• Name: H2O Connected
• Industry: Smart Water Technology / PropertyTech
• Focus: Toilet leak detection, water conservation, and smart plumbing solutions
• Product: LeakAlertor™ – consumer and wireless commercial models
• Impact: Detected 90,000 gallons of wasted water in one hotel in 30 days
• Location: Coatesville, PA – Qualified Opportunity Zone

✅ Susan shares the origin story of H2O Connected, born out of a flooded ceiling and a lack of toilet leak solutions on the market.

✅ She explains why hardware products are 10x harder to develop than software—and why distribution, not development, is the biggest challenge.

✅ We uncover the staggering environmental and financial impact of leaking toilets, especially for hotels, apartments, and rental properties.

✅ Susan breaks down the massive data problem of water waste—up to 1 trillion gallons per year—and how smart sensors can change the game.

✅ She discusses how her company is transforming a small steel town by creating jobs, mentoring youth, and manufacturing locally with returning citizens.

✅ A powerful conversation on faith, calling, and what it takes to stay grounded during the most stressful parts of building a purpose-driven business.

In this episode, Darnell Perkins welcomes Susan Springsteen, co-founder and CEO of H2O Connected, a company solving one of the most overlooked problems in property management: toilet leaks.

From ceilings caving in to 90,000 gallons of waste in a single hotel, Susan and her team created LeakAlertor™, a patented solution that helps property owners detect, diagnose, and eliminate water waste automatically. She discusses the steep learning curve of building a physical product, protecting IP, educating a market that doesn’t know it has a problem, and navigating the capital demands of early-stage tech.

But Susan’s story goes deeper—she shares how faith, community impact, and the drive to make a difference have kept her grounded. From revitalizing a 100-year-old building in a Qualified Opportunity Zone to mentoring high school inventors, she’s creating more than a company—she’s building a movement.

Q: What inspired you to create H2O Connected?

A: A real-life flooding experience revealed the lack of solutions for tank toilet leaks—and a massive market no one was addressing.

Q: What’s the hardest part of building a hardware startup?

A: Not product development—it’s distribution and market education. You have to prove the problem even exists before selling the solution.

Q: How does water waste really affect property owners?

A: One running toilet can cost over $100/day. In one pilot hotel, we found more water wasted than flushed.

Q: What’s your approach to impact and hiring?

A: We manufacture locally with returning citizens and those in recovery, creating exponential economic impact in Coatesville, PA.

Q: What advice would you give Day-One Susan?

A: It will take more time, more money, and more faith than you expect—but if you’re called to it, God will do the heavy lifting.

00:00 – Intro & Meet Susan Springsteen

01:00 – The Origins of H2O Connected

02:00 – Building Hardware vs. Software

04:00 – Why the Market Needed LeakAlertor

06:00 – Toilet Leaks by the Numbers

08:00 – Environmental & Financial Impact of...