💧Current has secured up to $45M from the National Science Foundation to scale Great Lakes RENEW and deliver on our bold mission to transform the waste in our water systems into wealth.
Over the next three years, RENEW and our coalition of 75+ partners will build and accelerate solutions that protect Great Lakes water resources, ensure the security, prosperity, and health of our communities, and drive economic growth in our region.
Curious to learn more about Great Lakes RENEW, our impact to date, and how to get involved? Click the link in our bio!
#GreatLakesRENEW #WaterInnovation #GreatLakes #NSF #CircularEconomy #BlueEconomy
💧 Save the Date: Chicago Water Week returns May 3–9, 2026!
Join us for a week of water innovation, collaboration, and celebration with dozens of events—both in-person and virtual—hosted by Current and our partner organizations across the region.
Explore water’s impact, connect with leaders and innovators, and be part of the conversation shaping the future of water.
Click the link in our bio to learn more and to let us know if you’re interested in hosting an event or becoming a Chicago Water Week sponsor!
#ChicagoWaterWeek #CWW2026 #WaterInnovation
#WaterStewards #SaveTheDate #ChicagoEvents
🌊 Did you know you can check Chicago River conditions in real-time—just like the weather?
Through our H2NOW Chicago program, we’re turning the tide on public perception of our waterways by making river quality data accessible to everyone, anytime.
But H2NOW is more than a data monitoring platform. It’s a blend of efforts at the heart of Current’s mission: ✅ Supporting STEM education and workforce pathways ✅ Empowering residents and visitors to make informed decisions about river recreation ✅ Serving as an open water testbed for startups to test and scale water tech solutions ✅ Advancing regional, national, and global partnerships for cleaner, safer waterways
You can check the river data right now at h2nowchicago.org!
#H2NOWChicago #WaterInnovation #ChicagoRiver #CleanWater #BlueEconomy
Chicago Water Week: Day 7 🌊
Today’s lineup showcases events from: Friends of the Chicago River and Four Star Mushrooms
📍 Explore today’s events and register today
Register for Chicago Water Week Events at: /chicago-water-week/
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Learn more about Current and visit:
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Chicago Water Week:
🌊 /chicago-water-week
#ChicagoWaterWeek #GreatLakes #WaterInnovation #Sustainability #BlueEconomy
Chicago Water Week: Day 6 🌊
Today’s lineup showcases events from: National Audubon Society, system5 LLC, Marquette University, The Freshwater Lab at UIC, and Chicago River Swim
📍 Explore today’s events and register today
Register for Chicago Water Week Events at: /chicago-water-week/
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Learn more about Current and visit:
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Chicago Water Week:
🌊 /chicago-water-week
#ChicagoWaterWeek #GreatLakes #WaterInnovation #Sustainability #BlueEconomy
Chicago Water Week: Day 5 🌊
Today’s lineup showcases events from: Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago Department of Water Management, Virridy, Illinois Water Environment Association (IWEA), M. Harris & Kern, 50L Home Coalition, Kohler Co., and Healthy Schools Campaign.
📍 Explore today’s events and register today
Register for Chicago Water Week Events at: /chicago-water-week/
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Learn more about Current and visit:
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Chicago Water Week:
🌊 /chicago-water-week
#ChicagoWaterWeek #GreatLakes #WaterInnovation #Sustainability #BlueEconomy
Alaina Harkness, CEO of Current and Great Lakes RENEW, envisions a 2050 where Chicago has achieved the circular water transition — shifting from a linear "take-make-waste" model to one that treats water as finite, renewable, and essential by reducing, reusing, recycling, and upcycling every drop.
Harkness's vision builds on Chicago's existing strengths in scientific talent, innovation infrastructure, and proximity to one of the world's largest freshwater sources. The transformation requires overcoming technological limits, outdated infrastructure patterns, and a dangerous belief that Lake Michigan represents infinite abundance without increased stewardship.
At the end of this path is a Chicago that has moved from an extractive, linear blue economy to a regenerative and circular one — turning to face the water again and recognizing the Great Lakes, rivers, and wetlands as the precious economic assets fundamental to the city's future vitality and prosperity.
Read the full essay in the Chicago Tribune.
Chicago Water Week: Day 4🌊
Today’s lineup showcases events from: Cleantech Group, Shedd Aquarium, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Sierra Club, Chicago News Weekly - CNW, system5 LLC, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Section AWWA, Northwestern University, Illinois Environmental Council, Alliance Française de Chicago, Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, and Consulate General of France in Chicago
📍 Explore today’s events and register today
Register for Chicago Water Week Events at: /chicago-water-week/
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Learn more about Current and visit:
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Chicago Water Week:
🌊 /chicago-water-week
#ChicagoWaterWeek #GreatLakes #WaterInnovation #Sustainability #BlueEconomy
Happy Chicago Water Week! We’re celebrating innovation, sustainability and education shaping the future of our rivers and waterways. 💧
Take a look at this @fox32chicago Chicago feature with Aliana Harkness, CEO of @greatlakescurrent , as they discuss the Chicago River Swim, the river’s improving quality and the decades of work that made the moment possible!
Our swim is more than an event, it’s a story of progress and hope.
Chicago Water Week: Day 2 🌊
Today’s lineup showcases events from: Illinois State Water Survey, Air & Waste Management Association, World Water Film Festival, The Great Bubble Barrier®, Elevate, P33 Chicago, Claretian Associates, Chicago Climate Connect, and United Nations Association of Chicago
📍 Explore today’s events and register today
Register for Chicago Water Week Events at: https://lnkd.in/gYUJ-cjt
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Learn more about Current and visit:
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Chicago Water Week:
🌊 https://lnkd.in/gVeiJM7R
#ChicagoWaterWeek #GreatLakes #WaterInnovation #Sustainability #BlueEconomy
