How Modular Developers Can Conserve Water & Build for the Future w/ RainStick [podcast transcript]

Sean McFetridge 

Yeah, I think it's a great question, I think in terms of how the product works, you know, a lot of the impetus for developing the product is has been really looking at how we treat and manage water and the quality of water that we need for the purpose, we're using it for RainStick takes a half a gallon of water from the house. So you do have to connect the product to domestic domestic water supply, we use that drop instead, you know, instead of using a single time and all of the heat and energy that we required to get it there and using it for a second and sending it down the drain, we actually use that drop up to six times. So I like describing the product almost like we've taken a bathtub or a spa or Whirlpool product and stood it up. And there's various levels of treatment and intervention. So we're bringing the water through a pre screen to grab larger hairdryer debris, we're bringing it through UV light to deal with viruses and bacteria. And there's a constant stream of fresh grid or house supplied water. That's that's put into the system. So going back to that example of the bathtub, imagine if you filled yourself a half gallon bathtub very, very small. And you ditch that water out approximately every 90 seconds and replaced it with fresh water. That's effectively what we're doing with the rain stick product. I think it's very important to us, that we folk we focus and engineered hygiene and cleanliness into our profile is one of the reasons we do a cleaning session in between each unique shower session. So we don't store any water, or we're not classified as a graywater product. We're very much taking that concept around a bath and providing that big experience while using approximately 80% less.

John McMullen 

It seems clear to me that there's some huge benefits for the environment with RainStick. Water conservation, obviously, what about for builders? And developers? Why should they look at RainStick as a feature in their next building projects?

Sean McFetridge 

There's different pressures. And I think this is a very, like geographically diverse question. There are lots of zones where we're seeing water scarcity, constantly, it seems like certainly during summer months, we're reminded of forced fire risk and water bands. We have builders that we work with that are innovators in their field, just like they took on energy conservation within the home. They're also differentiating themselves by being extremely water efficient, and selling that as essentially a water package onto their final customer. And there's also developers that are in geographies that are getting quite a bit of regulatory pressure, if they're looking at new subdivision or new built environment expansion within certain geographies. And they're kind of local building, either at the municipal or state level are basically saying to the developer, what is your water plan? And what are you doing? Not just for the 10 years, it's going to take you to develop the project and move away but what is your 100 year water plan? And I think developers are being asked that question more and more. And so a technology like RainStick combined with other technologies within the home, allow the developer to have an answer and essentially obtain the project the permit to operate if you will.

John McMullen 

How about four modular builders I know many we have many builders in our membership many of them listen to this show. How can they best leverage RainStick?

Sean McFetridge 

Yeah, firstly I would say we're very kind of proud to be an MBI member ourselves. RainStick is a vendor to the modular and prefab building segment and is very focused on being precision controlled at the manufacturing plant assembly. So it's exciting to us. So we really view our partners that we go forward with, as you know, attempting to be the water consultant in the room when it comes to how much we're using. We will conduct different training opportunities and different you know, really right from the planning phase of the project, we'll make sure that we have the space and the correct materials to install the rain stick shower. And in some cases we're taking we're piggybacking on that modular, quick to build assumption and context. We're providing materials that in some cases, avoid the need to tile and grow and send to multiple vendors to site or require different post process during the build assembly. We're providing as close to turnkey as we can right in the manufacturing plant with our technology.

John McMullen 

If a builder wanted to bring RainStick into a project or developer, I suppose how would they do that? What's the first step? When in the building process? Should they contact you and bring you in?

Sean McFetridge 

So the time to do it, I think we often will say that if if you have a customer that is geared towards water conservation, that's a potential to be to get to know each other. And I think that there's a fair amount of support that comes vendor side, we have been known to fly out technicians to conduct training and factory with the local the local installation team, we structure a more formal partnership with builders. As we do more and more projects, we can assist with marketing efforts if there's an intention to celebrate water efficiency within their within their program. So I think that there's lots of ways to get involved. But it really starts with the project. It starts with the first initially interested customer. And we learn get to know each other, ideally, impress the modular builder contractor enough, so to the point where we'd like to do more together, and I think then it becomes more of an ongoing relationship.

John McMullen 

So say you've got an interested builder, who wants to install your product use it in in a building, is there training that you provide? I imagine the plumbing is just a little bit different, or the installation is a little bit different than you know, the plumbing that they're used to? What's that process? What's that learning process like?

Sean McFetridge 

Yeah, I think all of the same trades and individual tasks that need to go into the building of a shower cavity. So plumber electrician installer, still exist with the rain stick shower installation. In some ways, I will say that that that the installation has been expedited where you would traditionally put, you know, mixer, shower mixers behind a wall, we actually include and provide that within our product itself. So there's a little bit of, I guess, ease of install. From that perspective, the biggest thing that I believe is different is the the requirement for electricity to come into the back.

And so during the modular build process, that is something we work with the builder, we tried to identify where the hot cold and electric supply needs to come in. And in addition to that, I would say that we have done an extensive amount of work in terms of developing turn key, high quality materials that are drop in place that are modular themselves that we offer up to the builder, community and our partners. Our goal there is to make that installation of that shower cavity as simple as possible. And that's really taking a page out of the entire heart of the modular and prefab build community.

John McMullen 

If you were to distill everything down, what's your elevator pitch, your 30-second pitch, to builders and developers about why they should incorporate RainStick?

Sean McFetridge 

I would say there has never been a better time to differentiate yourself as an innovator in water. And it really would take less than you might expect. There are very precise points of water use within our homes. And just a few decisions and potentially a few offerings to your client, allow you to become an innovator and receive the right kind of attention. And I do believe that the industry is is at a point where it was a decade ago or further with energy conservation technologies. I believe we're at that point with water and the time to innovate and differentiate is now

John McMullen 

So what's next for RainStick? Are there any other products or service options that you guys are working on?

Sean McFetridge 

Lots in the funnel. Yes. And our modular and build partners tend to be the first groups that are notified of that technology. Like I said, we do see ourselves a long term partner in really getting it down to your water budget and our location, and the number that you've chosen as, right for for your customer, and also your region. So there's more to come. And I probably would just leave it at that.

John McMullen 

Excitingly vague!

Sean McFetridge 

That's right.

John McMullen 

So before we go, I was wondering if you could just if you had any more data, statistics, anything like that, that might give us all a better idea—for those who don't deal with water scarcity; I'm lucky, I don't—if you could just put your efforts into a greater context.

Sean McFetridge 

I think...I think I will say something controversial to answer that a little bit, because I think the the quantity of water that we have on Earth has not changed at all, we have the exact same amount of water that we've had since the dinosaurs were around. So when people say we're running out of water, that is not precisely true. What is true is we don't always have the correct amount of water, at the right temperature, at the right quality, and in the right place that we need when we want to use it. And so folks that will sometimes say well, we have lots of water in our region, we don't have any issues. That's not necessarily true. There's different aspects of around conserving and using maximizing what you know what you're using. There's different reasons for it. It also allows you to add on to resiliency.

So we have this huge opportunity in front of us to conserve and do with less. We're seeing project partners that are setting very, very ambitious targets for themselves, where they would like to be 100% self sustained and creating their own water, which effectively becomes their own budget, which becomes a real focus point on demand side water conservation. So that's exciting. And we have folks within our within our portfolio that are very just just very interested in experience, they have been subjected to reduced water flow through the shower experience for decades and decades. And they're offering their customers some luxury, and that's their driver for water conservation. So huge opportunity indoors, Canadians and Americans, some of the largest water consumers 50% of our water originates in that bathroom space. So we believe that's a logical place to start. And we believe we have all the technologies at our fingertips to do this. So that's what we would say is don't forget about the water when you're in your build plan. It will allow you to differentiate.

John McMullen 

Shawn, I really appreciate your perspective. I've really never thought about water quite in that way. So thank you very much for being here. I appreciate your time. And I hope I get to see you in person soon.

Sean McFetridge 

Thank you, John. Appreciate it.

John McMullen 

My name is John McMullen. This has been another episode of Inside Modular: The Podcast of Commercial Modular Construction. Until next time.