The Water Council has announced it has received an influx of cash to ramp up its work on clean water technologies.
In cooperation with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Sewerage District and the Fund for Lake Michigan, the Milwaukee-based Water Council has committed $600,000 over the next two years.
The funding will go to a new initiative called the Pilot Deployment Program, launched earlier this year, which aims to help water companies move from the lab to demonstration sites.
The first participant in the program is Water POD by Stonehouse Technologies, a compact water filtration system designed for underserved and distressed populations in areas with polluted water. With funding from the Pilot Deployment Program, Water POD has started treating water from the Menomonee River and Inner Harbor with a working prototype.
The PDP was initially funded through a $100,000 Wells Fargo Clean Technology and Innovation grant the Water Council received earlier this year.
The funding partners will also work with water technology startups to find demonstration sites to pilot their projects.
“The Pilot Deployment Program reaffirms an incredibly important area of our mission, to improve world water health,” said Dean Amhaus, president and chief executive officer of The Water Council. “This joint support and funding to help develop and validate new, cutting-edge products, will unleash a new wave of water technology innovation.”
“Milwaukee is known as a leader in water technology, and this coordinated effort will bolster that reputation,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. “I thank the partners that have come together to fund this project. Their vision is to help convert good ideas into valuable solutions. At the same time, this adds jobs and value to our economy.”
“Technology advancements born and tested here in our backyard can benefit the world, while saving our customers money in the long run,” said Kevin Shafer, executive director of MMSD. “Collaborating on new projects will also help strengthen relationships for Water Council members dedicated to furthering water quality in a ‘One Water’ world.”
