
Renewable water and a >$1 trillion investment need | Guillaume Clairet, COO of H2O Innovation
From Climate Positive by HASI
April 30, 2026 · 44 min · Episode 102
About this episode
The episode discusses the challenges and investment needs in water infrastructure with Guillaume Clairet of H2O Innovation.
Water is something most of us take for granted. We turn on the tap, and it's just there. But behind that tap is an increasingly strained system that is quietly becoming one of the defining infrastructure challenges of our time. Just in the US, McKinsey estimates we are underinvesting in water assets by about $100 billion annually, with the cost only compounding as more investment is delayed. The affects are already being seen with over 20% of treated water lost through leaks in pipes that are sometimes 70 years old, generating no revenue for cash strapped utilities. The record datacenter and industrial development buoying our economy is now facing major opposition often due to local water demands. In addition, there are growing concerns and regulations around the forever chemicals, known as PFAS, showing up in more of our water supply. Today, I'm joined by Guillaume Clairet of H20 Innovation, who has helped build the company into a water treatment powerhouse over the past 25yrs. From massive municipal reuse projects to distributed systems serving the critical industrial facilities, H2O is leading the water infrastructure buildout and offers a hopeful outlook on how we can start…
People in this episode
Host: HASI
Guest: Guillaume Clairet
Topics covered
- water infrastructure
- investment
- water treatment
- environmental challenges
- PFAS
- municipal projects
Keywords
- water
- infrastructure
- investment
- H2O Innovation
- PFAS
- leaks
- municipal reuse
- industrial facilities
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: H2O Innovation, McKinsey
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