Rapid Radicals Technology

Rapid Radicals Technology, founded in 2016, is a specialized firm addressing critical failures in municipal wastewater infrastructure. The company's genesis traces back to a 2010 storm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which caused severe basement backups, including in the home of Dr. Daniel Zitomer, a director at Marquette University's Water Quality Center. This event spurred the development of a new, high-rate wastewater treatment technology. Dr. Paige Peters, mentored by Dr. Zitomer, founded the company to commercialize this solution, which she developed and scaled while pursuing her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Marquette. Her deep technical knowledge is complemented by CEO Dylan Waldhuetter, who brings business strategy and policy expertise, and COO Will Schanen.

The core of the company's business is tackling combined sewer overflows (CSOs), a problem impacting hundreds of U.S. cities where storm and sanitary sewers use the same pipe. During heavy rainfall, these systems are overwhelmed, leading to the discharge of billions of gallons of untreated sewage into natural waterways and causing basement backups. Rapid Radicals targets municipal sewerage districts and industrial clients facing stringent wastewater regulations. Its business model is expected to generate revenue through service-based contracts for paid pilot systems, with the first product sale anticipated in 2024. The company has secured over $1.6 million in non-dilutive funding from sources like the National Science Foundation to advance its pilot programs.

Rapid Radicals' flagship product is the Torrent3 Treatment System, a containerized, decentralized solution that treats wastewater with remarkable speed. The system can process wastewater in under 30 minutes, a significant acceleration compared to the conventional 8 to 14 hours. This is achieved through a proprietary two-phase process: rapid solids removal via automated cloth media filtration, followed by a catalytically-enhanced ozone-based advanced oxidation process. This approach not only disinfects pathogens but also removes a high percentage of solids, organics, and micropollutants in a footprint 95% smaller than traditional methods. The system's modular design allows for flexible deployment, either as a mobile unit for emergency relief, as an enhancement to existing treatment plants, or as a standalone installation at key overflow points. Keywords: wastewater treatment, sewer overflow, water technology, advanced oxidation, decentralized treatment, stormwater management, municipal infrastructure, environmental technology, water resilience, industrial pretreatment