In October, Amane’s Bill Malarkey and Vinod Jose attended the Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in Chicago; connecting with water professionals from around the world and checking out the latest technologies and innovations emerging across the sector. The four-day event is touted as the largest of its kind in North America with more than 10,000 in attendance, nearly 150 interactive educational sessions, 17 hands-on workshops and an exhibition featuring products and services from more than 800 providers.

As one of the leads for Amane’s innovation offering, Vinod got a sneak peek at the future of water innovation at WEFTEC’s Innovation Pavilion.

“The event featured a curated cohort of more than a dozen startups addressing several major innovation themes; including advanced technical solutions, ‘smart water’ solutions utilizing data analytics to improve decision-making, predictive maintenance, and construction, new (PFAS treatment solutions, and solutions exploring the water-energy nexus.

“We also saw companies innovating with ‘digital twins’, which replicate and simulate physical systems and infrastructure in digital form. This technology enables users to model system behavior under different conditions, such as stress tests, environmental changes, or operational scenarios,” said Vinod.

A ‘Shark Tank’ styled pitch competition was also held, with all of the startups participating. Judges.

“The future of the water sector looks promising with more such trailblazing companies leading the way,” added Vinod.