[00:00:05]
HY MR. S DELGADO, CHEF INTERNATIONAL AMERICANOS, THE CITY HALL IN HOUSTON.
JUAN PABLO RIVERO IS AN EXPERIENCED INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER WITH EXTENSIVE, EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN WATER RESOURCES AND RECYCLING IN LATIN AMERICA, BORN AND RAISED IN MEXICO.
HE IS THE TOP EXECUTIVE OF HYDROS, A REVOLUTIONARY FIRM WITH PRESENCE IN HOUSTON.
TELL ME WHAT IS THE RELEVANCE OF WATER RECYCLING AND WATERS MANAGEMENT? WATER MANAGEMENT.
SO, YES, IT'S BEEN A JOURNEY OF, UH, 15 YEARS, UH, IN THE WATER SPACE, UH, RECYCLING WATER.
UH, SO MY EXPERIENCE IN THE US I I'VE SEEN, UH, AGED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WATER.
UH, ACCORDING TO THE ASSOCIATION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, UH, THE DEFICIT IS CLOSE TO $500 BILLION.
SO THAT'S WHAT, UH, IN S WE'VE SEEN HIGH RISK, LIKE AN IMMENSE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY SO THAT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS REVAMPED AND, UH, AND, AND, AND FIXED LIKE THAT.
UH, WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL FOR THE US IN CONCRETE TERMS, WHAT IS THE BUSINESS MODEL OF HYDROS? SO, IN HYDROS, WHAT WE DO WITH WATER IS BASICALLY WE TRY TO HELP THE END USER, WHICH IS A MANUFACTURING FACILITY, A MUNICIPALITY TO CONVERT THE WASTEWATER INTO CLEAN WATER THAT CAN BE RECYCLED AND REUSED.
SO IMAGINE THE BUSINESS MODEL OF A SOLAR INDUSTRY WHERE YOU TAKE, UH, ENERGY FROM THE SUN, YOU PUT IT IN A MACHINE, AND YOU CREATE ELECTRICITY.
WE DO THE SAME, BUT WITH WASTEWATER, WE TAKE A, A, A WASTE THAT WE SEE HAS VALUE, WE PUT IT THROUGH A MACHINE, AND WE CONVERT IT INTO CLEAN WATER SO THAT YOU LIKE THE FACTORY, THE END USER CAN REUSE IT AND BECOME A RECYCLED LOOP.
SO THE, THE BUSINESS MODEL IS DIVIDED.
WE WILL HAVE THREE, UH, BUSINESS UNITS.
SO WITH ORIGIN ORIGINATION, AND WE'VE, UH, INCORPORATED A, AN AUTOMATION.
WE BASICALLY TAKE THE WATER ANALYTICS, AND WITHOUT WATER ANALYTICS, WE CONVERT IT INTO AN ENGINEERED PROPOSAL.
BASICALLY, I CAN SEE WITH THE WATER ANALYTICS, WHAT THE CLIENT REQUIRES AS A TREATMENT TRAINED PROCESS, WHAT EQUIPMENT IS GONNA GIVE HIM THE RESULT.
SO JUST IMAGINE WHEN A PATIENT GOES TO THE DOCTOR, UH, YOU HAVE TO DO SOME ANALYTICS, SOME LAB, UH, SOME BLOOD TESTS, UH, URINE TESTS, AND WITH THAT, LIKE THE DOCTOR CAN SEE WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU.
WITH WATER IS THE SAME, LIKE WATER IS COMPOSED OF MICROORGANISM AND CONSTITUENTS.
SO BASICALLY WE TAKE THAT WATER, TAKE SOME TESTING, AND AC COMPANY LIKE AI AND OUR, UH, EXPERIENCE, WE CONVERT IT INTO AN ENGINEERED PROPOSAL FOR THE END USER.
HOW ABOUT THE SECOND STAGE? THE ENGINEERING? SO THE ENGINEERING IS WHAT, UH, HOW WE STARTED, UH, 15 YEARS AGO.
SO WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM OF ENGINEERS AND WE WORK WITH A NETWORK OF EXPERTS, UH, WHICH ALLOW FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF WATER AND THE DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES, BECAUSE WATER BEING SO VARIABLE, UH, THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT TOOLS AND APPROACHES YOU CAN HAVE TO FIX THE WATER.
SO ENGINEERING, WE HELP OUR CUSTOMERS, UH, UNDERSTAND THE COMPANY BY THE AI, THEIR NEED AND ENGINEER THAT SOLUTION.
HOW ABOUT ASSET MANAGEMENT? THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
EVERY COMPANY IS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE THAT? SO I, I THINK THAT'S LIKE THE, UH, THE MAIN APPROACH.
UH, SAME AS WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE SOLAR INDUSTRY.
PEOPLE MANY YEARS AGO, THEY WERE BUYING A SOLAR PANEL.
NOW BASICALLY YOU'RE BUYING A RIGHT, AN ELECTRICAL, RIGHT? SO WITH THE WATER, WE'RE DOING THE SAME.
[00:05:01]
UH, HELPING CUSTOMERS TO FOCUS ON THEIR CORE ACTIVITIES AND LET US PUT A MACHINE FOR THEM TO TAKE THE WASTEWATER CONVERTING INTO CLEAN WATER, RECYCLE.AND THE, AND THE BEST OF ALL IS THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY SAVINGS BY DOING SUCH.
UH, WE'VE, UH, SEEN IN THE US THE PRICES OF WATER AND THE PRICE OF GETTING RID AND DISPOSAL AND HAULING OFF YOUR WASTEWATER.
SO THAT ARBITRAGE THAT WE CALL IT, UH, HAS A BIG ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.
SO THE COST OF TREATING WATER, SOMETIMES THE DIFFERENCE OF THE COST OF TREATING WATER VERSUS WHAT A COMPANY SPENDS ON GETTING RID OF THE WATER, DISPOSING AND HAULING IT OFF IS TREMENDOUS, AND THAT'S WHERE THE OPPORTUNITIES.
NOW LET'S TAKE, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE HOUSTON REGION.
HOW URGENT IS THIS PROBLEM HERE? HOW DO YOU COMPARE IT WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD? SO DEFINITELY IT'S A GLOBAL, UH, GLOBAL PROBLEM.
UH, ACCORDING TO THE, WELL, THE, THE ECONOMY, NO, THE WORLD ECONOMY IS A HUNDRED TRILLION DOLLARS ACCORDING TO THE WWF, WHICH IS A WORLDWIDE, UH, FUND.
UH, THERE'S 58, UH, TRILLION DOLLARS, UH, THAT HAVE TO DO WITH WATER.
SO THAT, UH, ECONOMY TOUCHES WATER AT SOME POINT.
SO JUST LIKE IMAGINE, UH, LIKE A, A NORMAL DAY, LIKE A SHIRT, LIKE A SHIRT TAKES LIKE 700 GALLONS.
UH, TO MAKE A CAR, CAR IS LIKE 40,000 GALLONS A HOUSE.
ALMOST HALF A MILLION GALLONS.
SO EVERYTHING HAS TO DO WITH WATER AND, UH, IT'S A COMMODITY THAT IT'S UNDERVALUED AND WE HAVE TO TAKE MORE ATTENTION, UH, TO IT.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE HOUSTON REGION, BECAUSE I SEE THAT WE TAKE WATER FOR GRANTED, SO WE DON'T REALLY PAY ATTENTION.
WE WASTE A LOT OF WATER AND WE SEE IT EVERYWHERE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE BA AND, AND IT'S THE SWAMPS AND IS THE SEA, AND IS THE EVERYWHERE WE SEE WATER, IS IT REALLY IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT HERE IN HOUSTON? YES.
WE, IN HOUSTON, IT RAINS A LOT.
SO WE THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WATER, BUT NOT ALL THE WATER IS, UH, READY TO BE USED.
THERE'S SOME BRACKISH WATER, AND WATER HAS TO BE TREATED.
SO SOMETIMES THE LOW HANGING FRUIT IS A WASTEWATER THAT IS GENERATED IN THE INDUSTRY, AND THAT INDUSTRY, WHAT IT DOES TODAY, IT TRANSPORTS THAT WASTEWATER OUT AND PAYS A THIRD PARTY TO DISPOSE IT.
SO THEY SHOULD SEE THAT, UH, WASTEWATER AS SOMETHING OF VALUE AND MAKE AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT'S BETTER TO DISPOSE IT AND HOLD IT OFF, OR TO TREAT IT AND REDUCE IT ON SITE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO FOR THEM.
WE HELP THEM ANALYZE THAT, AND THEN IF, UH, IT MAKES SENSE, ECONOMIC SENSE, UH, WE COME IN AND HELP THEM WITH THE INVESTMENT AND WITH THE MACHINES SO THAT THEY CAN TREAT THE WATER AND REDUCE IT ON THE SITE.
I READ YOUR WEBSITE AND YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU, UH, HAVE A DECENTRALIZED MENTALITY OR, OR THINKING ABOUT WATER.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? SO WHAT, WHAT IT MEANS, AND THE APPROACH, UH, HAS BEEN CENTRALIZED, UH, FACILITIES MM-HMM
BUT DECENTRALIZED INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, HAS A BIG DEFICIT.
UH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS TALKING AT THE BEGINNING, CLOSE TO $500 BILLION.
SO WE CANNOT WAIT FOR THAT CENTRALIZED, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE FIXED.
IT REQUIRES A LOT OF MONEY, IT REQUIRES A LOT OF ORGANIZATION, AND THE PROCESS IS SLOW.
SO WHAT WE OFFER IS, IS A DECENTRALIZED APPROACH WHERE YOU TAKE IN MOBILE EQUIPMENT AND WITH THAT DECENTRALIZED MOBILE FLEET OF ASSETS, YOU CAN TREAT THE WATER ON SITE AND REUSE IT.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY THE APPROACH, GOING TO THE SOURCE AND TREATING AND REUSING THE WATER AT THE SOURCE.
NOW, UM, YOU ALSO MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE TECHNOLOGY AGNOSTIC.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT YOU MEAN BY THAT? YES.
LIKE, UH, WE, WE REALLY LOOK AT THE CLIENT AND WHAT ARE THEIR NEEDS.
LIKE, WE'RE NOT THERE TO SELL A TECHNOLOGY.
WE'RE MORE TO PARTNER WITH THE END USER AND, AND, AND HELP HIM FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST MACHINE TO DO THE WORK.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR A TECHNOLOGY.
HAVING SAID THAT, WE'VE WORKED WITH DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES FROM ALL ACROSS THE WORLD, AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT THERE'S TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE A LOT OF TRACK RECORD ARE PROVEN.
THERE'S COUNTRIES LIKE ISRAEL, THEY RECYCLE OR CLOSE TO 90% OF THE WASTEWATER.
SO THOSE TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE.
BASICALLY, WHAT WE DO IS WE BRING IN THOSE TECHNOLOGIES, A LOT OF WHICH WE HAVE WORKED IN THE PAST IN, IN MEXICO AND LATIN AMERICA, AND WE'RE BRINGING THAT TECHNOLOGY TO THE US.
THE IDEA IS THAT TECHNOLOGY IN THE US TO BE ASSEMBLED HERE AND BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK AT THE SITE.
UM, WHAT IS IN GENERAL YOUR VISION FOR WATER RECYCLING IN, IN OUR PARTICULAR REGION, BECAUSE WE'RE
[00:10:01]
ALL CONCERNED ABOUT OUR HABITAT, WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT SEA, OUR OUR CITY, OUR REGION.WHAT IS YOUR OUTLOOK? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU SEE IN FIVE, 10 YEARS HERE? I THINK WE'RE AT THE BEGINNINGS OF, UH, PEOPLE STARTING TO REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT WATER IS AND THE VALUE OF IT.
SO WHAT I SEE IS DECENTRALIZED WATER RECYCLING HAPPENING IN EVERYWHERE.
LIKE IT CAN HAPPEN IN YOUR HOUSE.
YOU CAN CAPTURE RAIN WATER AND REUSE IT FOR THE TOILETS.
UH, YOU CAN USE, UH, THE WATER FROM THE TOILETS AND TO, UH, IRRIGATE, UH, YOUR GARDEN.
SO THE SAME HAPPENS IN AN INDUSTRY.
IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO BUILD, FOR EXAMPLE, A CAR USING FRESH WATER.
LIKE WE COULD USE WASTE WATER, TREAT IT, AND USE THAT WASTE WATER TO BUILD A CAR.
SO IS IT POSITIVE, IS IT NEGATIVE? IS IT IN BETWEEN? I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE BIT, UH, BEHIND, UH, WHEN YOU COMPARE TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN EUROPE, ISRAEL, SINGAPORE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO SP SPEED UP THE PACE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
IMAGINE, UH, AI AND DATA CENTERS HOW MUCH WATER THAT'S GONNA CONSUME.
SO IF WE DON'T LIKE GO AT THE SAME PACE WITH OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BOTTLENECK.
UH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO START TAKING CARE OF.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS AI AND WATER RECYCLING GO HAND IN HAND, RIGHT? YES.
EH, THE AI, THE DATA CENTERS, THEY USE A LOT OF WATER, AND, UH, THAT WATER IS USUALLY FOR COOLING AND OTHER, UH, PURPOSES.
SO WITHOUT WATER, ALL THESE PLANTS AND ALL THESE, UH, HUGE INVESTMENTS IN THE AI AND DATA CENTER SPACE, UH, WON'T HAVE THE, THE WATER TO COOL IT OFF.
SO IT'S CRITICAL, LIKE IT'S NECESSARY.
HOW BIG OF A PROJECT DO YOU NEED TO HANDLE? DO YOU, CAN YOU HANDLE, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN WHAT RANGE OF INVESTMENT FOR WATER RECYCLING? SO OUR, OUR FOCUS ON THE WATER RECYCLING, IT CAN BE AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL OR AT THE BIG GOVERNMENT PROJECT LEVEL.
WHAT WE DO AT HYDROS IS MORE AT AN INDUSTRIAL LEVEL, AND WE FOCUS ON PROJECTS THAT ARE BETWEEN $500,000 AND $5 MILLION.
SO IT'S USUALLY LIKE A MIDDLE, UH, WELL, LIKE A MIDDLE, BIG, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, MANUFACTURING FACILITY.
SO THAT GIVES ME AN IDEA THAT HOUSTON SHOULD BE A, A, A POTENTIALLY INCREDIBLE MARKET FOR YOUR PRODUCTS AND YOUR SERVICES.
SO, UH, WHAT DO SOMEONE HAS TO DO IN ORDER TO CONTACT YOU? SO I, I, I'VE DRIVEN ALONG THE INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR OF HOUSTON, AND I'VE NOTICED, AND I'VE SEEN THAT PEOPLE HAUL OFF AND DISPOSE WASTEWATER.
UH, NUMBER ONE, THAT'S COSTLY.
AND NUMBER TWO, IT'S A RESOURCE BASICALLY, UH, GIVING AWAY.
SO, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO AND LIKE WHAT, UH, THEY CAN, THEY CAN APPROACH US, UH, WITH, WITH WATER ANALYTICS AND A VISIT, UH, THAT DOESN'T HAVE A COST, WE CAN LET THEM KNOW WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY AND WHAT IS THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY REQUIRE, WHAT IS GONNA BE THEIR SAVINGS? IS THEIR SAVINGS, AND WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS GONNA DO THE JOB.
JUAN PABLO, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS INTERESTING OUTLOOK ABOUT AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE IN OUR REGION.
WATER IS ESSENTIAL HERE, AND AT A WORLD LEVEL, WE WISH YOU THE BEST FOR YOUR BUSINESS, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AT NEXO LATINO.
NO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARCO, FOR THE INVITATION.
VERY HAPPY TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR GREAT AUDIENCE.
NEXT, HOW SPANISH CUISINE HAS CARRED A SIGNIFICANT PLACE IN THE TASTE OF MANY AMERICAN RESTAURANT GOERS? DON'T GO AWAY.
STAY TUNED HERE ON NEXO LATINO
[00:17:11]
PERFECT[00:20:16]
IN LAS RESTAURANT, ET TO RECOMMEND[00:26:52]
MR. YES DOWNS.