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Confluence Interview, July 11, 2022

Showcase helps ensure water safety

Image by Oleksii Lishchyshyn for Shutterstock

Confluence was formed at the behest of the regional EPA in 2011 to connect the various technologists, universities, utilities and companies who are involved in ensuring the Ohio Valley water supply is safe and predictable.

Melinda Kruyer, a founding executive director of Confluence

The Confluence water technology innovation cluster recently announced the winners of its 2022 Tech Showcase, where organizations present new tech concepts to the consortium’s 90 or so member utilities in the Cincinnati region.

We spoke with Melinda Kruyer, a founding executive director of Confluence, about how the showcase helps fuel this mission and drive economic development in the region.

The Technology Showcase began in 2016. What innovations and water technology that have been highlighted have gone on to adoption in the region, or nationally?

Kruyer: For one of the last showcases we had, there were four winners and they are all in various stages of development. They partnered with our regional utilities, and so they were able to go ahead and pilot and test their programs. That’s not uncommon.

So one of our recent winners immediately signed an agreement with the EPA, and they are testing at the EPA Testing and Evaluation Center. And they are looking at different applications for that technology, one being for Homeland Security, so they may be testing out of the Idaho lab.

How do the showcase and Confluence match utilities’ needs with the researchers who can address them?

Kruyer: We work with our utilities and say, “What are your challenges?” [After a conference years ago that followed a system outage in the region], we realized there was a need for a platform for utilities to exchange information. We include everything – drinking water, wastewater, storm water, accounting, IT – and we’ve learned so much since we created the regional utility network.

We’ve created a reverse pitch where the utilities were the presenters at a conference. We asked for as much specific information as they could provide, so they brought budgets, even sometimes measurements in very specific detail. We had that reverse pitch conference and then after that, at that Tech Showcase, we were able to call for abstracts, and then at the showcase, the utilities came and saw the results of that reverse pitch conference.

We also work with some large corporations and meet quarterly to say, “What are your challenges,” especially the companies that are more forward thinking, like Procter & Gamble … the goals that they set for themselves are so daunting and some of the technologies don’t exist at this point. … It’s a very, very impressive group.

Are most of the entrants in the showcase startups and university-backed projects, or do established companies also participate?

Kruyer: It runs the gamut. If you want to take this past Tech Showcase, we had a lot of universities. I’d say that was the predominant group among the winners. But we did have a startup that started up with Confluence. And there were technologies from Israel. So it’s a broad group.

What is the economic impact in the area?

Kruyer: Based on the region’s water technology expertise, our region could be adding $2.2 billion annually to the regional economy with a 6%-8% growth rate.

We know that in our region we are blessed with a lot of water assets. We have the U.S. EPA lab here. Right up the road, we have the Air Force Research Institute. … We have all the scientists in water with Procter & Gamble, University of Cincinnati with their engineers, and they’re very proactive in the water space. So we also have some of the most forward-thinking utilities that are open to testing and piloting. We have more patents per capita than any other region of the country.

What are the main challenges facing the Ohio River Valley region in terms of the water cycle?

Kruyer: We do not have an issue with water scarcity. We are wet and we are going to be getting wetter. We’ve got thousands of miles of rivers and streams and we’re sitting on a one-and-a-half-trillion-gallon aquifer. So our challenges are along the lines of combined sewer overflow and these very extreme rain events. We also have lead service lines that we are addressing.

What are Confluence’s future plans?

Kruyer: I think one of the things that we’re looking at is continuing to bring all the intellectual capacity together in the area. So there are new challenges. You know, it’s always evolving, identifying the technologist and also making it easier for them to get that technology commercialized. And it’s been challenging to provide access to capital for our startups, so that is an area where we are focusing.

July 10th, 2022

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Confluence Connects - Details coming soon for next Confluence Connects

Member Spotlight:

The Entrepreneurs' Center

Scott Koorndyk, President

The Hub powered by PNC at the Dayton Arcade

Congratulations to the Entrepreneurs' Center and The University of Dayton for making The Hub Powered by PNC Bank at the Dayton Arcade a reality. At 95,000 square feet, it includes shared and private office spaces, meeting rooms, conference areas, pop-up retail opportunities, learning labs and classrooms. Please click the link above for a tour of this magnificent new innovation asset.

“The Hub is visible proof that Dayton’s long heritage of innovation remains vibrant, healthy and growing,” said Scott Koorndyk, president of the Entrepreneurs’ Center. “In one space, we’ve brought together the support, talent and energy that small businesses and entrepreneurs need to be successful. We are thrilled to join our partners at the University of Dayton and PNC Bank in making the Hub a catalyst for the future of our region’s innovation economy.”

Searen

Emanuel Briquet, CEO

Congratulations to Emanuel Briquet and Searen. Searen’s VAL sustainable water treatment technology has been labeled by the Solar Impulse Foundation as one of the 1000 Efficient Solutions to Change the World. Searen has been a Confluence member from the very beginning. We congratulate Emmanuel and team on this high honor.

Solar Impulse Efficient Solutions - Vacuum Airlift

Targeted Compound Monitoring

Confluence Water Research Consortium Grant Challenge Winner

Dr. William (Willie) Steinecker, Owner and CTO

Targeted Compound Monitoring (TCM) and has been working hard with last year's WRC winner, Dr. Reza Soltanian (University of Cincinnati) at the UC Theis Environmental Monitoring and Modeling Site (TEMMS, formerly CV Theis Groundwater Observatory) on a range of automated, solar-powered upgrades. After the recent success of a double-blind validation study showing laboratory-equivalent accuracy for chlorinated VOCs, TCM is preparing to expand the marketing presence of their remote/autonomous gas chromatograph (GC) technology for real-time monitoring of VOCs in groundwater. Their primary applications are early warning monitoring, plume tracking, and petroleum pipeline leakage detection. TCM has also begun development of a hand-held microGC system for on-site purge-and-trap analysis for VOCs in water samples; they expect laboratory performance and less than 10-minute analysis time. In addition to portable systems and remote monitoring services, TCM has engaged Dr. Soltanian for Hydrogeology and Groundwater Modeling advising in pursuit of offering more wholistic hydrogeological services. For the latest on TCM, sign up for their mailing list at www.tcmglobalinc.com.

NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE              

 CONFLUENCE ANNOUNCES "W" PRIZE WINNERS

OF TECH SHOWCASE AWARDS

The "W" Prize Awards Honor Innovation and Breakthrough Water Technologies

Cincinnati, OH (June 8, 2022) - Confluence, water technology innovation cluster, has announced the "W" Prizes winners from the Confluence Tech Showcase in December. The Tech Showcase brings together leaders from the water industry, government, and universities, to address regional, national, and global water challenges.  

The "W" Prize is a competition that incentivizes technological solutions to real-world water challenges.  The specific challenges for this "W" Prize were developed by the Confluence Regional Utility Network, the US EPA and industry partners. 

After the evaluation process and voting by the Technical Committee and Confluence board, five companies were selected for "W" Prizes in three categories. 

Innovative Research:

Winner: Electrocatalytic Hydrodefluorination of PFAS Using Molecular Catalysts

Jianbing “Jimmy” Jiang, University of Cincinnati

Honorable mention: Electrospun nanofibers and magnetic beads for the removal of contaminants from water

Raza Ahmed Quadri, Emma Rogiers, Megan Oleksik, Garry S. Crosson, Kenya Crosson, Erick S. Vasquez, University of Dayton

Technology Breakthru:

Winner: Strongbox Solutions - Mobile Flash Vaporization System

Alyn Brown

Honorable Mention: Hydropowered UV LEDs for chemical-free water disinfection

Daniel Ma, Clarissa Belloni, PhD, Natalie Hull, PhD,

The Ohio State University

Active Scaling Technology:

Winner: PearlAqua Tera: UV-LED Disinfection for Municipal Applications

Oliver Lawal, AquiSense

About Confluence:

Confluence is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that leads the water technology innovation cluster effort for the Ohio River Valley region in the United States.  The consortium is composed of Federal water laboratories, major research universities, large and small water related businesses, innovative water utilities, regional development agencies, and other organizations that represent over 6,000 researchers that implement nearly four billion dollars of research annually.  

WBI, Confluence Water Technology Innovation Cluster Join Forces to Promote Water Innovation Initiatives

Dayton, July 29, 2021: Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) of Dayton, Ohio, and Confluence Water Technology Innovation Cluster Inc. (Confluence) of Cincinnati have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) designed to foster relationships and collaboration among national, regional and local entities focused on promoting research, development and solutions to challenges in the water life cycle.

This groundbreaking MOU galvanizes the parties’ ability to highlight, address and educate vested entities about the growing worldwide concerns and emerging challenges in the water life cycle. It also allows WBI to leverage Confluence’s network of sponsors and collaborators to align with water contaminant concerns more closely.

“There are many facets to ‘water innovation,’” said Scott Springer, WBI’s Director of Collaboration & Development. “Treating and mitigating water contaminants and their associated risks is, of course, of paramount importance in this region of the country. However, Ohio and its neighboring states hold tremendous promise for addressing challenges associated with water management and benefiting from the economic opportunities afforded to those who can bring innovative solutions to market.”

Global warming and worsening droughts in the United States will continue to increase the demand for water management and distribution solutions. Ohio is well positioned to make a notable contribution to the effort given its proximity to the Great Lakes; Dayton sits atop one of the largest fresh-water aquifers in the country. At the same time, contaminants and other concerns about water quality have rightfully captured the public’s attention – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine launched H2Ohio, a comprehensive water-quality plan to reduce harmful algal blooms, improve wastewater infrastructure and prevent lead contamination.

“The critical water challenges that we face regionally, nationally, and globally are coming at lightning speed, and the answer is accelerating the development of new, break-through technologies,” said Melinda Kruyer, Confluence’s Executive Director. “This partnership is dedicated to finding those solutions.

“This Memorandum of Understanding formalizes the commitment of our two organizations to bring together the power of our networks to continue building a unique, thriving innovation ecosystem that brings answers and solutions to today's critical water challenges,” she said.

WBI and Confluence will achieve this by educating, facilitating, and informing audiences with mutual interests; voluntarily sharing information; and jointly planning, developing and promoting events, workshops and seminars aimed at promoting economic growth and technological innovation in the “water space.”

“WBI is excited about this opportunity to join forces with Confluence to help develop and promote this region of the country as a global leader in water technology innovation,” said WBI’s Executive Director, Wendell Banks. “This MOU paves the way for both organizations to begin to leverage our combined resources to foster the development of new ideas and solutions to address water treatment and management challenges.”

Both parties will be developing and promoting future near-term opportunities to learn more and join in the effort.

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About Wright Brothers Institute

Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) is a cutting-edge innovation and technology commercialization center for the Air Force Research Laboratory, with facilities located just outside of WPAFB in Dayton, OH.  We drive fast, agile innovation that enables successful technology development to solve the Air Force’s most complex challenges by leveraging resident experts, unique facilities, disruptive innovation processes, and extensive networks. We leverage subject matter experts and intellectual property from AFRL and SBIR companies to unlock the right problem, connect to new partners and synchronize transition pathways through our commercialization partners.

To receive updates about future events at all Wright Brothers Institute locations, visit www.wbi-innovates.com. Follow Wright Brothers Institute on Twitter @wbiinnovates, on facebook @WBIInnovates and on LinkedIn at Wright Brothers Institute.

About Confluence Water Technology Innovation Cluster Inc.

The Confluence Water Technology Innovation Cluster of the Ohio River Valley Region is a concentration of interconnected organizations that work together to promote economic growth and harness the wealth of water technology innovation found in Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Its mission is to establish the region as a global leader in sustainable, water technology innovation.