This summer, Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) deployed a solution from YSI, a Xylem brand, within our testbed network. As a leading technology provider, Xylem has repeatedly leveraged our network for tech validation. This deployment focused on testing their latest solution, providing essential real-time feedback from water professionals that helped YSI hone their technology and advance its capabilities. As a leader in water quality instrumentation, Xylem understands that the journey from a great idea to a successful market launch requires one crucial step: real-world testing and feedback. 

What is HydroRIG?

YSI’s newest innovation is HydroRIG, a data gateway designed to fundamentally simplify the process of getting environmental data from the field to the cloud.

As Catie Marchand, Applications Engineer at YSI explained, HydroRIG tackles a common complexity in water quality monitoring: "Instead of having to set up a data logger and a modem and try to route all your data manually through all the gates and the steps it takes to get your data real-time... we made that process way simpler by just allowing you to connect all your sensors to HydroRIG and then HydroRIG automatically connects you to your field system."

The goal is to provide instantaneous, real-time data, allowing users to "make the best decisions for your treatment process or when to go out and collect a grab sample." HydroRIG seeks to "radically simplify that whole process," making real-time network access instantaneous for everyone from seasoned professionals to new users.

The Critical Role of CWA’s Testbed

For Xylem, field testing is an "intrinsic part of developing a system that’s robust and that’s well tested." However, internal testing often comes with inherent biases. That's where CWA’s testbed comes in.

CWA and the partner organizations that support our testing provide a neutral, real-world environment staffed by unbiased experts. As Catie noted:

"Our goal interacting with the testbed for HydroRIG was to have water professionals test it, using their technical experience to give us great feedback that we could then use to improve our system. They might also expose it to conditions that maybe we didn't think of.”

This combination of varied technical experience and real-world exposure to diverse conditions is what allows YSI to fully understand a product's performance and confidently launch technology that is ready for the market.

Actionable Feedback for a Confident Launch

The feedback YSI received from the CWA testbed helped them refine the product with actionable feedback before it hit the market.

Catie shared that, "Testing absolutely validated HydroRIG for us. We got really timely and great feedback from the testbed... We were able to act on it and make those updates, and make those shifts in the user experience with HydroRIG before we launched."

The successful deployment and subsequent feedback loop allowed YSI to launch the HydroRIG with confidence because they knew the technology had been vetted and improved by end-users.

The Advantages of Working with CWA

When asked about one of the core benefits of CWA’s network, Catie highlighted the connection to dedicated water professionals and industry experts.

"The great part about working with the CWA testbed is that you have that connection with water professionals. So you can trust that your technology is going to be tested in a robust way and that these are professionals handling it... You know you're going to have really great results when you work with the CWA testbed." Catie explained.

Our testbed network is more than just a testing ground; it’s an accelerator, ensuring that innovative water technology, like YSI’s HydroRIG, is validated and market-ready, allowing companies to launch with confidence and make a significant impact on the water industry.

‍