Talking Under Water

This episode discusses recent awards in water research and technology, including a $100,000 award from the Water Research Foundation and a $6.7 million award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It also features an interview about smart water technologies and trends like AI and machine learning. Additionally, the funding and development of 31 water reuse and desalination projects in the Western United States are explored, along with the potential and challenges of AI and machine learning in the water industry.

In this episode of Talking Under Water, Jeremy Wolfe interviews Duke McCall. McCall describes the function of WOTUS in the Clean Water Act, the story behind the Supreme Court decision, and how the U.S. EPA has adjusted its definition of WOTUS after the ruling.  Show Notes: Supreme Court weakens Clean Water Act’s wetlands protections EPA, Army amend WOTUS to align with Supreme Court wetlands decision Timestamps:  Episode Summary | 0:06  What is WOTUS, and how does it affect Clean Water Act compliance? | 0:31  How does the latest Supreme Court decision affect WOTUS? | 3:12  How did the other justices want to define WOTUS? | 6:09  How has EPA and the U.S. Army adjusted the definition of WOTUS in response to this? | 7:37  What is significant about this change? | 10:05  What sort of effects do you think this will bring for the nation’s water quality and environmental health, generally? | 11:19  Housekeeping | 12:36  Resources:  WaterWorld Digital Editions Wastewater Digest Videos Stormwater Solutions State of the Industry Survey   About the Podcast    Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.     Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@endeavorb2b.com  engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.  

In this month’s episode of Talking Under Water, the co-hosts share audio diaries from two professionals during their time at WEFTEC –  Jay Surti, service line leader – Wastewater Treatment & Recycling, Americas, East Region Biosolids Leader for GHD; and Stephen Katz, market development manager for Veolia Water Technologies & Solutions. Surti and Katz touch on trending topics they heard at the show, as well as what may be coming down the pipeline in terms of industry challenges. Between these clips, the hosts share how Surti’s and Katz’s perspectives relate to their experiences and thoughts from WEFTEC.  Show Notes:    Meet WEF President Aimee Kileen What you missed at WEFTEC 23 Timestamps:    Cold open | 0:00 Episode introduction and summary | 0:42 Jay Surti's WEFTEC audio diary | 1:38 Editor's discuss Jay's comments | 2:51 Stephen Katz' WEFTEC audio diary | 5:31 Editor's discuss Stephen's comments | 7:22 Housekeeping | 12:50 Resources:  WaterWorld Digital Editions Wastewater Digest Videos Stormwater Solutions State of the Industry Survey   About the Podcast    Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.       Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@endeavorb2b.com  engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.     

In this special episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts recognize Imagine a Day Without Water by sharing how important water is to other industries – aviation, food processing, dentistry and more – with thoughts from Endeavor Business Media editorial leaders. Each of these voices explain why water is essential to their respective industries. While the industries vary, their need for water does not. From explaining how important water is to making equipment work as needed to how vital water is to dental health; this episode explores why water is such an essential resource.   Hear from the following voices and brands in this episode: Andy Hanacek, Food Processing Joe Petrie, Aviation Pros Peter Matthews, Firehouse Magazine Traci Purdum, Chemical Processing Andrew Johnston, A Tale of Two Hygienists Show Notes: Value of Water Series: One Water with Radhika Fox Value of Water Series: Utility Perspective with Buffalo Sewer Authority Value of Water Series: Community Perspective with Milwaukee Water Commons Value of Water Series: Water Access Perspective with COPE    Timestamps: Cold Open | 0:00 Host introductions | 1:05 Imagine a Day Without Water, a day of action | 1:20 A day without food processing | 3:27 A day without aviation | 7:13 A day without firefighting | 9:48 A day without chemical processing | 14:36 A day without dentistry and dental hygiene | 18:41 Editors imagine a day without water | 22:51 Housekeeping | 26:21 Resources:  WWD on-demand webinar: Collection Systems: From inspection to rehabilitation  WWD Webinar: Why PFAS Necessitates a One Water Commitment  WQP & Crystal IS webinar: The Impact of PFAS in the Water Industry  Stormwater Solutions webinar: Exploring Stormwater BMP Co-Benefits to Reduce Stressors of Stream Health  Stormwater Solutions State of the Industry Survey   About the Podcast   Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.    Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@endeavorb2b.com  engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.    

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts share an interview with Tyler Jones, national business line executive of the U.S. water practice for WSP. Tyler and co-host Katie Johns discuss the importance of a one water approach to water stewardship, the challenges to this, how it varies by region and more.  Timestamps:    Introduction | 0:00 Interview begins | 0:44 Why One Water matters | 1:06 Challenges to implementing one water programs | 1:41 The interplay of funding, collaboration and resources | 4:01 One water projects to watch | 4:31 How one water action varies by region | 6:37 One water and weather resiliency | 7:42 Drinking water projects in a one water vision | 8:58 Advice for professionals for one water success | 9:48 Final thoughts | 10:41 Housekeeping | 11:34 Resources:   WWD on-demand webinar: Collection Systems: From Inspection to Rehabilitation WWD on-demand webinar: Why PFAS Necessitates a One Water Commitment  WaterWorldSept/Oct issue WQP & Crystal IS on-demand webinar: The Impact of PFAS in the Water Industry   Stormwater Solutions webinar: Exploring Stormwater BMP Co-Benefits to Reduce Stressors of Stream Health  SWS State of the Industry Survey: https://bit.ly/swssoti23 About the Podcast      Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.     Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@endeavorb2b.com engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.   

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts share an interview with Dr. Sharath Girimaji, professor and head of Ocean Engineering and professor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Co-host Katie Johns and Dr. Girimaji discuss the blue economy – what it is, how water plays into and more. They also dive into the intersection of water and offshore resources.  Timestamps:    Episode Summary | 0:09 Interview begins | 0:48 What is he blue economy? | 1:18 Intersection of offshore resources & water| 4:46 The role of climate change in the blue economy | 8:18 How to help disadvantaged communities on the coast | 11:33 How we can fight the inevitable | 15:00 Recent technology advances for the blue economy | 17:19 The exponential growth of the ocean-based business market | 20:33 Final thoughts for the listeners | 24:22 Housekeeping | 25:49 Resources:   WWD on-demand webinar: Collection Systems: From Inspection to Rehabilitation WWD on-demand webinar: Why PFAS Necessitates a One Water Commitment  WaterWorldSept/Oct issue WQP & Crystal IS on-demand webinar: The Impact of PFAS in the Water Industry   Stormwater Solutions webinar: Exploring Stormwater BMP Co-Benefits to Reduce Stressors of Stream Health  SWS State of the Industry Survey:  https://bit.ly/swssoti23 About the Podcast      Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.     Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@endeavorb2b.com engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.   

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts share the latest news from Xylem regarding its acquisition and C-suite leadership, final amendments to the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), and the EPA’s new priorities for 2024 to 2027 including PFAS initiatives. Additionally, co-host Bob Crossen interviews Nathaniel Banks, co-founder and chief technology officer of PolyGone and Yidian Liu, co-founder of PolyGone, two Princeton researchers developing technology to monitor and remove microplastics from water ways.    Show Notes:    Xylem announces CEO, CFO succession plan  EPA, Army amend WOTUS to align with Supreme Court wetlands decision  EPA announces 2024-2027 enforcement priorities  Committee releases financial recovery estimates for the $13.6B drinking water PFAS settlement  Timestamps:    Cold open | 0:00 Host introductions | 1:16 Episode summary | 1:37 Xylem CEO succession plan | 2:11 Final WOTUS rule | 3:58 New EPA enforcement priorities | 6:07 Interview with PolyGone begins | 8:48 How prolific microplastics are in waterways | 9:04 How microplastics are defined | 10:34 How did you get interested in microplastics research? | 11:17 What is the nature of your research? | 12:57 Developing more reliable datasets | 14:43 How storms increase microplatic counts in water | 16:13 Municipal pilots for PolyGone technology | 17:03 Correlations between microplastics and PFAS | 18:42 The last line of defense | 20:10 The biggest challenge for addressing microplastics | 20:45 Microplastics study in Canada | 21:55 Eager and exciting future | 23:48 Housekeeping | 25:04 Resources:  WWD on-demand webinar: Collection Systems: From inspection to rehabilitation  WWD Webinar: Why PFAS Necessitates a One Water Commitment  WQP & Crystal IS webinar: The Impact of PFAS in the Water Industry  Stormwater Solutions webinar: Exploring Stormwater BMP Co-Benefits to Reduce Stressors of Stream Health  About the Podcast    Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.        Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@endeavorb2b.com  engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.                                   

In this episode, Talking Under Water Co-host Mandy Crispin interviews Frank McDonough, associate research scientist of atmospheric science at the Desert Research Institute about how cloud seeding, an 80-year-old technology that is gaining new traction as an avenue for water supply.   Cloud seeding, which is the practice of stimulating the water droplets in clouds to produce rain, is seeing a growing interest in areas such as the Western U.S. where drought has become commonplace and water supplies are limited. McDonough touches on how practical this is, how much water it can produce and more.   Show Notes:  One Water Webinar on PFAS  AWWA ACE 23 Videos Collection Systems Webinar Time Stamps: Introduction | 0:00 Methods for cloud seeding | 1:16 Major questions facing the scientific community | 11:33 Impacts on water utilities | 21:26 Private company interests in cloud seeding | 23:29 How is water captured and stored from cloud seeding? 29:40 Housekeeping | 32:28 Awards: Stormwater Solutions Top Projects About the Podcast    Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.    Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@endeavorb2b.com engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.    

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts share recent industry news, including the announcement of $50 million in grant funding that is available through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program; a recent study that found that the Colorado River Basin lost more than 40 trillion liters between 2000 and 2021; and an announcement from The Department of the Interior, which is opening three funding opportunities for resilient water supplies, cooperative watershed management and aquatic ecosystem protection. Additionally, the hosts share an interview with Brent Bridges, senior principle for Woodard & Curran. Bridges discusses small systems trends, challenges, how AI and future funding may change the landscape of the industry, and more.   Show Notes:   EPA announces nearly $50M available for sewer overflow, stormwater projects  Study: Treated wastewater effluent affects invertebrate communities  Interior makes $195M available for drought, climate resiliency projects  Study: Colorado River Basin lost 40 trillion liters to climate change  Timestamps:    Cold open | 0:00 Host introductions and episode summary | 1:02 News | 2:03 Interview begins | 7:12 How small systems trends differ by region | 7:50 Resource constraints for small systems | 8:33 Best practices for grease handling in collection systems | 9:56 Is grease a trending problem? | 11:07 What is flushable? | 12:13 Federal funding for water and wastewater small systems | 12:37 Workforce challenges for small systems | 13:51 AI for small water and wastewater systems | 15:19 Real world case studies | 17:06 How to plan small systems projects | 18:49 Storm intensity creates many challenges for smaller utilities | 21:02 Stormwater infrastructure is gravely needed | 22:46 Stormwater is on equal par to water and wastewater needs | 23:33 Final interview thoughts | 24:06 Housekeeping | 25:17 Awards:  Stormwater Solutions Top Projects  StormCon Discount:   Talking Under Water listeners have access to a special discount code to register for this year's StormCon. When registering, use the code ONEWATER10 to receive a 10% discount on your conference registration. Visit bit.ly/stormconreg2023 to register and use the code.   About the Podcast    Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.    Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@endeavorb2b.com engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.  

This episode of Talking Under Water tackles a recent study from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on the concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in tap water.   The USGS study tested for 32 PFAS compounds across 716 locations. The study estimated that up to 45% of homes’ tap water could contain one or more PFAS compounds.  To learn more editor Jeremy Wolfe spoke with Kelly Smalling, a research hydrologist for USGS, about the study and its results.   Show Notes:    News on the USGS study  The study itself: Kelly L. Smalling, et. al. “Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in United States tapwater: Comparison of underserved private-well and public-supply exposures and associated health implications.   USGS’s interactive dashboard in Geonarrative: PFAS in U.S. Tapwater   Timestamps Host introduction and episode teaser | 0:00 What the study found | 0:46 Size and scope of sample collection | 3:12 Types of PFAS found | 3:29 Average PFAS concentrations found in the study | 4:04 The difference of public and private occurrence data | 6:03 Higher occurrence in urban areas | 7:04 Additional USGS PFAS research | 7:42 Where to final additional resources | 9:09 Housekeeping | 10:00 Awards: Stormwater Solutions Top Projects  StormCon Discount:   Talking Under Water listeners have access to a special discount code to register for this year's StormCon. When registering, use the code ONEWATER10 to receive a 10% discount on your conference registration. Visit bit.ly/stormconreg2023 to register and use the code.   About the Podcast    Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.    Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing talkingunderwater@sgcmail.com or engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.