Fort Mill, SC – September 2025 – Delta Bravo Artificial Intelligence, Inc. has been awarded a $5 million Phase 2 award from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) through the Convergence Accelerator program to advance Aquaspec, the next generation AI operating system for the world’s water and wastewater utilities.
Aquaspec addresses critical national challenges in water safety and infrastructure resilience. By combining predictive analytics, real-time guidance, and decision support, Aquaspec enables operators and utility leaders to deliver safe, reliable water while reducing costs and improving resilience.
Operational Excellence: 10x faster time to treatment, troubleshooting, and operator training.
Financial Efficiency: 25% savings across chemicals, energy, labor, and non-revenue water.
Improved Resilience: 10x faster restoration of compliant services following an interruption.
Rick Oppedisano, Founder and CEO of Delta Bravo and Principal Investigator, said:
“Water operators are under enormous pressure, working long hours to protect public health while navigating aging infrastructure and increasing compliance demands. Aquaspec was built with them, for them, empowering them to predict, prepare and perform better than ever before. Thanks to NSF’s support, we can bring this innovation to utilities nationwide, ensuring American communities have access to safe, affordable, and resilient water.”
Brett Butz, Co-Principal Investigator and representative of the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services, added: “Aquaspec is more than a technology-it’s a lifeline for communities. This work demonstrates how advanced AI can reduce risk, cut costs, and strengthen resilience while giving water system operators the tools they need to succeed. NSF’s investment in Phase 2 will allow us to expand these benefits to communities across the country.”
Launched in 2019, the NSF Convergence Accelerator builds upon research and discovery to accelerate use-inspired research into practical application. The program funds a cohort of teams to work interactively toward solving grand challenges that positively impact thousands of Americans.
Aquaspec is part of the 2023 Cohort in the NSF Convergence Accelerator Future Water Systems track, which unites researchers, industry, government, and community partners to co-develop solutions to the significant challenges facing freshwater systems in the United States.
Additional members of this cohort supporting Delta Bravo include subject matter experts from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), Clemson University, University of South Carolina, BlueTech Research, the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, Starr-Iva Water and Sewer, Anderson Regional Joint Water System, Town of Monticello (IL), Meansville Riley Road Water Company and the South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (SCGSSM).
Media Contact: John Inniger, Aquaspec AI Email: inniger@aquaspec.ai
This initiative is part of the TIP Directorate’s mission to accelerate breakthrough technologies, transition these technologies to the market and prepare Americans for better-quality, higher-wage jobs, including through reskilling and upskilling. Learn more about TIP here: https://www.nsf.gov/tip/latest
Fort Mill, SC – July 2025 – Delta Bravo announced the release of its latest software product, Data Mentor. Data Mentor fits into the Delta Bravo Reindustrialization thesis by enabling manufacturing operations to supercharge their operational efficiency with purpose-built “AI Mentor Agents” for better decision-making throughout the operation, configured to each operation’s specific processes.
The Mentor agents contextualize the plant’s data, processes, and history, bridging the gap between the way the old generation learned on the floor and the way the new generation expects to learn through technology, and can reduce the time associated with many tasks by up to 90% while improving the accuracy of the output.
The company released a lighthearted video with their announcement, seen below.
Fort Mill, SC – June 2025 – The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), which administers the NPDES program, has chosen Delta Bravo’s PermitPro to improve permitting processes.
The Request for Proposal (RFP), issued in April 2025, outlines the following key features:
Permit evaluation: The AI system will be used to assess permit applications for potential errors and flag discrepancies.
Document processing: The software will assist staff in reviewing and evaluating permit-related documents.
Drafting and recommendations: The AI tool will generate draft permits and provide recommendations for corrections based on application data.
Workflow efficiency: The ultimate goal is to enhance the overall efficiency of the permitting process and streamline organizational workflows.
South Carolina’s broader Artificial Intelligence Strategy, released in 2024, establishes a framework for AI implementation across state agencies, with the NPDES AI system being one of its specific initiatives.
Delta Bravo Founder and CEO, Rick Oppedisano, said:
“From Day One, we’ve prioritized making a difference closest to home first. I couldn’t be happier about this award; first for our team and new partners at DES, but also for the impact we can make on our state. PermitPro will empower SCDES to advance permits vital to the communities in our state 10X faster than ever before, with greater precision than ever before.”
A brief PermitPro overview video is available below.
Fort Mill, SC, March 12, 2024 – Delta Bravo AI, a pioneer in Industrial Artificial Intelligence (AI), is proud to unveil an innovative project aimed at revolutionizing water management. This initiative, in partnership with the National Science Foundation and others, leverages Delta Bravo’s AI technology to enhance water quality, safety, and equity, addressing critical infrastructure and workforce challenges faced by water utilities throughout the United States.
The absence of qualified operators presents a safety risk, equity concerns, and stifled growth as businesses hesitate to invest in areas with substandard infrastructure. With projections indicating alarming vacancy rates in water treatment and distribution roles, the urgency for modern technological interventions has never been more apparent.
The project aims to use AI to proactively anticipate and resolve issues related to water quality, equipment reliability, and regulatory compliance, starting in Delta Bravo’s home state of South Carolina.
“Minimally viable water systems yield minimally viable communities,” said Rick Oppedisano, CEO of Delta Bravo AI. “Businesses won’t invest in these towns; children will grow up and leave. We owe it to our families, our communities and our country to do more.”
“The looming shortage of certified operators is a tangible and immediate crisis, not merely an abstract concern for the distant future,” said Brett Butz, Environmental Health Manager at SC Dept of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and member of the project team. “The situation creates a negative feedback loop where scarce funds are diverted to contract operations instead of being allocated for essential system maintenance and improvements.”
Led by Delta Bravo Artificial Intelligence, the project adopts a holistic convergence approach, engaging local community members, governmental bodies, educational institutions, and private industry partners. The project team includes participants from Cisco Systems, DHEC, Clemson University, Benedict College and the South Carolina Governor’s School of Science and Math.
Successful implementation of the AI-powered solution promises to yield significant improvements in compliance, water quality, and safety, thereby enhancing water equity and economic viability in communities across South Carolina and beyond.
“The ability of a region to provide sufficient, reliable, safe water systems should not be a differentiator in siting determinations,” says Susie Shannon, CEO of South Carolina’s Council on Competitiveness and a member of the project team. “The State of South Carolina is aggressively pursuing targeted and innovative higher-wage economic strategies, such as electrification and circular battery technologies, dependent upon the ability for our regions to provide agile and reliable water systems.”
In 2022, 2.2 billion people lacked safely managed drinking water in the United States; 3.5 billion people lacked safely-managed sanitation; and 2 billion people lacked a basic handwashing facility, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is estimated that billions more will lack access to these basic services by 2030, unless viable and proactive solutions are developed.
“Manufacturing and civil infrastructure represent the core of American innovation and quality of life,” adds Oppedisano. “Both are experiencing challenges around cost and skilled workers. We’re using AI to fill this gap. It’s our mission to enable economic growth and quality of life for our customers, families and communities.”
For media inquiries and further information, please contact:
Delta Bravo AI is headquartered in Fort Mill, South Carolina, and specializes in empowering manufacturers and civil infrastructure teams to optimize operations through the integration of AI and machine learning solutions. The company’s flagship product, the Delta Bravo platform, offers end-to-end data transformation, modeling and seamless integration of AI into existing processes and systems. Since 2017, Delta Bravo AI has delivered tangible results for industry leaders such as Rolls-Royce, AccuWeather, Nucor Steel, Toyota, and Gulfstream, among others. For more information, visit https://deltabravo.ai.
Delta Bravo Artificial Intelligence, the leading Industrial Artificial Intelligence (AI) company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jay Caloras, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Carroll Street Capital, to its Board of Directors. Caloras brings extensive experience in private equity, alternative investment management, and technology enablement to the Delta Bravo team.
With over 15 years of experience investing across the capital structure, Caloras has a proven track record in private equity and alternative investments. He has successfully sourced and led transactions in various sectors, including media and consumer, business services, and telecom. Furthermore, he has played a pivotal role in leading operational technology transformations and serving on numerous boards throughout his career.
Before founding Carroll Street Capital, Caloras held a senior investment professional position at MHR Fund Management, a multi-billion-dollar private equity asset manager. Prior to that, he gained valuable experience at Bain Capital, contributing to his expertise in investment management and business strategy.
Caloras holds an AB in Economics cum laude from Harvard College and has pursued studies in machine learning through Deeplearning.AI / Stanford, showcasing his commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements.
Delta Bravo AI is thrilled to welcome Jay Caloras to its Board of Directors, where his unique combination of financial acumen and technological expertise has already contributed to the company’s growth and success in the field of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics.
Rick Oppedisano, founder and CEO of Delta Bravo AI, expressed his enthusiasm about the appointment, stating, “We are delighted to have Jay on our Board of Directors. He processes information so quickly and has a unique perspective based on his experience in finance, technology and business process. He is a go-to call for the complex challenges that come with growth.”
For media inquiries and further information, please contact:
Ashley West, Delta Bravo
Email: Ashley@deltabravo.ai
About Delta Bravo Artificial Intelligence:
Headquartered in Fort Mill, South Carolina, Delta Bravo AI empowers manufacturers to transform data into predictive models that reduce cost per unit through improved quality, throughput and workforce readiness. The company’s flagship product, the Delta Bravo platform, offers seamless integration of machine learning and AI solutions into existing manufacturing processes and systems. Delta Bravo AI has consistently delivered greater operating margins and workforce readiness for customers such as Rolls-Royce, AccuWeather, Nucor Steel, Toyota, Continental, Gulfstream, and more since 2017. For more information, please visit Delta Bravo’s website at https://deltabravo.ai.
Fort Mill, SC, March 12, 2024 – Delta Bravo AI, a pioneer in Industrial Artificial Intelligence (AI), is proud to unveil an innovative project aimed at revolutionizing water management. This initiative, in partnership with the National Science Foundation and others, leverages Delta Bravo’s AI technology to enhance water quality, safety, and equity, addressing critical infrastructure and workforce challenges faced by water utilities throughout the United States.
