In this episode, Suzan Chin-Taylor speaks with Jaymes Lee about the intersection of artificial intelligence, sustainability, and the future of the wastewater industry. Jaymes shares his journey from researching algae-based sustainable loops in college to founding a startup that serves as a technology integrator and solutions provider. They discuss how AI can solve labor shortages, the potential for “sustainable loops” between data centers and anaerobic digesters, and a patented new approach to destroying PFAS.
Host: Suzan Chin-Taylor | Guest: Jaymes Lee
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Key Discussion Points:
In this episode, we discussed several transformative shifts in the wastewater industry:
- The AI Dosing Advantage: Machine learning optimizes chemical dosing to a level of precision that human operators cannot reach, ensuring only the exact amount of chemical needed is injected.
- Solving the “Silver Tsunami”: As the industry faces a shrinking labor force, technology transitions the workload from physical to digital, creating new supervisory roles to monitor automated systems rather than replacing jobs.
- Data Center Partnerships: A massive opportunity exists to co-locate data centers next to anaerobic digesters, where the digesters provide water and receive heat energy from the data centers to keep biological “bugs” active during winter.
- Sustainable Polymers: New nano net polymers are entering the market that use half the polyacrylamide of traditional options while remaining highly price competitive.
- Patented PFAS Destruction: A new patented method uses a rare mineral earth catalyst and specific biology to move PFAS into sludge for high temperature destruction via pyrolysis.
- National Expansion: Although based in Southern California, the firm is expanding nationally with representatives in the South and upcoming international opportunities in Mexico.
- The Transition to Digital Responsibility: Incorporating “Talk AI” allows for 24/7 system monitoring, effectively shifting the workload so human expertise can be used for proactive maintenance rather than constant “firefighting”.
- Sustainable Loop Integration: The future involves treating wastewater as a resource that can power and cool the technology, such as data centers, that the modern world relies on.
- The PFAS Liability Challenge: Many in the industry are currently reacting to regulations rather than preventing issues due to legal complexities and the looming shadow of future legislation.
Connect with Jaymes Lee:
President & Founder, Knock Out Treatment LLC
Email: jl@knockouttreat.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymes-lee/
Website: knockouttreat.com
Conclusion
In this episode, we discussed transitioning the wastewater industry into a more sustainable and technologically advanced field through artificial intelligence and circular resource loops. A primary focus was the AI dosing advantage, where machine learning optimizes chemical usage to a level of precision unattainable by human operators alone. This digital shift helps address the “silver tsunami” of a shrinking labor force by moving traditional physical workloads into digital supervisory roles. We also explored the massive potential for co-locating data centers next to anaerobic digesters; in this model, data centers provide the necessary heat to keep biological processes active during winter while the treatment plant provides a sustainable water source for cooling. Furthermore, the conversation covered the emergence of high-performance nano net polymers and a patented method for PFAS destruction that uses rare mineral earth catalysts to move contaminants into sludge for high-temperature pyrolysis. This proactive approach to resource management represents a critical evolution for long-term business survival and environmental stewardship.
Until next time—keep growing, and keep it flowing. 💧
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Connect with Suzan Chin-Taylor, host of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast:
Website: www.creativeraven.com | https://thetuitgroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creativeraven/
Email: raven@creativeraven.com
Telephone: +1 760-217-8010
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