who was focused on developing students to innovate in areas that nobody has considered. Each semester, there were less than a handful of women in that class. I have no idea why. But I do think that part of the problem is that in high school and college, most teachers and professors in scientific and engineering fields are men. I think that, at the very least, we need school teachers to have more technical experience, and schools should be increasing their focus on STEM for all children (not elective) and make STEM a bigger part of the curriculum, beginning in elementary school.

Website: microrganictech.com

A primary goal is upgrades on our current commercial design, based on a recent pilot. We’re pretty close and are working with our engineering team now to finalise the upgrades.

Part of the system is digital, and we will be routinely upgrading

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Erika Schwarz Taylor, PhD Co-Founder, EQO

3. What are your goals for your company?

1. What inspired you to start your company?

I have a unique background in both marine biology and genome evolution.

With my marine biology background, I created molecular probes for toxic algae and got to spend a lot of time looking at marine and freshwater organisms under the microscope. With my genome evolution background, I sequenced whole genomes and spent a lot of time at a computer assembling and analysing genomes. I was always intrigued by how much data could be produced using next generation sequencing and wanted to take that technology and apply it to aquatic environments to find out more about the communities of organisms and their proportions in an ecosystem. I felt like there was so much information we could gather to give us insight into what’s happening if we generated and mined the right data. In the last year of my PhD program, I was looking on LinkedIn for anyone that utilised the two pronged approach and I came across John Higley. He was creating probes for zebra mussels in our area so I reached out to him to learn more. John wrote me back and we met for a lunch to talk about his work and the possibilities of adding a next generation approach. After meeting we realised our skills were complementary to one another and, together with two other people, we ended up cofounding EQO, Inc.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

We are addressing the challenge of early-stage detection of endangered, invasive, and harmful species in aquatic ecosystems. Currently, technology used by municipalities, governmental agencies, and engineering and environmental firms to detect species of interest is rudimentary. Current methods focus on using environmental DNA (eDNA) and does not provide information on whether the species sampled are alive or dead. EQO’s technology can capture, preserve, and probe environmental RNA (eRNA) allowing us to assess what is currently in the water and tell us if it’s alive or dead. eRNA breaks down quickly in the environment and until now has been very hard to capture. However, with our automated sampler that also preserves samples as they are filtered, utilising eRNA has become the gold standard in early-stage detection.

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My goals for the company are for it to fulfill its mission to utilise technology and science to solve the biggest problems facing aquatic ecosystems. Some of the greatest challenges include invasive species that destroy food webs and infrastructure, classifying and protecting endangered species, and monitoring threats to water quality for more informed decision-making by managers and water rights holders.

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

EQO staff is equally split, 50% female and 50% male. We value diverse and complementary skill sets that prove to generate the best performance while maintaining a friendly and fun environment. In our organisation and beyond we believe in the power of mentoring. I’m personally a mentor to young women in biotech and it’s one of the most enjoyable parts of my career.

‘‘

Women have so much to contribute to the field of technology. I want them to have confidence and understand their value.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

Women have so much to contribute to the field of technology. I want them to have confidence and understand their value.

Additionally, I want them to utilise their skills in a field that makes them happiest and feel fulfilled.

Website: eqo.life

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Jennifer Kim

Founder & CEO for SEUNwater 1. What inspired you to start your company?

I had recently moved from Chicago to Central Valley, California. My young daughters and I would visit these small, quaint towns near where we lived in Fresno, the fifth largest city in California. We would often read signs in these towns that warned, “you can drink the water, but it might give you cancer.” These strange signs led me to do research and I found that many of these towns, where our most marginalised communities lived and worked, had dangerous levels of nitrates, lead, arsenic, and uranium in their drinking water. It occured to me that technology did indeed exist to mitigate and help all these issues, it just was not being applied where it was needed. During the pandemic the problem became even more alarming to me because our frontline workers at these farming towns were being charged for water twice. Once for water from their taps that was undrinkable for children and a second time for bottled water. During the pandemic I decided to pivot my IoT water monitoring platform to specifically address these marginalised communities. I wanted to bridge this glaring technology gap in these towns and make water equitable for these important communities.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

We have created a platform that utilizes various technologies and created a continuous water monitoring platform. It’s like the security system you have for your home to protect you and your family, except for water. IoT, edge computing and Hedera Hashgraph combine to create the fastest and most secure solution for your water data which will alert you when there is a potential problem. In the future, more water data means more ways to predict possible outbreaks and unintended water loss.

We are creating “proof of water.” That is, providing data and proof that your water is indeed safe and that the supply is always secure.

3. What are your goals for your company?

We would like to be able to help as many marginalised communities as possible on a global scale. We want to maintain the affordability of our platform and offer it to those who need it the most FIRST. I’ve been told that we should be offering our platform to larger cities and wealthier communities but this does not allow us to fill these gaps that many of the smaller communities need in order to be safe and have clean, drinkable water. 84% of all water utilities in the USA are considered small, there is a lot of work to do but we are definitely up for the

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challenge. A second goal I have for this year is the successful launch of a new product we are releasing that will enable communities and organisations around the world to monetise their energy savings when they make cleaner choices to purify their water. This will assist small communities globally, allow corporations to purchase these credits to offset their own carbon use, and help to create a more equitable and sustainable world.

‘‘

Women are incredible and I hope that everyone can benefit from all the hard work that they can bring to technology

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

I often speak at technology events to encourage all companies everywhere to hire more women and to create a healthy culture so that women have a safe working environment. I also enjoy mentoring women - I have over two decades of professional experience and a lot to share. Recently, I was honored and privileged to be chosen to manage a grant fund specifically for female founders by the HBAR Foundation and I plan on helping many women achieve their technology goals and fund their amazing ideas!

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

Currently, only 17% of all people who work in technology are women. It is my hope that in the future we can increase that percentage through education, encouragement and most importantly, funding. Many female led projects are at a clear disadvantage when it comes to fundraising and I would like more investors to really make an effort to fund more women and to be diverse and impactful with their portfolios. By funding more women, we not only close this gender gap but we also bring a new level of innovation and products to the world.

Women are incredible and I hope that everyone can benefit from all the hard work that they can bring to technology.

Website: seunwater.io

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Julie Bliss Mullen CEO, Aclarity

1. What inspired you to start your company?

As a college student active in Engineers Without Borders, I spent part of my summers in a rural community in Guatemala whose residents suffered from health issues due to water contamination. I saw first-hand that access to clean water would transform the community’s overall quality of life and decided to dedicate my life to solving water quality issues around the world. As a PhD Candidate, my goal was to evaluate new and innovative water treatment technologies to solve various water quality issues such as PFAS. The industry needed a new technology that wouldn’t concentrate compounds to send back into the environment, and I became dedicated to developing a solution to destroy harmful contaminants at a price point the industry would accept-- thus, Aclarity was born.

‘‘

My hope is that women are equally respected, feel comfortable with, and have access to achieving their professional goals at equal pay grades to men within technical industries

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

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3. What are your goals for your company?

Aclarity is simplifying and revolutionising water treatment. My main goal is to reduce cancer rates by destroying harmful contaminants such as PFAS, eliminating their introduction into the environment. Goals for this year include growing the best team to deploy two customer systems to destroy contaminants on-site for a less than one year customer payback.

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

As a female CEO, engineer, and Mom, it is so important to be a role model to young women to encourage them and pursue their personal and professional dreams. I make it a priority to mentor our young women - they mentor me as well - and ensure their voices are heard every day. We offer paid parental leave for both women and men, making an effort to normalise family time and professional growth for all. As we grow, I continually make sure that all women at Aclarity have equal access to leadership positions, promotions, and extracurricular opportunities to reach their own goals.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

My hope is that women are equally respected, feel comfortable with, and have access to achieving their professional goals at equal pay grades to men within technical industries. I want to see 50/50 representation of women and men in water, especially in leadership roles, and increased women of color. I also hope that dual parenting and working becomes normalised, having seen and experienced first-hand that working Moms are some of the hardest workers I have ever encountered. The more women young people see in technical and leadership roles, the more common it will become for all.

Website: aclaritywater.com

Our system destroys PFAS in wastewater streams. PFAS compounds are in the blood of 98% of Americans, are toxic, and are linked to various cancers. A major source of PFAS comes from landfills where PFAS-laden materials are disposed of, leached, and re-entered into the environment in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants. The existing technologies to remove PFAS from water and wastewater concentrate the compounds for disposal to landfills and incinerators. Existing and impeding regulations are driving the need for cost-effective permanent destruction of these chemicals to avoid environmental and human health exposure.

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Karen Schuett

CEO, Livestock Water Recycling 1. What inspired you to start your company?

Our previous business was focussed on the treatment of hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater. We recognised a worldwide need for the treatment of animal wastewater when we were asked by a local hog farm to help with their very full manure lagoon. Coming from a previous watertech commercialisation, my co-founder and I immediately saw this as a water treatment market that was vastly underserviced. Manure lagoons actually contain only 5% manure… the rest, if you can believe it, is WATER! The management of manure in storage lagoons is one of the most complex, expensive and potentially limiting problems facing the agricultural industry today. This problem is particularly prevalent among large livestock operations, including dairy and swine. It is also an area of tremendous opportunity as the costs associated with manure management are high, and there is inherent fertiliser value in manure. The recovery of this value is impeded by the dilute nature of the liquids and the co-mingling of the fertilisers. Most producers recognize the fertiliser value of the manure but do not have an optimum system for recovering that value. LWR makes recovering that value a reality for the farm.

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gallons of manure and food waste bioliquids into recycled clean water by 2050, directly impacting 10 of the UN’s Sustainable Development goals.

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

My team knows that gender diversity is fundamentally important to me, so much so that it has become an organic priority within our organisation. I am proud to have a gender balanced team including many STEM positions filled by women, and a female-led manufacturing facility.

We have a framework in place where employees can offer feedback and recommendations and it is important for me to really listen to what they have to say. From this information, I try to dive deeper into where bottlenecks might be for women in our company to move up the ranks.

I believe strongly in hiring and promoting women at the same rate as men, and actively showing them that both they and their skills are valuable assets to our organisation. We hire gender balanced interns and STEM summer students including engineers and computer programmers. We have regular employee reviews where we celebrate strengths and accomplishments and work together to create long term career goals. I support and encourage the professional development of each of our team members, and work to create opportunities for professional development for women employees.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

The world is under water stress and the ag sector specifically has a significant need for freshwater. 180 million acres of US crop land is affected by drought, and we saw that much of the water used in livestock production ends up in giant storage lagoons, in the form of manure wastewater.

My hope is that businesses take more action to allow women to find new places to thrive across the tech sector. I hope that more and more businesses will help women fill gaps in their portfolios and future-proof their careers. Women are more likely than men to have gaps in their career paths or to have turned down learning, training and even promotions due to home and family demands, but my hope is that companies will embrace flexible schedules and upskilling programs to help women maintain the sharp skills that will keep them competitive and connected to the workplace regardless of any gaps they might have over their career.

These lagoons are a difficult, time consuming, limiting, unpleasant problem for livestock producers who together, produce 335m tons of valuable manure fertiliser annually. We work with food producers to modernise manure management in a way that reduces their manure-related expenses while unlocking the monetary value trapped inside these lagoons.

This returns up to 70% of clean water back to the farm, drastically reducing ground water withdrawals.

3. What are your goals for your company?

Our mission to provide value-additive treatment solutions that improve costs and overall sustainability for livestock and food facilities continues to guide us.

Our commercialised technology solution operating in the market already has the combined potential to treat over one billion gallons of manure annually. Through digitisation and aggressive revenue targets, our goal is to transform one trillion

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As someone who has spent a long time in her career as the only woman in the room, or one of a few, I know how hard it is for women to find strength in numbers in the tech sector. But that’s changing, and women professionals can do a lot to accelerate that change. From speaking up when other women are left out of important meetings and decisions to providing mentoring and training opportunities, women in tech can be essential career enablers.

Website: livestockwaterrecycling.com

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Dr. Macarena Cataldo-Hernandez CEO, Viridis Research 1. What inspired you to start your company?

learning from each other and that we can change the world!

14 years ago, when I was studying for my engineering degree, I was volunteering in a program to teach science to young boys and girls at social risk and I had the opportunity to meet a family living without water and sanitation in my hometown, Valparaiso, Chile. It was shocking for me to discover this parallel reality that affects millions of people around the world.

It was then when I noticed the importance of water and decided to dedicate my life to developing water technologies. Cleaning different kinds of waters and developing several treatments around the world, has allowed me to refine many of the foundational ideas now at the center of my own company, Viridis Research. In 2020 I knew I was ready to work on my own dream!

An immediate goal is to bring VEOX to the market and prevent microplastic contamination from washing machines.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

Our technology is combatting one of the greatest threats to our global aquatic ecosystems, microplastics. Humans ingest over 50,0000 microplastic particles every year which have even been found in the placentas of unborn babies. One of the main contributors to microplastic contamination is synthetic fiber.

Synthetic fabrics release millions of plastic microfibers during the washing process. One load of laundry can release an average of 700,000 microplastic fibers. Wastewater treatment plants cannot catch these synthetic microplastics, so they end up in the oceans. At Viridis, we developed a patented technology—VEOX—to capture and destroy plastic microfibers at the primary source where they break off from synthetic materials and into laundry water when being washed. The VEOX device easily connects or integrates into washing machines, captures microplastic particles from the water, and degrades them into safe, non-toxic products. All of this is done using advanced electro-chemical filtering technology which degrades the fibers and does not use any disposable plastic cartridges this prevents ongoing cost to the end-user and more plastic in the environment.

3. What are your goals for your company?

Viridis Research is an R&D company founded to provide practical, resilient, and sustainable solutions for both consumers and communities facing the most difficult water treatment challenges. At Viridis, we care: we care about the planet, we care about water, we care about people. The most important goal for Viridis is to build a company which provides employees, customers and investors a company to be proud of, knowing that we can all improve together by

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

We are doing our best to create a collaborative and inclusive company. Making a particular effort on understanding our social identities, race, gender, class, sexuality, disabilities and how they affect or interfere in our lives and roles in this society. Specifically regarding gender inequality we are taking different steps: Step one: Create awareness of gender inequalities and our own conscious and unconscious biases.

Step two: Educate everyone in the company to counteract stereotypes.

Step three: Hire an equal number of women and men in highly technical positions and management.

Step four: Give visibility to women in those positions to motive other women.

Step five: Empower managers to implement inclusive policies; increasing security, flexibility and opportunities for both genders.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

Women and minority groups have different perspectives and understandings of the world which would enrich cleantech and technologies companies. However women-owned businesses are still in the minority, and if you are women of colour, you face a double bias due to both race and gender. One of the main challenges for me, is the lack of representation. My biggest hopes for the future are (1) increase the number of women in technology and end the lack of representation, ( 2) Increase the number of women investors and (3) Increase the amount of investment to women-led companies, and (4) Increase the recognition of the value that women and minority perspectives bring, not just hire them to access funding or reach quotas.

Website: viridisresearch.com

SPOTLIGHT

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H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

Meena Sankaran CEO, KETOS

1. What inspired you to start your company?

As an engineer in multiple disciplines by training, I knew that I wanted to seed an idea that leverages technology to elevating the lives of human beings while having a positive impact on the planet we all are nourished by.

Growing up in India, safe water was always top of mind but scarce. I founded KETOS in 2015 with a vision to potentially prevent a disease outbreak someday and save lives lost due to water borne diseases. The mission to transform the water industry with the goal of making water safer and sustainable has been the foundation of why KETOS exists. Specifically, the innovation built by an exemplary class of interdisciplinary and brilliant minds is transforming how water operators measure, manage, and forecast water quality and efficiency. KETOS is able to have an impact across Industrial, Agricultural, and Municipal applications in real-time whereas the status quo is costprohibitive, labor intensive, manual and reactive. How many “Flints” need to occur before folks start investing and driving the much needed focus for smart water management?

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

KETOS delivers smarter, safer, and more sustainable water solutions to change the way the world thinks about water. This is done through a comprehensive offering of industrial-grade patented hardware, an IoT communication framework, and a robust software platform to address global water management issues. The unique amalgamation of robotics, IoT, data science and material science in the space of water has led to a breakthrough like never before. A single system completely decoupled from a fixed model of constituent monitoring has revolutionised how many parameters and which ones a customer can care about and the flexibility with how they interact with the system. KETOS has the ability to monitor 33+ constituents in less than 4 yrs in a single system and will continue to keep increasing its menu as customers get to leverage a one-of-a-kind model in the Industry with “water quality insights as a service” and analysed data at their fingertips.

Real-time monitoring and understanding of water, both quantitatively and qualitatively, helps address both water efficiency (leak-detection & usage) and water quality (safety), ultimately increasing water availability. With the power of actionable and predictive water intelligence on a global scale, KETOS seeks to solve a number of the world’s water challenges with the goal of preserving this vital resource for generations to come.

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March 2022 Issue 1

3. What are your goals for your company?

No child should suffer from drinking lead in their water or no person in this day and age should be deprived from safe drinking water.

This outcome cannot come to fruition without collaborative action across industrial and agricultural water discharge, sustainable water practices across manufacturing, affordable technology to empower operators and the simplicity for the masses to adopt a solution that helps move the needle. KETOS aims to make water safer, sustainable and accessible for all with the intelligence that the 21st century has to offer.

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

Diversity of thoughts, execution and experience is key to how KETOS has been built. Women are incredible humans with a strong sense of intuition, leadership and skill who have long been underrepresented. The culture developed within KETOS and one of the pillars of how the team has been intentionally and consciously created is with women in focus. We have a 80% women board. We are actively increasing women leaders as well as coaching women scientists to be more active as part of our R&D team. We also have one of the strongest investment community representation by women in our cap table. As we scale, we will continue to enable women across all aspects of our organisation to succeed and achieve their highest potential.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

Being an active part of coaching women CEOs or other entrepreneurs and hiring several females into technical roles as part of their internship at KETOS are all some means of paying it forward. I look forward to seeing several women in board seats, in CEO roles as operators of organisations as well as executives leading the charge in technological innovations of the future.

In addition to KETOS, I am the founder of W.IN.S (Women INner Strength), a women empowerment group that organically grew with over 500+ members. The W.IN.S group inspires women to focus on their inner strength to achieve their highest potential without limiting their identity to only their careers. As part of a non-profit organisation focused on refugee development, I’ve also spent an extensive amount of time in building the confidence of women to rise to being independent as they regain their strength of identity. Several of their daughters are now aiming to pursue technical education for their future.

Website: ketos.co

H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

Paige Peters

CEO, Rapid Radicals Technologies 1. What inspired you to start your company?

The inspiration behind Rapid Radicals Technology is a combination of right place, right time - if not me, then who and my inability to say no to a challenge.

The right place was Marquette University’s civil engineering master’s program under Dr. Daniel Zitomer, and the right time was just as Dr. Zitomer began working with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to develop a technology that would help meet the District’s goal of zero sewer overflows and basement backups. After 18 months of industry-funded research, we achieved proof of concept for a rapid wastewater treatment process to treat sewer overflow water to Clean Water Act permit levels. At this point, I knew that the only way this technology would see the market is if I scaled and commercialised it. If not me, then who? I had never considered starting or owning a business. My engineering career passion was and remains to provide clean water and reliable infrastructure to communities around the world. After all that coincidence and good fortune between research, funding, and resources, I now realise that starting Rapid Radicals is my way of fulfilling my career passion while bringing others along on this amazing journey.

2. What challenge is your technology addressing in the water sector?

March 2022 Issue 1

expensive, unresponsive to the real problem facing communities, and developed without the key input of our stakeholder ecosystem. As we build the RRTS and our company, we seek to increase awareness about environmental and infrastructure issues. While our overall goal is to implement the RRTS across the country and internationally, we seek to develop a product and process that is cost-effective, responsive, and addresses community needs. Finally, we seek to change the role small technology businesses have in the water sector by being accountable to the industry’s stakeholders and participating in the many aspects of technology development through deployment.

4. What steps are you taking to encourage women’s growth within your organisation?

When I started Rapid Radicals, it was a 100% female-owned and female-run organisation because it was just me. Now, it is still 100% female-owned, but we otherwise have a male-dominated team. This reality doesn’t mean that our organisation isn’t supportive of women’s growth; I’m a woman, and this company has given me plenty of growth opportunities in the past five years. However, there are two truths here: I am proud of each individual I have hired to grow Rapid Radicals, but I struggle with not putting my time and money where my mouth is on hiring a more diverse team. My commitment to advance this is to start hiring earlier to broaden our access to employment pipelines of diverse applicants. I also take opportunities to tell my story very seriously so that other young women might see what I’ve done and, where before they felt the obstacles were too great, now realise there is a path ready for them to charge ahead and effect change.

Rapid Radicals exists to eliminate sewer overflows and basement backups by expanding municipal wastewater infrastructure to include the Rapid Radicals Treatment System (RRTS) - a decentralised, high-rate treatment technology.

Climate change is making storm events more intense, more frequent, and less predictable, exacerbating an issue already challenging our aging infrastructure in the face of increased urbanisation. Our technology rapidly treats sewer overflow water to permit levels so the overburdened conveyance system can be safely relieved of excess water during storm events.

Impoverished communities are more likely to be detrimentally affected by wet weather events and improving their water quality and public health is a key value of Rapid Radicals.

Additionally, our novel advanced oxidation technology can be applied to water reuse applications, which directly responds to a need for more adaptable, resilient, and decentralised water treatment options.

5. What are your hopes for the future of women in technology?

3. What are your goals for your company?

Website: rapidradicals.com

My hope for the future of women in technology is that we’re seen as people working on solving big problems – take gender out of it and look at the hardworking individuals who strive for a better, safer, more whole world. I hope that we celebrate individuals and their unique traits that make them successful and inspirational. In addition to the men and women we see working in this male-dominated field, there are non-binary individuals who are figuring out how to be seen, blend in, or forge their own path. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I feel as though we shouldn’t be debating which minority group we support most. Instead, I want to use any success I’ve found to pull others up to my level and encourage those with me and above me to do the same. There is more that unites than divides us, and the water technology sector is well-positioned to walk this walk.

Developing cutting-edge and innovative technology is crucial to solving problems, but it really is the easiest part of addressing the problem overall. Our solution has no impact if it’s too

SPOTLIGHT

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H2O GLOBAL NEWS M A G A Z I N E

March 2022 Issue 1

Global events LET2022 - The 17th IWA Leading Edge Conference on Water and Wastewater Technologies Date: 27th March - 2nd April 2022 Location: Reno, Nevada, USA The IWA Leading Edge Conference on Water and Wastewater Technologies is designed to be the place where new ideas are introduced and the opportunity is provided to interact with the “best of the best”. This is the global conference where new insights into how pioneering science, technological innovation and leading practices shape the major transformation in water management that is underway.

Singapore International Water Week 2022 Date: 17th April - 21st April 2022 Location: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) 2022 returns as a physical event from 17 to 21 April at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

As one of the leading international water events in Asia, SIWW brings thought leaders, experts and practitioners from governments, utilities, academia and industry together to share and co-create innovative solutions to meet with pressing urban water challenges globally.

6th IWA YWP México 2022 Date: 23rd - 27th May 2022 Location: Culiacán Sinaloa, Mexico The 6TH IWA-YWP Mexico 2022 is a forum in which young researchers and professionals that work in multiple and different topics of water sector, could present their works, meet their colleges and interact with stablished researchers, as well as with members of the advisory and governmental sector associated with the water sector.

Since Sinaloa is an agricultural region with a high level of water stress, the main topic to be addressed in the keynote speeches and roundtables is water in agriculture. Water resources are vital for planting agricultural products, which is why it is directly related to the goals of the sustainable development goals such as: End poverty, Zero Hunger, Health and wellbeing, Clear water and Sanitation, among others. In addition, agricultural practices generate wastewater containing agrochemicals, so there will be lectures on the treatment of wastewater containing recalcitrant compounds, such as pesticides.

SWAN 2022 Annual Conference Date: 24th - 26th May 2022 Location: Washington, DC, USA The leading, global smart water event will be held May 24-26, 2022 in Washington, DC through a hybrid format. This year’s theme, “Connecting Innovation to Impact” will focus on the economic, social, and environmental impact of smart water.

Utility Week Live 2022 Date: 17nd - 18th May 2022 Location: Birmingham, UK Collaborative innovation brought to life.

Utility Week Live, the UK’s only pan-utility exhibition, will reunite UK utilities, drive collaborative innovation, and support strategic, technical, and operational professionals in solving critical business challenges.

Gain unmissable inspiration and fresh ideas from sector leaders and transformational companies across two days of unrivaled content and solution showcases.

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