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Mike Pearce: Innovating Phosphorous Out of Water Supplies at SePRO
A EutroSORB filter deployed at a discharge point.
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Mike Pearce: SePRO is a research-based life sciences company. It was founded in 1994 by Bill Culpepper. As I mentioned, SePRO is headquartered in Carmel, Indiana. We have a manufacturing and distribution facility and a 410‑acre research and technology campus in North Carolina. SePRO focuses on developing and bringing value-added products to support various markets such as aquatics, ornamentals, specialty ag, and turf and landscape.
Municipal Water Leader: Tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position.
Municipal Water Leader: Please tell us about the problem of phosphorus pollution and its effects.
Mike Pearce: I grew up in the state of Washington and graduated from Washington State University. I have worked with water my entire career, initially working for an irrigation district in southeastern Washington for more than 11 years. In 2011, I joined SePRO as a technical specialist in the Pacific Northwest. In 2017, I was appointed to the position of portfolio leader for algae and water quality solutions, which required me to move to SePRO’s headquarters in Carmel, Indiana. My family and I have really enjoyed the Midwest and Hoosier hospitality.
Mike Pearce: Phosphorus pollution is widespread in U.S. water resources. From small ponds to the largest of lakes, it affects water quality throughout the country. Each month, tens of thousands of metric tons of phosphorus flow into the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi River watershed. Currently, over 48,000 lakes are impaired by phosphorus pollution. Phosphorus is a key contributing factor to eutrophication, which is the overloading of water by nutrients. Excessive levels of phosphorus can put entire aquatic ecosystems at risk. Eutrophication can lead to harmful algal blooms, which can develop dangerous toxins that can put humans, wildlife, and local economies at risk.
Municipal Water Leader: Please give us a quick introduction to SePRO.
30 | MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER | September 2021
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF SEPRO.
hosphorous, which is naturally occurring, can create toxic algae blooms in canals and reservoirs that degrade water quality and impair natural ecosystems. Fortunately, SePRO Corporation has developed a novel filter system that easily removes phosphorous from moving water. In this interview, SePRO’s Mike Pearce tells Municipal Water Leader about the problems phosphorous creates in water, how the company’s product helps remove it, and how the filter is helping to improve the outcomes of municipal and irrigation water infrastructure.
