In this episode of Make Water Work, Isaac Pellerin and Megan Glover sit down with Chris Miller, Vice President of Digital Services at USALCO and founder of Fontus Blue, to unpack the journey from academic research to startup success and acquisition.

Chris shares how a job in a university water lab led to a PhD, a company, and ultimately a platform helping utilities navigate one of the toughest challenges in water: balancing compliance, chemistry, and operational complexity.

In this episode, we cover:

• The origin story of Fontus Blue and why it matters

• How water utilities balance disinfection and harmful byproducts

• Why “optimization” really means managing trade-offs

• Lessons learned from building and scaling a water tech startup

• What founders need to know about partnerships and acquisition timing

• The growing complexity of water regulations and what comes next

• Why supporting operators is critical to the future of water

Whether you're a water professional, entrepreneur, or simply curious about how safe drinking water actually gets delivered, this episode breaks down the science, strategy, and human side of the industry.