South Platte Renew Wins Shark Tank Competition at RMWC

RMWEA's Innovative Water Technology (IWT) Commitee hosts an annual Industry Shark Tank Event at the Rocky Mountain Water Conference (RMWC). Presentations come from anyone looking to provide an innovative solution to an issue identified by a Utility. Participants are given five minutes to present their research before being questioned by a panel of industry experts and the audience. Winners receive an Innovative Technology Research Grant valued up to $4,500 to support their innovative efforts.

This year, staff from South Platte Renew (SPR) won a $4,500 award for their idea to address the lack of a centralized and accessible marketplace for equipment and asset exchanges between utilities. Their proposal, the Facility Asset Renewal Marketplace (FARM), envisions an online platform accessible through RMWEA’s and RMSAWWA’s websites, where water and wastewater utilities can post and browse available equipment based on criteria such as type, price, or location. FARM aims to promote sustainability, reduce waste, and support a circular economy by facilitating the reuse of surplus or decommissioned, but still usable, equipment. The SPR team is now collaborating with RMWEA to develop an implementation plan for this resource.