Federal money is about to pour into Chicago’s water innovation scene. Local nonprofit Current has secured a National Science Foundation commitment of up to $45 million over three years, a boost the group says will speed up pilots, commercialization, and workforce programs for water technologies across the Great Lakes region. The award raises the stakes for a Chicago-led push to turn wastewater headaches into industrial opportunities, from PFAS cleanup to recovering critical minerals.
As reported by the Chicago Business Journal, the NSF package will bankroll Current’s near-term expansion of Great Lakes RENEW programming and related testbeds. The outlet notes that the funds are aimed at pushing technologies out of lab demos and into paid pilots and manufacturing partnerships that can scale.
Where the new money fits
Current leads the NSF Great Lakes RENEW Regional Innovation Engine, a program the National Science Foundation tapped for multi-year support and made eligible for up to $160 million over 10 years to build connected testbeds and scale resource-recovery technologies. The NSF portfolio page outlines RENEW’s mission to recover valuable minerals and remove harmful contaminants while linking pilot sites across Illinois, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Partners and prior backing
According to Current, the Great Lakes RENEW coalition now spans universities, utilities, national labs and private firms, a network of more than 75 partners that the nonprofit credits as the vehicle for pilots and commercialization. The organization’s own documents also point out that it has helped raise more than $58 million so far to support regional water innovation and economic development.
How the money will be used
The new NSF dollars are expected to support pilot networks, centralized testbeds, startup acceleration and workforce programs, building on efforts Current already runs with local collaborators. One example is the Sustainable Water Tech Accelerator launched this year by mHUB and Current, which invests in early-stage teams, connects them with pilot sites and links them to industry mentors. The latest commitment is designed to scale exactly that kind of work.
Why the timing matters
The infusion also settles some near-term uncertainty. Earlier reporting noted that a delayed NSF site visit had put a $45 million tranche in limbo and briefly slowed some accelerator and pilot plans. Inside Climate News and related coverage highlighted those delays, which the new commitment appears to resolve.
Officials and industry partners say the funding could help lure water-intensive manufacturers back to the region, tap new value from wastewater streams and open up career pathways in Chicago and other anchor cities. Current and Great Lakes RENEW are expected to roll out more detailed spending plans and competitive calls for pilot projects in the coming weeks.
