Mary Eggert
Company: Global Water Works
Location: Libertyville, Illinois
I'm a self-proclaimed geek, who's passionate about seeing great technology transform our world for good.
I grew up on Water Street in Watertown, Wisconsin, and was giving speeches on water pollution by the age of 12 - aghast at the 30-foot piles of sulfites that accumulated on the Rock River that ran through our back yard. I naively assumed the Clean Water Act of the 1970s and the disappearance of visible pollution piles meant that our waters were safe and abundant.
Then, I found myself in the middle of the largest gathering of water technologists on the planet. What I learned at WEFTEC 2015 from those who have invested their entire careers in water was that we are just 14 years away from a place where demand for water could exceed supply by 40% (SEE: http://bit.ly/2030Report)... The keynote speaker, endorsed by these water industry leaders, motivated the audience to action with the mention that all marine life could cease to exist by 2048 if we don't reverse the current trajectory (SEE: http://www.therevolutionmovie.com). These were harrowing statistics that prompted me to switch careers and focus on applying all of my talents, connections and resources on ensuring water works.
