What does a 21st-century water-powered economy look like?

In this conversation, Brett Walton of Circle of Blue discusses their new reporting series on the blue economy in the Great Lakes region—where water is being used to drive innovation, jobs, and sustainable growth.

The discussion explores how cities like Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Chicago are building a future around water tech, smart infrastructure, and workforce development.

Walton breaks down efforts to turn wastewater into wealth, attract global companies, and create testing hubs like Cleveland’s “smart watershed.” He also examines critical challenges covered in the series, from agriculture’s ongoing pollution pressures to eco-gentrification and the environmental toll of new data centers.

Amid shifting federal support and infrastructure strains, the Great Lakes region is positioning itself as a global model for how to build a thriving, water-centered economy without repeating the environmental mistakes of the past.

waterloop is a nonprofit news outlet exploring solutions for water sustainability.