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​Innovation Events

The Innovation Pavilion, the Council’s premier event, is held as a full-day program each year during NEWEA’s Annual Conference and features panel discussions, pitches, and exhibits from some of the most promising water innovators and students in the region. This event was developed to build awareness, share ideas, and create connections between businesses, utilities, regulators, and academics to drive innovation in our region.

The Council also regularly hosts Reverse Pitch events, which provide water innovators with the opportunity to pitch their technology and gather members of New England’s water industry startup community for networking.

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Upcoming Events

Please refer to NEWEA’s Calendar for upcoming Innovation Events.

Past Events

Innovation Pavilion – 2023 

The Innovation Pavilion at the 2023 NEWEA Annual Conference occurred on Tuesday, January 24th. The event featured: 

  • Exhibit tables and pitch presentations from 10 different startups
  • A panel discussion titled “Clean Water 50th Anniversary – The Next 50 Years: Communication, Climate, Innovation and Investment”
  • An update on the I/A Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) Taskforce progress – “Where have we been and where are we going?”   

Innovation Pavilion Exhibitors
  • Aclarity
  • Bioforcetech Corporation
  • Ceritas
  • C-Green, c/o Next Rung Technology
  • DetoXyFi
  • MMP (DiriGoStream)
  • Stormsensor
  • Trinnex
  • Verified Water, Inc.
  • Water Analytics
Clean Water Act 50th Anniversary – The Next 50 Years: Communication, Climate, Innovation and Investment

A panel of experts discussed funding, environmental stewardship and planning, public outreach/awareness, and partnerships as well as innovating to transform the industry and environment. After the guided conversation was a Q&A session that further explored important issues that matter to clean water professionals including informing, inspiring, and exploring the future of the Clean Water Act and the water quality sector.   

Panelists: 

  • Ifetayo Venner, WEF
  • Howard Carter, City of Saco, ME
  • Alison Bowden, The Nature Conservancy
  • Diana Youssef, Change Water Labs
  • Diana Nelson, Black Fly Media
  • Kamal Daghistani, Spring Lane Capital

Moderators: 

  • Emily Cole-Prescott, City of Saco, ME
  • Zach Henderson, Woodard and Curran

Clean Water Act Keynote presentation. Panelists from left to right: Ifetayo Venner, Diana Nelson, Alison Bowden, Diana Youssef, Kamal Daghistani, Howard Carter.

Update on I/A OWTS Progress—Where have we been and where are we going? 

The I/A OWTS Task Force works to accelerate new parcel and cluster level OWTS technologies into the market, targeting Nitrogen effluent levels of <10-11 mg/L. They have been collaborating with the US EPA Southeast New England Program (SNEP) which includes Rhode Island, the Massachusetts South Coast, and the islands of Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Block Island.  Ultimately, these systems will have applicability to all New England and beyond. The taskforce shared their positive updates to audiences in the Innovation Pavilion atrium space. 

Panelists: 

  • Bruce Walton, Chair, I/A OWTS Task Force
  • Brian Baumgaertel, Director, MASSTC
  • Scott Horsley, Water Resources Consultant, Horsley Consulting

For more information about the I/A OWTS Taskforce, please visit the I/A OWTS Taskforce Resources page>> 

I/A OWTS Taskforce panelists from left to right: Brian Baumgaertel, Scott Horsley, Bruce Walton.

Innovation Pavilion – 2022

The Innovation Pavilion was held on Tuesday, January 25th, 2022. The event featured the following: 

  • 11 pitch presentations from startup companies showcasing their innovative technologies
  • A presentation about the NEWEA Innovation Partnership Network 
  • A Reverse Pitch Event about PFAS & Biosolids Management 
  • A Student Shark Tank Event
Innovation Pavilion Sponsors
  • Watts Water Technologies
  • Lombardo Associates 
  • JDL Global
  • Woodard & Curran
Innovation Pavilion Exhibitors
  • Microbe Detectives
  • MICROrganic Technologies
  • Lombardo Associates
  • KleanTu LLC
  • Aclarity
  • UHRIG
  • Maine Manufacturing Partners
  • GoAigua, Inc.
  • Verified Water, Inc.
  • Water Analytics
  • Stormsensor
NEWEA Innovation Partnership Network

The Innovation Council is in the process of gathering innovation resources for members and fostering connections between established companies, startups, academic institutions, utilities, and nonprofits. During the Innovation Pavilion, Megan Goldsmith, NEWEA intern, presented her “Water Wheel”, and an update on the data collection effort.

Click to view the Water Innovation Partnership Network page>>

PFAS Reverse Pitch Event 

Panelists: Janine Burke-Wells, NEBRA; Howard Carter, City of Saco; Jeff McBurnie, Casella Resource Solutions  

Moderator: Chi Ho Sham, ERG/AWWA

Click here for more information about this event.

Student Shark Tank 

Judges: Dr. Christobel Ferguson, WRF; Dr. Jeff McCutcheon, UCONN/NAWI; Amy Corriveau, CDM Smith

Posters:

  1. The Effect of Oscillating Electric Fields on Struvite Precipitation in Side-stream Wastewater by Kamruzzaman Khan, University of Vermont
  2. Charles River Artificial Floating Wetland by Kitty Lovell, University of Massachusetts

Click here for more information about this event.