Water Resource Recovery Prize Phase 2 Finalists (Text Version)

This is the text version of the video Water Resource Recovery Prize Phase 2 Finalists.

Participating in the Water Resource Recovery Prize gives us the notoriety and the platform to communicate to treatment plants that it's time to accept innovation and change, that the environment and society demands change if we were to live a sustainable future on this planet.

We were inspired because we saw there was a significant pain point for small wastewater facilities dealing with wastewater solids.

We believe the Water Resource Recovery Prize was a platform and challenge that we needed to compare our technology to other industry disrupters while elevating our start-up company and earning the recognition of the U.S. Department of Energy and NREL.

The competition is at the heart of innovation. As engineers at Carbonxt, we really pride ourselves in being at the top of the line and really at the edge of innovation.

Our Phase 2 concept has the objective to build a resilient, circular economy within the local community that connects water, wastewater, organic waste, energy, soil stewardship, and food production.

So in Phase 2 the goal was to really take the same technology, the same piece of material, and implement it in a more modular phase.

We've partnered up with Ramona San Vincente Wastewater Treatment Plant, and we propose to implement our low-temperature distillation technology and recover the fresh water that was destined for disposal. We are actually going to triple the amount of reusable water recovered, and this results in a 90% reduction of wastewater volumes, as well as an 80%–90% reduction in truck traffic and associated cost.

What we are seeing in the market is a new paradigm on how we can be more cost-effective and more efficient in keeping our drinking water clean.

Participating in this prize will help us advance our career and research and would award both funds and credibility from the U.S. Department of Energy. This project is highly visible in the local farm and food economy.

No matter what great technology you are able to develop, the team is so critical. Having team members who not only are passionate about this but have the experience to be able to contribute when things don't go as planned.

My most important lesson learned is that when discussing disruptive technology for an old industry you need to be able to address criticism of skeptics. Take the time to address their concerns, and learn lessons of the industry from those who have worked in it.

Future innovators should consider participating because the American Made network is very large and there are many experts who are there to help you succeed and the prize money to continue research and development or help to fund a pilot.

On a grand level, I'd quote Nike and say "Just do it." Be bold and unapologetic on how you see the world.

I think the team is really the blood and the excitement behind our project and our technology, and we're super excited to be able to continue.

There are so many really good ideas out there that get stuck between the applied research and getting actual commercialization out into the field. So, I think these programs are helping facilitate that, and it's been very helpful.

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