Water Online released a list entitled “The Top 12 Water Technology Hotspots in America”, with The Water Council, which houses FirstPathway Partners' funded project, Global Water Center, as top 3.
Laura Martin, a writer for Water Online, credits Milwaukee’s position on the list to its commitment to furthering water technology. The EPA (The Environmental Protection Agency) has identified Milwaukee as a water technology innovation cluster—regional groupings of businesses, government, research institutions, and other organizations focused on the future of water.
“Milwaukee is home to more than 150 water technology companies, including Badger Meter, Kohler, A.O. Smith, Siemens, Veolia, and Pentair. In addition to water businesses, there are numerous academic institutions focused on water research in the area including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences (the first of its kind in the nation) and the Institute for Water Business program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. There are over 100 academic scientists and researchers focused on water solutions throughout Milwaukee and the surrounding area, with emphasis placed on stormwater management, extracting renewable energy from waste products, and mitigating and adapting to climate change. To further leverage these efforts, the Milwaukee Water Council created the Global Water Center, which houses water-related research facilities for universities, existing water-related companies, and new emerging water-related companies.“
The Water Council and the Global Water Council are working to tackle a variety of barriers to water technology innovation, including “patenting and intellectual property protection, regulatory restrictions, access to research and information about new technology, and funding.”
Laura notes that along with other Midwest clusters, The Water Council’s focus is more on aging water infrastructure and preventing combined sewer overflows.