"The More You Know" - Robin Deal

A million-gallon-a-day perspective, distilled into actionable steps. Robin Deal, AquaPure Product Manager at Hubbard-Hall unpacks how seasoned pros can squeeze more performance—and less sludge—out of industrial wastewater systems without compromising compliance or plant uptime.

From "clear water in a jar" to stable discharge in the field

Robin details a practical jar-testing workflow: start from upstream processes, target pH using hydroxide/sulfide solubility curves, choose the right coagulant (aluminum, iron, calcium, lanthanum, or organics), and validate against metals/COD/BOD/phosphorus before scaling. The test bench isn't the finish line; it's the feasibility gate when you're treating 150,000+ gpd.

Lean wastewater: cost center or controllable system?

Commodity choices (lime, alum, ferric) can generate 70–85% more sludge than optimized blends—driving hazardous waste hauling, clogging lines, and shortening pump life. Robin reframes the "penny-per-pound" price war into a total-system economics conversation: sludge recyclability, maintenance cycles, and realistic break-even targets.

PFAS: remove now, plan to destroy

For hex-chrome platers and other industrial dischargers, Robin shares near-term and emerging options: carbon filtration for immediate removal, evaporation/condensation where capital exists, and destruction pathways under evaluation—advanced oxidation, electrochemical oxidation, "thermobotic agglomeration," and ball milling—with an eye on evolving limits and cost realities.

One Water thinking for manufacturers

"Water is water." Robin introduces the One Water mindset for plant leaders: tighten internal loops, reduce community draw and discharge impact, and align non-contact, potable, and wastewater under one stewardship model. It's not a club—it's a decision framework that's already influencing global brands and drought-stressed regions.

Treat each round of testing as a hypothesis check, each chemical as a system lever, and each gallon as a shared resource. That's how leaders turn compliance into predictable results.

Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps

16:45 - Trace Blackmore shares insights on current industry events, an upcoming conference, the "magic button" idea for user-friendly wastewater control and announces The Hang to build community engagement

17:50 - Water You Know with James McDonald

23:04 - Interview begins: Robin Deal introduced as AquaPure Product Manager, origin story and family context

28:12 - First Jar Test Story

32:17 - Jar testing Workflow

42:34 - One Water concept

54:12 - Regulations

Quotes

"Just say yes to the job."

"Lime is not a lean."

"Best available technology does not mean best economic."

"So just deep breath, stay calm and do the best that we can do and wait for those regulations to come out because they are coming"

"Turn off the water in the polymer tank."

Connect with Robin Deal

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robin-deal

https://www.linkedin.com/company/hubbard-hall-inc./

Guest Resources Mentioned

The Wandering Inn: Book One in The Wandering Inn Series by pirateaba

Water Reuse Organization

American Water Works Association

Water Environment Federation

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Start With Why Simon Sinek TedTalk

The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team by Patrick M. Lencioni

James McDonald's Be Like Water Series

Drop by Drop: Articles on Industrial Water Treatment by James McDonald

Water You Know with James McDonald

Question: What is the device called that is installed on the effluent line of an ion exchange unit to prevent resin from ending up downstream where it doesn't belong?

2025 Events for Water Professionals

Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.