Data, Water and Gas

It was after the Veterans in Energy annual meeting when we met the CEO of the water, wastewater, and natural gas systems data firm Hydromax USA. He heads both organizations. While Hydromax USA is Jon Smith's day job, both positions are passions. 

These old and sometimes ancient underground systems that Americans count on, need constant attention and rehabbing to ensure they're safe and reliable. Collecting and assessing data on this critical infrastructure, that's what Hydromax USA does for very many of the country's water and gas utilities. Without much fanfare up to now, but after this interview with Jon in Public Utilities Fortnightly, we suspect they'll need to start up an online fan store for Hydromax USA shirts, caps, and mugs.

PUF's Steve Mitnick: Talk about Hydromax USA and how your company is different.

Jon Smith: Hydromax USA was started in 2003 by Steve Lacy, a brilliant entrepreneur, with the objective of addressing the problems associated with aging infrastructure in the United States. The challenge we face is not only in relation to the condition of the infrastructure, but also in potential damage from horizontal drilling, installation of new taps, all the way over to the physical location. Just understanding where the subsurface infrastructure is, some of which is over eighty years old.