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Hi <<First Name>>,
“April showers bring May flowers,” and for The Water Council, April brings us two new team members. It is my sincere pleasure to introduce you to Stacy Vogel Davis, who is serving as our Communications Director and Laura Mullen, our Member Engagement Manager. Their heads are spinning with all the information about our work and programs and, of course, handling the multitude of acronyms that we so easily toss out every day. You can expect to hear directly from them in the near future as they help us spread our message across the world and up our game in delivering services to our members.
Speaking of April, that reminds me that the deadline of April 25 for applications for our Pilot Program is quickly approaching. The program offers water technology innovators the opportunity to conduct in-field, proof-of-concept testing at real-world demonstration sites in Wisconsin. Click on the following link to discover the technology interests for Spring 2021.
Just like May flowers, as we turn the calendar, the application deadline for our 5th Tech Challenge round is May 9. Your application will be reviewed by the corporate R&D team sponsors, and if you are chosen, you’ll get the opportunity to present your innovation to A. O. Smith, Badger Meter and Watts Water Technologies to compete for prize money and the potential for other collaboration paths with market leaders. Click below for more information or to apply.
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As we all work through the business challenges caused by COVID, I wanted to bring to your attention a federal program that we discovered last month. The Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) did not get much attention because of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) as companies had to select either PPP or ERTC, and most companies selected PPP because it was more generous. However, revisions to ERTC in December mean that eligibility for the credit has broadened AND eligible companies can take advantage of both the PPP and ERTC. ERTC also is much more generous for 2021 use. Definitely worth exploring by clicking here.
While the Water Leaders Summit will be held virtually in 2021, I look at this as a great opportunity to bring speakers to you who would have challenges traveling to Milwaukee and attract a much broader audience across the U.S. and abroad. The dates are set for the mornings of July 20-22 and 27-29. With all of the discussion in Washington, DC about infrastructure, one topic that will be discussed will be the connection between roads and water. The Washington Post recently ran a great article on that topic: “As rainstorms grow more severe and frequent, communities fail to prepare for risks.” Now that Stacy is onboard as our Communications Director, expect to hear more details on the program and how to register.
On the water stewardship front, we continue to see a growing number of companies from a variety of sectors prioritizing water in their sustainability strategies and efforts. This is evidenced by the latest announcement from Apple, who announced the certification of its Prineville, Oregon Data Center to the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard – the first data center in the world to achieve this designation. Our AWS Training offerings sold out at a record pace in February and April. If you’re interested in participating this year, click below.
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Particularly exciting to see is the very high interest and commitments from corporations seeking to accelerate the advancement of their water stewardship policies and practices, especially those entities that are new to the field or perhaps not yet ready for site level work with the AWS Standard. In this regard, we are currently piloting our Corporate Water Stewardship Accelerator with two firms: Nutrien and Watts Water Technologies. We are also contracted to work with a large industry trade group based in Washington, DC in order to develop a sectoral pathway to improving water stewardship performance. The growing interest around Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance by key investor and public stakeholders is intensifying this growth. More news on this opportunity will follow later this year when we have details that are publicly shareable.
Of course, none of the services that we provide would be possible without the generous assistance from our sponsors, clients and, most importantly, our members. Now with Laura onboard, our aim is to significantly increase our interaction with members as we continue to “convene, connect and showcase” our impressive water technology industry. With that I want to welcome our newest members from across the world including: APX10 (Denmark), Clearwater Industries (Wisconsin), GoAigua (New York/Spain), Forward Water Technologies (Canada), Neutralox (Germany), and True Elements (Florida).
Just as the rain is turning the grass green and flowers are starting to blossom, I believe the same holds true for Milwaukee’s water technology sector, as opportunities are on the horizon from possible increased federal investment in water infrastructure and companies seeking solutions to improve their water stewardship performance.
Cordially,
Dean
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TWC MEMBER NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES
Event: Four Investors Focused on Opportunities in Water/Wastewater – May 6
Conference: Interested in Milwaukee innovations? Hosted by the UWM Research Foundation in collaboration with the Medical College of Wisconsin and Marquette University – April 21
Video Competition: International Water Association Digital World Congress Short Film Competition – Deadline May 15
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Are you a member of The Water Council with news to share? Drop us a line!
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