Hydromax USA — A professional firm supporting sustainability through natural gas, wastewater, and water management

Nearly a century ago, the Americans began treating drinking water, recognizing safe drinking water is necessary for human survival. The importance of water can be measured by its absence and, even more by its contamination. We know drinking contaminated water could be the reason for severe illness or even death. Waterborne and water-related diseases are among the most severe health problems in the world today. Wastewater operations are typically the most significant energy expense in a community, and reductions in energy usage can yield significant environmental, economic, and social benefits for these communities.

Hydromax USA (HUSA) is a professional services firm specializing in data collection in support of locating and assessing the condition of the country’s aging water, wastewater, and natural gas conveyance systems. Its widespread experience with new technologies and innovative techniques empowers contractors, engineers, and utility owners to make the best replacement and rehabilitation decisions regarding their buried infrastructure.

The history of the company

Hydromax USA was founded in 2003 in Evansville, IN. The purpose was focused on the wastewater infrastructure and the need for municipalities to be compliant with government standards and orders. As it grew and the digital transformation began in the utility and municipal space, its services also spread to the water and natural gas providers. HUSA has evolved over time with technology-enabled solutions and has over 800 associates, and operates in 40 states.

Since 2003, Hydromax USA has been a leading utility solutions provider specializing in advanced data collection and analysis to provide actionable insights for the natural gas, water, and wastewater utilities across the United States. Its extensive testing and inspection capabilities are built on decades of experience and industry partnerships. The testing and inspection capabilities empower utility operators, engineering firms, and contractors to make the most informed decisions regarding their buried infrastructure.

The organization’s strategic vision

Hydromax’s strategic vision is based on providing technology-enabled services to its customers and communities for safe and sustainable energy and water transmission to homes and businesses. Adding to that, it also focuses on developing the best teams and leaders in the industry and is very effective and timely in today’s world. It focuses on diverse teams by not only providing infrastructure services and new technology but by helping communities accelerate their methane and carbon reduction initiatives by reducing the chance of damaged infrastructure and eliminating inaccurate paper maps of pipes and transmission lines.

Advanced software and field of services

Hydromax’s technology is an enabler for its customers and communities. It has the industry’s best precision and quality in its detection services and mapping functions, which can integrate with customer’s systems of record to provide a single, comprehensive compliance and safety record. It helps the customers by partnering with them for the long term. The focus is not only to solve today’s problems but also to provide future solutions before they are needed. With Hydromax’s software, there is a more accurate record, in both location and quality, than ever before. Its Utilalert product line is specifically geared to reduce and eliminate damage through excavation. Partner this real-time warning system with accurate mapping, and you have a way to reduce emissions significantly and costly repairs while increasing public safety.

Without a complete picture of your water infrastructure, managing all of your water assets is difficult. But there always seems to be more to do and not enough time and staff to get everything done. Hydromax USA helps you capture a complete picture of your infrastructure faster, so you can make decisions about your system. The data collected is GPS-dependent. It’s highly confidential and brought together in your central ESRI dashboard to make your life and decision-making easier.

Hydromax software solutions powering the digital future

The Covid pandemic has shown us why we need digitalization. Hydromax USA has been embracing digitalization for a long time. Eliminating paper or unsupported systems not only increased the accuracy and accessibility to record systems but also eliminated the use of paper, which can add to the transmission of the virus. The best part about Hydromax’s platforms is that it can quickly take highly adaptive platforms and work together with multiple platforms and systems.

The firm’s CEO believes that its people are the core, and every day his leadership team is looking for ways to help them develop, learn and participate in the strategy and business. Later this year, they will also kick off their first Leadership Development Program for managers to help them accelerate their development as leaders. To help customers make long-term decisions, the firm partners with them. Hydromax values a long-term relationship and allows people to listen and understand the challenges today and the opportunities of the future.

Meet the CEO

Jon A. Smith is the CEO of Hydromax USA, a leading national provider of comprehensive testing and inspection services for gas, water, and wastewater providers. He joined Hydromax USA just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and quickly pivoted the company commercially and in cost, structure to reduce risk, perform as an essential service for customers and deliver results. Jon rapidly leveraged a strategy of innovative technology & solutions for customers, positioning Hydromax USA to uniquely integrate state-of-the-art technologies to gather and process high-quality data into actionable insights from the data center to the field. Aging and improperly installed subsurface infrastructure in underground utilities results in significantly underperforming assets and presents a public safety situation.

Jon was previously President, Mobile Pipeline, for Hexagon Lincoln, LLC, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Prior to joining Hexagon, he was Vice President & General Manager, Smart Energy Gas Americas, for Honeywell International, leading the gas metering and transmission division of the Americas. Also, he has held leadership roles with Ford Motor Company, Johnson Electric, Federal-Mogul, Associated Materials, Inc., and has led international businesses in Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Jon is a graduate of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Executive Leadership Program, earned a Master’s degree from Central Michigan University (Business), and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval War College in Strategic International Studies.

“With this project, we were able to get a sense of the pipe’s condition and push off the larger capital project that included the possibility of replacing whole sections of this pipeline,” Corey Peterson, PE, City of Louisville, Colorado.