As water utilities across the country race to inventory buried infrastructure, the industry is searching for ways to detect lead pipes without the high cost and disruption of breaking ground. To address this need, Cleveland Water Alliance (CWA) launched a global Open Innovation Challenge to find and fund concepts that fill this critical market gap.
Join us as we discuss some of the innovative technologies that are making it possible to identify lead pipes without the need to dig. Drexel University and Solinas Technologies will share how their technology works, their progress toward commercialization, and the insights they’ve gained from piloting their solutions in the field.
The Regulatory Landscape: An overview of current LSL mandates and the gaps in today's detection market.
The Innovation Process: How CWA and Cleveland Water partnered to create a dedicated LSL research Facility to pilot new ideas.
Meet the Innovators: A deep dive into the technology from Solinas and Drexel, explaining how their solutions work and their impact on the industry.
Next Steps in Commercialization: Insights into recent updates, the challenges they are navigating, and the next steps on their journey toward market readiness.
Dr. Ivan Bartoli is Professor and Civil Engineering Program Head in the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at Drexel University. He earned his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and holds additional degrees from the University of Bologna. His research spans structural health monitoring, nondestructive testing, wave-based sensing, and computational modeling of structural systems. His work integrates sensing technologies and numerical methods to assess and monitor civil and mechanical infrastructure. He has led or contributed to projects funded by the NSF, FHWA, and industry partners, and teaches courses in structural analysis, mechanics of materials, and infrastructure evaluation.
Timothy is an engineer by training with 18 years of experience as a consulting engineer in acoustics, noise and vibration. As a principal at his previous firm, Timothy oversaw technical and business units and was in-charge of growing the firm's transit engineering sector. As an owner, Timothy was a key member in senior leadership and provided active direction to many of the firms key strategic initiatives. Wanting to break out from consulting, Timothy joined as COO with Solinas Technologies in 2024 to operate the firm, with a focus on leading the development of the lead water service line identification product.
Emily Hamilton is a relationship management professional with a strong background in software and B2b services. Beginning her career in the start-up world, she excels in fast-paced environments and calls upon a blend of creative problem-solving and process development skills. She is passionate about identifying exciting technologies and assisting innovators in navigating stakeholder interests and the broader innovation ecosystem.
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