(don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World Podcast By Antoine Walter cover art

(don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

(don't) Waste Water! | Water Tech to Solve the World

By: Antoine Walter
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❓ Ever wondered how the #WaterIndustry was reacting to our World's Water Challenges? Water Scarcity? #SDG6? PFAS? Climate Change? Circular Economy? Digitization and Smart Water? 💪 Get the Water Market pulse for free. In one hour per week, while you do the dishes! 📈 We talk water investment, water tech, water entrepreneurship and water market with entrepreneurs, thought leaders, book authors, scientists, investment funds, VCs, and C-Level experts from water majors. ➡️ Leverage their insights, advice & experience and ensure to stay on top of best practices 🗓️ Tune in every Wednesday (don't miss out! 😅) 🌐 Find all the detailed episode notes, interviews, infographics, and more at http://dww.show Currently in its 10th Season, the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast has already welcomed around 250 guests from Water Majors (SUEZ, Veolia, Jacobs, Xylem, Kemira, Evoqua, Aquatech, SKion Water...), Scale-Ups (Cambrian Innovation, Epic Cleantec, Gradiant, Liqtech, 374Water, Gingko Bioworks...), Start-Ups (Puraffinity, KETOS, 120Water, ZwitterCo, Membrion, Source...), Universities (Berkeley, the Columbia Water Center), Investment Funds (Sciens Water, Mazarine, Burnt Island Ventures...), Business Accelerators (Imagine H2O, Elemental...), Book Authors (Seth Siegel, David Sedlak, David Lloyd Owen...) or Market Intelligence Companies (BlueTech Research, Global Water Intelligence, World Bank, OECD, Isle Utilities...). Or simply water legends like Gary White, Mina Guli or Andrew Benedek! On the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast, I strive to make the Water Industry easy to understand for everyone, starting with water professionals, executives, and investors. Hence, he opens the microphone to seasoned, inspirational water experts to discuss their field of excellence. No one can claim an all-around in-depth understanding of a matter as complex as Water. But piece by piece, you can rebuild the puzzle. With curiosity, patience, and passion, Antoine Walter explores topics such as Advanced Treatment Technologies, Water-Energy Nexus (Hydrogen, Lithium...), PFAS removal, Nature-Based Solutions, Wastewater Reuse, Distributed Water Treatments, Water Finance, and Water Entrepreneurship. I actually firmly believe that regular listeners of the "(don't) Waste Water" podcast may, in the end, claim a "Water MBA!" A particular field of interest is how innovation forms, grows and gets widely adopted in a complex and conservative field like the Water Industry. This may be one of the keys to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal n°6 - #SDG6. Oh, and in short, about me: I'm a water engineer turned avid student of the water business, market, finance, and tech. I'm married, a happy father of three, and I'm French (nobody's perfect 😅). Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.Antoine Walter Natural History Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • Would You Gift Sewage for Christmas?
    Dec 3 2025

    What Wastewater Products Can You Actually Buy for Christmas?


    🙌 Supporters 🙌

    A big thank you to my partner SimpleLab: https://link.dww.show/simplelab

    My best water tech analysis straight to your inbox: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6884833968848474112


    ⬇️ IN THIS VIDEO ⬇️

    This special episode showcases 17 commercially available products made from recycled wastewater, desalination brine, and industrial water byproducts. From ski resort snow to table salt, beer to bourbon, cosmetics to clothing, these items prove that circular water economy isn't just theory—it's hitting store shelves as legitimate luxury goods and everyday essentials.


    🌶️ KEY SPICES 🌶️

    🎿 Big Sky Resort now makes artificial snow from recycled village wastewater using Montana's largest zero liquid discharge system

    🧂 Desalination brine transforms into gourmet table salts and superfood ingredients instead of marine discharge

    🍺 Reused wastewater beer, rainwater whisky, and coffee-waste vodka prove beverage innovation is real

    👖 Jeans from Everlane and Triarchy achieve 95-98% water recycling through closed-loop finishing

    🧴 L'Oreal's Burgos "waterloop factory" reuses 100% of process water for Kerastase production

    🧪 Hungarian startup Cycle ferments sewage sludge into bio-acid cleaners shipped worldwide


    🥜 IN A NUTSHELL 🥜

    Can you really eat products from desalination waste? Aqualia's Alma de Mar table salts and UAE-grown Salicornia demonstrate that brine valorization creates food-safe, even gourmet products through controlled crystallization and aquaponic farming.


    How are beverage companies using wastewater? H2O Innovation, Epic Cleantec, and Singapore's NEWBrew produce beers from purified wastewater, while Good Vodka upcycles 15 million tons of annual coffee cherry waste and Old Humble proofs whisky with collected Texas rainwater.


    What makes water-smart clothing different? Everlane's Saitex partnership recycles 98% of process water, Triarchy replaces chemical bleaching with ozone, and Girlfriend Collective turns plastic bottles into sportswear while capturing microplastics.


    Which home products close the water loop? Porcelanosa ceramics operates zero liquid discharge, EnviroCopy paper circulates water 30 times per production cycle, and Vuna's Aurin turns urine into nitrogen fertilizer now scaling across Europe.


    ⏰ TIME STAMPS ⏰

    00:00 17 Wastewater Products

    00:17 Big Sky Montana

    04:31 Alma de Mar

    06:12 Salicornia

    07:49 Tasting

    09:34 They almost made it...

    10:31 H2O Innovation Pale Ale

    12:43 Good Vodka

    14:24 Old Humble Special Reserve

    16:16 Naif Face Scrub

    18:27 Kerastase by l'Oreal

    20:09 Everlane Jeans

    22:29 Triarchy Jeans

    23:38 Girlfriend Collective Tank Top

    25:07 Himba Fish Cuff

    25:32 Innorecycling Water Can

    25:59 Aurin by Vuna

    27:31 Porcelanosa Tiles

    28:56 Sustana Enviro Copy

    30:15 Cycle Biocleaners

    32:02 Test Results

    33:03 An Epic Surprise...


    Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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    34 mins
  • Ovivo's Bold Vision: Back to Full Size in One Decade!
    Nov 26 2025

    How Will Ovivo Rebuild to Full Size in 10 Years After the Ecolab Deal?


    🙌 Supporters 🙌

    A big thank you to my partner SimpleLab: https://link.dww.show/simplelab


    ⬇️ IN THIS EPISODE ⬇️

    Ovivo is a global water treatment technology provider entering a transformative new chapter after spinning off its electronics division to Ecolab for $1.8 billion. Under Ski on Water's ownership, Ovivo is now positioning itself for aggressive growth through industrial expansion, silicon carbide membrane innovation, and PFAS destruction capabilities across North America and Europe.


    This episode features Reinhard Hubner, CEO of SKion Water with years of water industry M&A experience; Elena Bailey, Director at Ovivo North America with decades of experience in water technology who joined through an acquisition in 2006; Mike Snodgrass, membrane technology specialist with 25+ years experience including hands-on polymeric membrane development; and Sebastian Andreassen, co-founder and leader of Ovivo's Cembrane silicon carbide membrane manufacturing operations with facilities in Denmark and Texas.


    🌶️ KEY SPICES 🌶️

    🔬 Silicon carbide membranes deliver breakthrough flux rates at low pressure with hydrophilic, chemically inert properties that outperform polymeric alternatives

    💧 Double-digit percentage R&D investment funds innovation without a centralized research department—product managers drive patented solutions

    🏭 European industrial expertise from a decade of experience in operations transfers directly to North American expansion through people-first integration

    ⚗️ PFAS destruction technology from E2Metrix leverages existing municipal customer relationships for rapid market entry

    🤝 Long-term ownership culture keeps acquired company founders engaged for 7-9+ years post-acquisition


    🥜 IN A NUTSHELL 🥜

    What is the 10-year vision for Ovivo? SKion Water plans to rebuild Ovivo to its pre-transaction size through industrial platform acquisitions in North America, silicon carbide membrane scaling, and PFAS treatment commercialization.

    Why focus on industrial water treatment? Municipal operations run independently with proven teams, while industrial requires European expertise transfer and platform acquisitions to replicate the 350 million euro success achieved through EnviroChemie.

    How does Cembrane's silicon carbide differentiate? Unlike polymeric membranes, silicon carbide is hydrophilic, extremely porous, and chemically inert—enabling applications in drinking water, sand filter replacement, and backwash recovery that competitors cannot match.

    What are the capacity expansion plans? Cembrane's manufacturing will increase 50% in 2026 and double by 2027, with Texas production providing tariff protection and BABA compliance for North American municipal projects.

    Where does PFAS fit the strategy? E2Metrix destruction technology pairs with existing SSE membrane installations at water plants, creating bundled solutions that leverage Ovivo's installed base relationships with municipal customers.


    #️⃣ Mentioned Links #️⃣

    Ovivo's website: https://www.ovivowater.com/en/

    My WEFTEC coverage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAb9bDjpOsE


    Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • What Happens When You Build a Water Membranes Factory Just to Prove a Point?
    Nov 20 2025

    How Is Aqua Membranes Scaling 3D-Printed Water Membranes Spacers from Garage Startup to 200,000 Square Foot Manufacturing Facility? Let's find out!

    More #water insights? Connect with me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoinewalter1/


    🙌 Supporters 🙌

    A big thank you to my partner SimpleLab: https://link.dww.show/simplelab


    ⬇️ IN THIS VIDEO ⬇️

    Aqua Membranes manufactures reverse osmosis membrane elements with 3D-printed spacers that reduce energy consumption and pressure drops in industrial water treatment across mining, semiconductor, and beverage sectors. Founded 15 years ago by Rodney Herrington in his garage, the water membranes company now operates from Albuquerque and a new 200,000-square-foot Knoxville facility led by CEO Craig Beckman and CTO CJ Kurth.


    🌶️ KEY SPICES 🌶️

    🖨️ Proprietary 3D printing technology creates Fibonacci spiral-patterned spacers that optimize fluid flow and reduce fouling compared to traditional mesh spacers found in water membranes

    Energy efficiency gains through reduced pressure drops enable customers to lower operating costs and extend cleaning cycles in reverse osmosis systems

    🏭 Vertical integration strategy from material science through full element manufacturing de-risks technology adoption for major water membranes manufacturers

    🎯 Strategic customer validation from Fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, Micron Technology, and exclusive distribution partnership with Osmo Flow in Australia

    📈 Scalable manufacturing platform with capacity for 25,000 elements annually in current configuration and 9x expansion potential in the Knoxville facility


    🥜 IN A NUTSHELL 🥜

    Why can't Aqua Membranes just license their spacer technology to major water tech manufacturers? The membrane industry requires extensive real-world validation before adopting new materials, forcing innovators to manufacture complete elements at a commercial scale before established players will consider licensing.

    What makes 3D-printed spacers superior to traditional mesh? The Fibonacci spiral pattern eliminates straight-line flow channels that cause fouling, while UV-cured polyacrylate provides precise control over channel geometry for customized applications.

    How did Aqua Membranes choose Knoxville for manufacturing expansion? After evaluating 20 U.S. and Mexican locations, they selected Knoxville for its business environment, educational resources, and capacity to support 95 jobs with multi-shift expansion potential.

    What role does Albuquerque play now that Knoxville is operational? Albuquerque transitions to R&D, focusing on co-creation with customers, testing new patterns and applications, including gas separation, while maintaining identical equipment to troubleshoot production issues.

    When will the new printing technology become available? The second-generation process moves to Knoxville in March 2025, with commercial launch targeted for late 2026, offering faster speeds, improved tolerance, and lower costs.


    #️⃣ Mentioned Links #️⃣

    • Aqua Membranes

    • Osmoflo



    Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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    28 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Exactly what it says on the tin. A great resource for people interested in wastewater or who want to keep up with recent developments particularly from an environmental perspective. Only negative is that sometimes mic quality can be noticeably low, though it varies depending on the speaker and does not impact ability to understand.

Great resource

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