Learn about the myriad considerations for green schoolyard design from a landscape architect's perspective. Adam De Foor-White, PLA, ASLA shares his insights and experience for those who may be considering a green schoolyard for their school. This podcast is a companion to our three-part webinar series Green Schoolyards as a Stormwater and Community Resilience Strategy, which covers funding strategies and considerations for green schoolyards.

Watch the Environmental Finance Center Network’s, “Green Schoolyards as a Stormwater and Community Resilience Strategy,” webinar series moderated by Greenprint Partners here: 

• Part 1: Green Schoolyards as Stormwater & Community Resilience Strategy 
• Part 2: Lessons from Milwaukee
• Part 3: Lessons from Chicagoland 

Every time it rains, water washing off roads and highways carries pollutants into nearby streams, rivers, and estuaries. One of the most concerning pollutants is 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ), a chemical byproduct of a common tire rubber additive that is among the most toxic substances known to aquatic life. This podcast introduces 6PPDQ to planners and technical staff who may be encountering it for the first time and shows what communities can do about it. Speakers from Washington State DOT, Herrera Inc, and Stewardship Partners will share lessons learned from using green stormwater infrastructure as a solution and discuss how municipalities, transportation agencies, and nonprofits can work together to deploy solutions, engage their communities, and access funding.

Speakers:

• Tony Bush, Stormwater Branch Manager, Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
• Dylan Ahearn, Principal Scientist, Herrera Inc
• Soumi Gaddameedi, Grants & Development Manager, Stewardship Partners
• Katie Harris, Greenprint Partners (moderator)

Additional Resources:

• EFCN Webinar | Cleaning Our Waterways: Green Infrastructure Solutions for 6PPDQ
• EFCN Blog | When It Rains, It Runs Off: What Every Community Should Know About 6PPDQ
• WSDOT | Stormwater Retrofit Prioritization Web Map
• Stewardship Partners | Adopt A Downspout

In this episode, Eva Schwendimann from the SW EFC discusses the basics of sewer smoke testing in sanitary sewer systems with Mike Rivera. Mike is a Water and Wastewater Utility Specialist at the SW EFC and has a background of working with Water and Wastewater in New Mexico systems for over 20 years. This episode walks listeners through why and how a smoke test is conducted, the equipment needed, best case weather conditions for testing, and how to collect and manage data from a smoke test.  

Episode Chapters:

• Podcast Intro - 0:00:00
• Mike’s experience with smoke testing - 0:01:22 
• Summary of smoke test procedure - 0:04:25
• What can a smoke test detect? - 0:05:02 
• What is Infiltration and Inflow? - 0:05:22 
• Equipment needed - 0:08:32 
• Step by step procedure - 0:09:38 
• How effective is smoke testing?- 0:12:18
• Best weather conditions  - 0:13:14 
• How to collect and manage data - 0:14:08
• Podcast Outro -  0:18:57

Links to additional resources:  

NPDES: Stormwater Best Management Practice, Preventing Stormwater Contamination from Sanitary Sewage 

Sewer Smoke Testing | Fulcrum 

EFCN Blog | The Impacts of Changing Precipitation Patterns on Wastewater and Stormwater Systems

Learn why cybersecurity matters for every water and wastewater utility and how leaders can take simple, proactive steps to safeguard their operations and the communities they serve.

Additional Resources:

• Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

• EFCN | Request Assistance with Cybersecurity or Request a Cybersecurity Training

In this episode James Markham from the Southwest Environmental Finance Center interviews Angelina Grey, Associate Planner at the Northwest New Mexico Council of Governments in New Mexico about guidance for small utilities that are looking for help with capital improvement planning, with a focus on what needs to be done to get ready for the process. Getting your regulatory and financial house in order are the biggest items to complete when doing capital improvement planning.

More than 50 years after the passage of the Clean Water Act, what can we learn from its impact on small communities? In this episode, Dr. Rhiannon Jerch discusses how the Clean Water Act shaped municipal finances, improved water quality, and influenced long-term community growth. We explore how small municipalities financed major wastewater infrastructure investments, the role of user fees and federal funding, and what these findings can teach today's communities as they plan for future water infrastructure challenges.

Cross-connection and backflow risks may not always be obvious, but they can pose serious threats to drinking water systems and public health when left unaddressed. In this episode, Alice Kilkelly from the Syracuse University Environmental Finance Center speaks with Elizabeth Belezaire, Water Quality Analyst at the Board of Water Supply for the City of Mount Vernon, New York, about the city’s efforts to strengthen its cross-connection control program. Over the past year, Mount Vernon has worked to move beyond paper-based systems, build a more complete inventory of backflow prevention devices, and improve communication with businesses and residents about their role in protecting water quality. The conversation offers practical insights for utilities and communities looking to start or strengthen their own cross-connection control efforts.

Learn more about Mount Vernon’s Cross Connection Control Program today by visiting: https://www.mountvernonny.gov/2055/Cross-Connection-Control-and-Backflow-Pr

Small water systems face many of the same regulatory requirements and financing complexities as larger utilities, but with fewer staff and resources to manage them. In this episode, we examine how finance professionals can effectively navigate the landscape of federal funding opportunities available to small water systems.Joined by finance expert Kevin Wachtel, Senior Manager at GFOA, the discussion addresses key funding sources including federal grants and loan programs as well as critical considerations for evaluating and selecting among financing instruments. Additionally, the conversation explains the importance of financial readiness, long-term capital planning, and the strategic role of debt financing in supporting essential infrastructure investments.

This Podcast offers valuable insights for finance leaders seeking to strengthen their utility's financial position and ensure the sustainability of vital water infrastructure.

Additional Resources:

10 Steps to Developing Utility Rates

PFAS are increasingly being detected in drinking water systems across the country. In this episode, Dr. Li explains what PFAS are, how they enter our water supplies, current regulations, risks to communities and private well owners as well as actionable measures individuals can implement within their households to mitigate the presence of these pollutants.

In this episode of the Environmental Finance Center Network podcast, hosts Anthony Craven and Eric Williams are joined by Bill Moody of the Mississippi Department of Health’s Water Division and David DeWitt of Taylor Power Systems. Together, they share practical guidance for water utilities on maintaining regulatory compliance and responding effectively during emergencies. Drawing on real-world experience, the conversation focuses on severe weather events, prolonged power outages, and steps utilities can take to prepare, respond, and recover while continuing to protect public health.