What happens when you build a company around one niche, listen obsessively to customers, and never stop improving?

In this episode, host Trace Blackmore finally sits down for a full-length conversation with Frank Lecrone, Founder, President, and CEO of AquaPhoenix Scientific. What started in a small 60' x 60' space in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with three employees, maxed-out credit cards, and endless Staples runs has grown into a 300+-person organization serving industrial water professionals around the world.

Frank shares how AquaPhoenix became "the booth everyone wants to be next to" at AWT, why they built their entire business around industrial water treatment instead of trying to be everything to everyone, and how a simple continuous improvement system now generates hundreds of ideas a year from frontline team members. He also pulls back the curtain on acquisitions and private equity, explaining EBITDA in plain language, how to think about "add-backs," and what owners should understand long before they think about selling.

Whether you're leading a growing company, running a route, or thinking about your own "second chapter," this conversation is a masterclass in culture, courage, and caring deeply about the people you serve.

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

Timestamps

02:20 - Trace Blackmore shares a recap from the recent 2025 AWT Conference, The Hang, and a Blood Donation Story

14:02 - Water You Know with James McDonald

15:20 - Upcoming Conference for Water Professionals

18:16 – Introduction of Frank Lecrone, CEO of AquaPhoenix Scientific (eight years in the making)

24:52 – Why Hanover?

26:59 – Supporting AWT

37:38 – Color-coded caps & QR Codes

42:30 – Learning from mistakes

45:31 – Core Values

48:26 – Acquisitions and Culture

1:03:32 – Valuations and EBITDA

Quotes

"We didn't grow by doing everything for everyone. We grew by doing exactly what one market needed and wanted—and then doing it better every year."

"The lack of information is almost always interpreted negatively. That's why you have to over-communicate, especially during acquisitions."

"EBITDA equals freedom. The more EBITDA you have, the less anybody can tell you what to do with your own company."

"We're not perfect. We screw things up like everyone else—but we fix it, and we fix it quickly, and we make doing business with us as easy as possible."

"I don't want to be the smartest person in the room. I want great people around me, giving ideas and pushing things forward, so I'm not the bottleneck."

"Business is like standing in a bathtub while the water rises. It feels fine until it reaches your mouth. The trick is noticing when it's at your knees and fixing the bottleneck then."

"We give a darn. We have 'GAS'—Give a #$%@—and if we can make it right and do it better, we absolutely will."

Connect with Frank Lecrone

Email: [email protected]

Website: Water Quality Testing Products | AquaPhoenix Scientific

LinkedIn: Frank Lecrone | LinkedIn

Guest Resources Mentioned

AquaPhoenix Scientific

Aliquot – AquaPhoenix's Water Management Software

QR-coded Custom Test Kits (AquaPhoenix EndPoint® ID)

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

American Red Cross

Water You Know with James McDonald

Question: What industrial water treatment word is derived from the Greek word meaning "claw?"

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.

"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.

Get stuck in – Michael Bourgeois, CWT

How do standards get written in ways that working water treaters can actually meet? In this conversation, AWT Past President, current Related Trade Organization (RTO) Committee Chair, and Chemco Products Company Operations Manager, Michael Bourgeois CWT, explains how AWT's liaisons collaborate with peer organizations, so guidance reflects field reality—operations, risk, and achievable compliance.

From Field Bags to Board Rooms: Why RTOs Matter

Bourgeois outlines the purpose of AWT's RTO structure: volunteer liaisons track and influence work at groups whose missions overlap with industrial water—CTI, ABMA, ASHRAE, AWWA, ASHE, and others. The aim is simple and practical: make sure member voices are heard so guidance advances health outcomes (e.g., Legionella control) and day-to-day feasibility for service providers and suppliers.

Turning Reaction into Proaction

Historically, the industry learned about new rules after they landed. Bourgeois details how AWT is shifting to co-authoring cooling-water guidelines with CTI and re-engaging ABMA, so boiler-water limits and methods reflect current technologies and operations. The model: clarify shared goals, contribute content expertise, and formalize collaboration so members get usable documents at member pricing.

Concrete Moves: Boiler Water, Healthcare, and More

Examples include AWT's role on ABMA's Boiler Expo steering committee (with a focused water-treatment training block) and early conversations with ASHE on pathogen control in building and healthcare water systems. He describes how liaisons feed updates into a formal committee cadence, so the AWT Board and members see progress—not just headlines.

When working professionals help write the playbook, outcomes improve clients, operators, and public health—and members stop "reacting" to standards they had no hand in shaping.

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below.

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

Timestamps

00:02:28 - Trace Blackmore shares his AWT excitement & community shout-outs

00:05:16 - Water You Know with James McDonald

00:06:44 - The magic of the Scaling Up buttons (why & how to use them)

00:20:25 - North Metal Quarterly Magazine (Grab physical copy by visiting Booth 212)

00:27:00 - Interview starts: Mike Bourgeois (Chemco; AWT Past President; RTO Chair)

00:33:58 - What is the RTO Committee and why it exists

00:36:31 - The 10 formal collaborators + 4–6 informal

00:36:43 - AWWA/ASDWA (Joe Hannigan); Premise plumbing link

00:38:19 - ASHE (healthcare engineering) early wins (Reid Hutchinson)

00:38:47 - ABMA (boilers) momentum (Steve Jobin) + Women of Boilers

00:40:28 - CTI (Mike); CDC (Patsy Root); WEF (Brian Liotta)

00:40:46 - AMPP (formerly NACE) (Jay Farmerie); WQA (Chuck Hamrick)

00:41:19 - ASHRAE (Bill Pearson) & the impact on Std 188

00:45:26 - Principle: Be proactive so standards are achievable for members

00:47:34 - Boiler Expo: half-day on water treatment (economics, pretreatment, failures, regs)

00:50:56 - Where to learn about RTO work

00:54:19 - Volunteers needed: attributes of great liaisons

00:58:48 - Breakthrough: ABMA boiler water guideline refresh (toward ASME alignment)

01:01:02 - Potential collaboration with ASHE on pathogen control guidance

01:01:39 - What Mike's most excited to see at the Broadmoor

01:02:22 - Mike's session: new OSHA walk-around rules

01:02:51 - Theme of the conversation: "Get stuck in" (join committees)

Quotes

"The button is magic—it breaks the ice for you and starts real conversations."

"Talk to every single booth. A year from now, you'll remember exactly who can help."

"RTO stands for Related Trade Organization—our way to shape the standards that shape us."

"Why write a standard no one can achieve? AWT's role is to make it achievable."

"If you want to help AWT, get stuck in. Volunteer. It pays back 10 to 100-fold."

"AWT's RTO liaisons keep members' interests represented before rules and guidelines are finalized—so they're practical and achievable."

"Look for committees aligned with your strengths."

Connect with Michael Bourgeois

Email: [email protected]

Website: Home | Chemco Products Company

LinkedIn: Michael Bourgeois, CWT | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/chemco-products-company/

Guest Resources Mentioned

ABMA's Boiler Water Quality Requirements and Associated Steam Quality for Industrial/Commercial and Institutional Boilers

Atlas Shrugged (Centennial Ed.) Hardcover – April 21, 2005 by Ayn Rand

AWT Committee

AWT Get Involved

Cancer Ward: A Novel (FSG Classics) Paperback – April 14, 2015 by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Author)

Cooling Technology Institute (CTI)

Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas--Not Less Hardcover – by Alex Epstein

Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design Paperback – Illustrated, June 22, 2010 by Stephen C. Meyer

WTG-126: The Use of Non-Oxidizing Biocides in Cooling Water Systems

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

380 The WOW Effect: Women Leading Transformation in the Water Industry

447 Unlocking Team Potential with Culture Index with Randi Fargen

ASHE's "Water Management in Health Care Facilities: Complying with ASHRAE Standard 188"

ASPE's Engineering Methodologies to Reduce the Risk of Legionella in Premise Plumbing Systems

ASSE 12080 Training & Certification, Get certified to the ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI 12080 Standard: Professional Qualifications Standard for Legionella Water Safety and Management Personnel

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

AWT's Legionella 2019: A Position Statement and Guidance Document

North Metal & Chemical Co Quarterly Magazine Issue 3 -page 8 for Trace Blackmore Story

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Start with Why Simon Sinek - TedTalk

Submit a Show Idea

The 6 Types of Working Genius

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Water You Know with James

Questions: What do you call the physical property of matter that is defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by one degree?

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.

Holidays don't usually line up with release day—but this year they did. In this Halloween special, Trace uses the horror-movie trope of the "scary boiler room" to deliver practical, field-tested reminders for safer sampling, clearer thinking, and better decisions in high-heat, low-light spaces.

Boiler Rooms, Myths, and Real Risks

From Nightmare on Elm Street to Tower of Terror, pop culture loves dim steam, tight corridors, and clangy pipe-labyrinths. Trace contrasts that imagery with what matters to pros: light, ventilation, a stable work surface, and time for observation. He urges listeners to advocate for basics—task lighting, a table, and smarter workflow—so test results are usable, repeatable, and defensible.

Sampling That Won't Scare Your Data

Sampling isn't the job—thinking is. Trace reviews essentials: collect safely (sample coolers when available), fill bottles with no headspace, cool samples to about "hand-holdable" (~100°F) before running tests, and remember temperature and prep sensitivities—especially sulfite tests that use starch. Poor cooling "cooks the potatoes," skewing readings. Tie every test to a hypothesis about system behavior; use results to prove or disprove what you think is happening.

Observation > Automation

Don't just grab a bottle and walk. Log pressures and temperatures (DA/FT), verify blowdown practices (including surface blow and any cooling devices), check the sample cooler, and review boiler logs. Pair disciplined observation with testing so numbers have context.

Stretch Past the "Butterfly Line"

Halloween also prompts a leadership challenge: if you haven't felt "butterflies" lately, are you still stretching? Trace revisits public-speaking growth, previews his AWT presentations (presenting craft, Start With Why, Working Genius, and processes), and encourages pros to reframe nerves as excitement on the way to competence.

Make the boiler room less cinematic and more professional. Better lighting, better setup, and hypothesis-driven testing produce better calls—and better outcomes for customers.

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps

07:05 - Why Hollywood loves boiler rooms

10:10 — Disney's Tower of Terror queue through a "boiler room" and hidden Mickeys

13:31 – Don't just sample – Observe

15:02 - Safety first: sample coolers when available; protect yourself from burns

35:21 - Water You Know with James McDonald

47:05 – Halloween Throwback

Connect with Scaling UP! H2O

Website: www.scalinguph2o.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/scalinguph2o/

YouTube: Scaling Up! H2O Podcast - YouTube

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Annual Convention and Exposition 2025

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

Start with Why Ted Talk

The Rising Tide Mastermind

The Hang

Ep 166 The One Where We Celebrate Halloween

Ep 325 Rising Together: Conquering Challenges through Collective Support

Ep 427 July 4th! Entrepreneurship, Water Wells, and the Spirit of Liberty

Water You Know with James McDonald

Question: What is the pressure of a fluid called that's measured relative to "atmospheric" pressure?

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.

Hiring in industrial water is slow, specialized, and expensive to get wrong. In this conversation, executive advisor Randi Fargen explains how a two-question, 5–7 minute Culture Index survey becomes an ongoing management and coaching system—not just a hiring screen—so owners cut turnover risk, speed onboarding, and improve day-to-day communication.

From "assessment fatigue" to a usable language

Most teams dread long assessments. This survey takes minutes and measures four primary traits—autonomy, sociability, pace/patience, conformity—plus three sub-traits (logic, ingenuity, mental stamina). Leaders get a shared vocabulary for why projects stall, what information different people need, and where the team is over-weighted in "gas" (vision/growth) or "brake" (quality/process).

Objective data where interviews fail

Resumes can be embellished, references are curated, and interviews are where candidates most modify behavior. The survey provides objective, EEOC-compliant data to align role demands with how a person is wired—a first pass for "right person, right seat," followed by skills and experience checks. Trace shares a driver-hire example where data prevented a costly misfit and made the interview process smoother and more targeted.

Turnover, onboarding load, and the health check

Randi highlights research she cites with clients: 66% of employees have accepted roles they knew weren't a fit, and 50% of those left within six months—burning cash and team morale. The fix isn't one-and-done. Teams re-survey every 3–6 months to read dynamic "job behavior" shifts, diagnose disconnects early, and adjust coaching, workload, or process before problems harden.

Coaching at scale, not weaponization

Culture Index works best when deployed top-down and organization-wide (not just managers). Teams adopt simple practices—e.g., bringing pattern cards to meetings or adding patterns to email signatures—to reduce friction. A guardrail: never "weaponize the dots." Use the data to maximize strengths and support challenges; never to excuse behavior or limit someone's potential.

Industry relevance and next steps

Because industrial water roles are niche and ramp time is long, using objective behavioral data helps retain talent you've already invested in. Randi closes with a free team diagnostic offer for companies that want to "test drive" the approach and leave with actionable insights—regardless of whether they proceed further.

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps

02:01 - Trace Blackmore shares a Legionella Awareness Month recap (most listened yet, high sharing), shout-outs to some guests, note that the CDC recognized Legionella Awareness Month, the origin story from 2020 lockdowns, a call to keep challenging what we "know"

07:52 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

12:51 - Interview with Randi Fargen, Executive Advisor with Culture Index

13:27 - Randi's self-intro: role and how she helps businesses ("right people, right seats")

17:02 – Hiring Win; interviews get sharper when profiles guide questions

22:13 – Cost of Turnover

33:42 - What's measured: four primary traits (A/B/C/D) + three sub-traits (logic/ingenuity/stamina)

41:06 - Gas vs. brake; turning productive tension into quality control

52:51 - Guardrail: never "weaponize the dots"; use data to support, not to excuse or exclude

01:12:21 - Water You Know with James McDonald

Quotes

"Fully exploited strengths are a far greater value than marginally improved weaknesses."

"Statistically speaking, 98% of the population has less autonomy than you do."

"The second this is weaponized; the program is dead within your organization."

"This isn't something, it's not a magic wand, it's not a magic bullet… This is a marathon, not a sprint."

Connect with Randi Fargen

Phone: 1(303) 242 0346

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.cultureindex.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randi-fargen/

Guest Resources Mentioned

Culture Index Program

Randi Fargen (Executive Advisor) Free Team Diagnostic

Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink

How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older by Michael Greger

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

446 Leveraging the Culture Index for Business Success with Danielle Scimeca and Conor Parrish

Water You Know with James McDonald

Question: What is the molar mass of water?

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.

How do you make "right person, right seat" a repeatable system—not a hope?

Fact Water Co's Danielle Scimeca (President) and returning guest Conor Parrish (Chief Growth Officer) share how the Culture Index became a decisive tool for coaching, hiring, and a company-wide restructure. If you lead field service, customer service, or operations in industrial water, this conversation offers practical patterns you can apply the next time a role feels misaligned or a 1:1 stall on surface-level updates.

From intuition to instrumentation

Trace opens with the origin story and quickly moves to why Danielle and Conor adopted the Culture Index. Conor outlines the survey's core traits (A, B, C, D), EU (energy units), logic, and ingenuity—and how those readings map to daily work. The team now enters 1:1s with data, not guesswork, and uses pattern shifts (e.g., crossing the bell-curve center line) as objective prompts to discuss burnout risk, disengagement, or role fit.

Coaching that respects how people actually work

Quarterly surveys provide a shared language for conflict and pace. Danielle and Conor show how "high-D vs. low-D" disagreements de-escalate when both sides name the pattern and adjust the level of detail or speed. The same framework helps leaders spot "quiet quitting" signals (e.g., EU changes) early, address them with empathy, and—when necessary—make seat changes with clarity.

Hiring with a C-Job—and holding the line

For open roles, they build a "C-job" (ideal pattern) and filter applicants by percentage match before reading résumés. That slows the front end but saves cycles by preventing mis-fit first interviews, reduces turnover, and improves team performance. The hardest lesson? When they ignored the pattern and hired outside the profile, they regretted it.

Restructure at scale—faster, with fewer re-hires

Armed with data, Fact Water accelerated a difficult restructure (significant field and customer-service turnover) and refilled seats against the right patterns. Outcomes included better alignment, happier team members, and fewer escalations. The same insights even improved communication at home—proof the temperament model applies beyond work.

Tools don't lead—leaders do. The Culture Index gave Danielle and Conor the transparency and conviction to act sooner and coach smarter.

Listen to the full conversation above. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps

02:24 - Trace Blackmore shares Industrial Water Week recap & #IWW25 highlights

13:37 - Water You Know with James McDonald

14:53 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

21:22 – Interview starts: Danielle Scimeca & Conor Parrish of Fact Water Co

24:46 – Why Culture Index

26:16 - Culture Index Overview

36:11 – Coaching Use: Data-Drive 1:1s and pattern shifts

44:36 – Hiring Use: C-Job Profiles

47:49 – Slower Hiring vs. Lower Turnover: lessons learned

53:46 – Real Example: High- D vs. Low-D communication conflict

Quotes

Conor Parrish: "High level culture index is a tool that we use. It starts with the culture index survey."

Danielle Scimeca: "The program forces you to make tough decisions… you deserve to be in a job that you find fulfilling."

Conor Parrish: "HR isn't doing first interviews with 30 people—they're doing first interviews with three to five."

Conor Parrish: "There's so much more to it the more you go… I'm learning something new every day"

Danielle Scimeca: "If you're not ready to make changes, it might not be the right time to do it."

Connect with Conor Parrish

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.factwaterco.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-parrish-cwt-15208251/

Connect with Danielle Scimeca

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.factwaterco.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-scimeca-esq-519604279/

Guest Resources Mentioned

Randi Fargen (Executive Advisor)

Culture Index Program

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

AWT 2025 Convention and Exposition

AWT 2025 Business Owners Meeting

AWT 2025 Golf Tournament

008 The One with Conor Parrish

186 The One where Conor Parrish Interviews Me, Part 1

187 The One where Conor Parrish Interviews Me, Part 2

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

The Hang (November 20, 2025 - 6 PM Eastern Time)

Water You Know with James McDonald

Question: What do we call the liquid formed after steam does its work and has cooled below its dew point?

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.

Industrial Water Week 2025: Careers Friday brings the celebration back to first principles—mentors, disciplined training, and field diagnostics that go beyond the screen. Trace reflects on the people who invested in his craft, recognizes guest contributors across the week, and issues a practical challenge to invest in one new professional before the day ends.

Foundations that Compound

A candid mentorship story anchors today's episode. Trace recalls how early-career intimidation turned into decades of teaching fundamentals and math at AWT—proof that asking better questions grows better practitioners. Careers Friday becomes a prompt to text the person who built your foundation—and to be that person for someone else.

Fieldcraft Over Flash: A Detective H2O Lesson

The Detective H2O case distills high-value diagnostics for cooling systems: TTPC biocide can mask PTSA and fool controllers into overfeeding inhibitor; missing blowdown lockout during biocide feed wastes product; and stabilized bromine can become over-stabilized in long-HTI systems—driving ORP spikes, corrosion risk, and poor microbial control. Technology is essential, but interpretation is the craft.

Community Voices and a Career Pledge

Careers Friday features greetings from industry professionals and closes with Water You Know, a reminder that water often carries purchased energy (heat, cooling, pressure, flow, pre-treatment) that leaders must account for. The day ends with a clear ask: celebrate your mentors, share your origin story with #IWW25 and #ScalingUpH2O, and pledge to help one newcomer discover industrial water treatment.

Durable careers are built on shared knowledge, thoughtful diagnostics, and intentional mentorship. Use today to do all three.

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

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

Timestamps

02:20 — Opening: Industrial Water Week recap (Pretreatment, Boiler, Cooling, Wastewater) leading into Careers Friday.

03:15 — Community recognition: Scaling Up Nation "20,000+ members" and daily celebration via #IWW25 and #ScalingUpH2O.

05:20 — Careers Friday actions: take photos with equipment, mentors, or customers; share to celebrate the craft.

05:29 — Team traditions: the Industrial Water Week cake (including the infamous "water cake" anecdote).

09:16 — Mentorship story: meeting Bruce Ketrick Sr. and Jay Farmery; intimidation becomes investment.

13:12 — Writing the Fundamentals program with Mark Lewis to build durable entry-level foundations.

14:18 — Personal note: when Trace's father passed, how Bruce showed up—mentorship beyond the classroom.

16:15 — Careers greetings begin (Lee Bainbrigge, SMS Environmental): be open-minded, keep learning, focus on customer assurance.

18:07 — Episode reference: Lee's prior appearance (Ep. 370) for Legionella perspectives.

18:21 — Careers greeting (Kalpna Solanki): environmental operator roles as purposeful, global, and essential.

21:39 — Detective H2O — The Case of Knowing It All begins.

38:21 — CWT pathway: free prep resource and 100-question practice exam walkthrough .

42:46 — Water You Know with James McDonald

44:38 — Gratitude for James McDonald's ongoing community impact.

45:04 — Careers Friday challenge: thank your mentors; post your origin story with #IWW25 and #ScalingUpH2O.

46:15 — Final pledge: help one person discover industrial water treatment this week.

Connect with Mike Taraszki

Phone: 510.368.4549

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.wsp.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaeltaraszki/

linkedin.com/company/wsp/

Connect with Kalpna Solanki

Phone: 778.688.9196

Email: [email protected]

Water Environment Federation (WEF)

LinkedIn: in/kalpnasolanki

Connect with Lee Bainbrigge

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://sms-environmental.co.uk/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lbainbrigge/

linkedin.com/company/sms-environmental-ltd/

Connect with James Courtney

Phone: +1 443 878 2407

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.csctech2o.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-courtney-cwt-leed-ap-379a6877/

Connect with Laith Charles

Phone: 941-301-1309

Email: [email protected]

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMuigehZdcquaY14QtGm

Connect with Mark Lewis

Phone: 704.322.5406

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.selaboratories.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-lewis-01a3b56

Connect with James McDonald

Email: [email protected]

Website: chemaqua.com

Industrialwaterweek.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mcdonald-pe/

Links Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Industrial Water Week

Water Cake Recipe

031 The One with Mark Lewis

034 The Other One With Mark Lewis, CWT

062 The One with the Pulsafeeder Guy

112 The One Where Trace Is Interviewed By Mark Lewis

141 The One About Neglected Accounts

149 The One About Some of the Lesser-Used Technologies

224 The One About The Internet Of Things (IoT) Augmented Industrial Water Treatment

355 Backflow Prevention: Safeguarding Water Quality

362 Navigating 97-005: Insights and Impacts on Potable Water

370 Unlocking Legionella Solutions: Perspectives on Regulations and Best Practices

394 Visibility and Value: Enhancing Sustainability in Water Treatment

404 Eight Tips for Business Management: Part 1 – Essential Strategies

406 Eight Tips for Business Management: Part 2 – Essential Strategies

Water You Know with James McDonald

Question: What forms of purchased energy may be present in water?

Wastewater isn't an endpoint—it's a decision point. On Wastewater Thursday, host Trace Blackmore, CWT sharpens the operator's toolkit with field-tested lessons: dose by mechanism, verify by sampling discipline, and use wastewater's fast feedback to protect quality, cost, and permits.

Sampling discipline protects credibility

Trace recounts an early-career moment when an inspector sampled the wrong location, triggering alarms. Immediate, methodical resampling—guided by logs and a clear process map—proved the system was in spec. The leadership takeaway: embed verification before escalation. Clear sampling points, time-stamped logs, and a rapid "reproduce the reading" drill turn uncertainty into clarity.

Mechanism over myth: coagulant control

In a new Detective H2O case, James McDonald explains why overfeeding coagulant collapses floc. When particles swing past neutral, like charges repel again and settling stalls. The fix is not "more chemistry," but right-sizing dose to production and confirming with jar tests at the correct take-off point.

From discharge to resource

Greetings from past guests reinforce the shift under way. Arnaud Valleteau de Moulliac (Veolia Water Technology) frames wastewater as a local, decarbonized resource—with energy-positive plants and reuse as standard practice. Steve Russell (Kiewit) notes supply pressure will push even deeper recycling. Mark Lewis, CWT (Southeastern Laboratories) underscores wastewater's advantage: "If you treat it, you see it."

Make wastewater a reliable, fast-feedback control loop—rooted in charge balance, sampling rigor, and reuse thinking.

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps:

02:17 — Welcome to Wastewater Thursday and the IWW25 theme: "From foundations to futures."

03:03 — Why wastewater is "the restart": cleaning for reuse and sustainability.

04:24 — "Every drop counts from influent to effluent" — defining the professional mandate.

05:12 — Field story setup: jar testing with Trace's father; early lessons.

06:05 — Crisis call: bad regulatory number traced to wrong sampling location.

08:54 — Guest greeting: Arnaud Valleteau de Moulliac (Veolia) on energy-positive, reuse-driven futures.

10:25 — Guest greeting: Steve Russell (Kiewit) on permits, mass balances, and supply-driven recycling.

12:09 — Guest greeting: Mark Lewis, CWT (Southeastern Laboratories) on jar tests and product selection.

14:40 — Detective H2O: The case of too much of a good thing

20:17 — Mechanism lesson: charge neutralization window; like-charge repulsion returns when overdosed.

21:36 — Action: reduce dose; account for residence time; restore performance.

24:29 — IWW25 community prompt: post a safety-approved photo with wastewater equipment; use tags.

Connect with Mark Lewis

Phone: 704.322.5406

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.selaboratories.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-lewis-01a3b56

Connect with Steve Russell

Phone: 913.689.4533

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.kiewit.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-russell-2b0a7960/

Connect with Arnaud Valleteau de Moulliac

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.veoliawatertechnologies.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/arnaud-valleteau-de-moulliac-9b85353a/

www.linkedin.com/company/veolia-water-technologies/

Links Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

031 The One with Mark Lewis

034 The Other One With Mark Lewis, CWT

112 The One Where Trace Is Interviewed By Mark Lewis

141 The One About Neglected Accounts

149 The One About Some of the Lesser-Used Technologies

382 Leading with Safety: How Veolia Embeds Health into Global Culture

396 Navigating Carbon Capture: Water Demands and Wastewater Solutions with Steve Russell

404 Eight Tips for Business Management: Part 1 – Essential Strategies

406 Eight Tips for Business Management: Part 2 – Essential Strategies

Cooling Wednesday is about performance, protection, and proof. Trace Blackmore invites the Nation to get hands-on with cooling equipment and share field photos while offering a practical reminder: learn to navigate the chiller's user interface—because it's your fastest route to actionable diagnostics, documentation, and energy impact.

Reading the Chiller UI—From Intimidation to Insight

Modern microprocessor interfaces reveal real-time and historical data that matter to heat transfer: temperatures, loading, and power trends. If you've avoided the panel out of fear of "shutting something down," ask a chiller tech to walk you through the specific unit on site. Once comfortable, log key parameters on every visit and use the trend history to spot changes before they become outages.

Proving Value with Clean Heat Transfer and Measured Energy

For new or troubled accounts, record energy use during dirty conditions, then maintain the same measurements as the system is cleaned and stabilized. Month-over-month comparisons at similar loads become hard proof that treatment quality translates to lower operating costs—and that contract value aligns with measurable savings.

Cooling Wisdom from the Field

Guest greetings highlight real-world lessons: avoid shipping sample bottles in flimsy packaging (they're heavier full than empty), respect the complexity of cooling treatment by breaking it into critical actions, and remember that underfeeding biocides invites biofilm—and problems like foaming—while proper dosing and verification (e.g., dip slides) restores stability.

Celebrate—and Document

Share your favorite cooling tower or chiller photo with #IWW25 and #ScalingUPH2O. Then, turn celebration into discipline: capture UI data, maintain trend logs, and use the numbers to defend decisions, budgets, and results.

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

Timestamps

02:01 — Kicking off Cooling Wednesday and the #IWW25 photo invite (show your cooling towers/chillers). Why it matters: community learning and pride in craft.

03:22 — Why cooling matters: performance, protection, livability. Why it matters: framing the operational stakes of heat transfer.

03:46 — Willis Carrier's 1902 humidity control origin story. Why it matters: cooling began as a manufacturing quality solution.

09:54 — Guest greeting: Juan Menezes (Nalco Water, an Ecolab company) on a low-pH excursion and recovery. Why it matters: pH control and response discipline.

11:13 — Guest greeting: Michael Lowenstein (QLabs) PSA on shipping Legionella samples securely. Why it matters: sample integrity = valid data.

12:22 — Guest greeting: Mike Standish (Radical Polymers/MFG) on complexity, simplifying actions, and predictive AI. Why it matters: clarity first; analytics next.

17: 11 – Detective H2O: The Case of Unwanted Foam Party

29:20 — Wrap: keep celebrating; post your cooling equipment; Wastewater Thursday is next. Why it matters: momentum through the week.

Connect with Juan Meneses

Phone: 337.309.9619

Email: [email protected]

Website: Reinventing the Way Water is Managed | Nalco Water

LinkedIn: Juan A. Meneses | LinkedIn

Connect with Michael Loewenstein

Phone: +1 513 207 4943

Email: [email protected]

Website: Scientific Consulting for Q Labs LLC

LinkedIn: Michael Loewenstein | LinkedIn

Connect with Mike Standish

Phone: 423.316.9877

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.radicalpolymers.com

mfgchemical.com

LinkedIn: in/mike-standish-7890627

Links Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

014 The One with Mike Standish

176 The One About Tagged Polymer Technologies

350 Polymer Perspectives: Understanding Copolymer Innovations in Water Treatment

377 Future of Legionella Monitoring: Strategies for Employing qPCR in a WMP

405 Cooling Water Innovation: Harnessing Wastewater for Sustainability

418 Maleic Acid-Based Corrosion Inhibitors: Expanding the Water Treatment Toolbox with Mike Standish

Boiler rooms reward clarity: how many BTUs from the flame actually arrive in steam—and stay there to do useful work? For Boiler Tuesday, Trace Blackmore, CWT, treats boiler care as heat-transfer management across the full train, from feedwater and deaeration to distribution and condensate return, with dry steam as the operational benchmark.

Heat Transfer Is a Leadership Metric

Dry steam isn't a detail; it's throughput. Steam on its worst day carries ~1,150 BTUs while hot water on its best day carries ~180 BTUs. When carryover creates wet steam, production loses energy at the point of use. Treating "BTUs-in-steam" as a shared KPI aligns maintenance, operations, and finance around the same outcome: efficient work.

The Steam Train: Protect the Interfaces

Trace maps the sequence—pretreatment → feedwater/DA → boiler → steam lines → condensate return—and explains where heat transfer is taxed when fouling or poor practices creep in. Recover condensate BTUs, verify deaerator performance, keep tube interfaces clean, and protect dryness at end users. Each interface preserved is energy returned to work.

Field Perspectives & Safety

Concise greetings from global practitioners reinforce fundamentals and vigilance. Barry Higgins underscores soft, high-quality water for "fluffy steam." Ivan Morales contrasts OTSGs with conventional boilers and the implications for steam quality. Ben Frieders offers a memorable safety reminder: disciplined restarts and gasket integrity are non-negotiable in steam environments.

Boiler Tuesday is a call to manage heat-transfer efficiency, not just chemistry. Protect interfaces, speak in BTUs, and make dryness measurable where the work happens.

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

Timestamps

02:20 — Welcome and IWW25 context; Boiler Tuesday focus (why: frame the professional lens for the week).

03:46 — "Heat transfer efficiency managers": defining the water treater's job (why: reframes role beyond chemistry)

08:13 — Technology parity; execution and knowledge as differentiators (why: invest in people and practice).

09:59 — The train: feedwater/DA, boiler, lines, condensate return (why: systems thinking prevents local optimization)

12:52 — Guest greetings begin: international and cross-industry viewpoints (why: broaden operating context).

14:04 — Barry Higgins: soft water for "fluffy steam" (why: pretreatment quality → steam quality).

16:18 — Ivan Morales: OTSG vs conventional cycles and steam quality differences (why: choose tech with eyes open).

17:36 — Ben Frieders: post-inspection restart incident and safety lesson (why: operational discipline in steam).

20:19 — Detective H2O: The Case of Having The Blues

25:07 — Boiler Tuesday call to action: share photos, use IWW25 hashtag (why: community and practice sharing).

Connect with Barry Higgins

Phone: +353 87 987 8606

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.aquachem.ie

LinkedIn: in/barry-higgins-bagrsc-59030225

Connect with Ivan Morales

Website: www.ecolab.com/nalco-water/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ivan-morales-mba-06793b5/

linkedin.com/company/nalco/

Connect with Ben Frieders

Phone: (317) 719-1452

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.getchemready.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminfrieders/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/getchemready/

Links Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Industrial Water Week

Industrial Water Week Scaling UP H2O Resource Page

353 Steam Boilers: Essential Checks, Part 1

354 Steam Boilers: Essential Checks, Part 2

366 Produced Water: Expert Perspectives and Practical Tips

420 Tapping Into Tech: How Ben Frieders Uses AI to Elevate Water Treatment Marketing