Scaling UP! H2O

Industrial water training only works when the knowledge transfers. That means the material lands with the audience, survives the drive home, and shows up later in the field when decisions get made.

Dan Merritt, CWT, Sales Manager at CH2O, brings a rare perspective to that problem. He started as a teacher (chemistry, calculus, physics), entered industrial water treatment on February 5, 2002, and later became part of the AWT training team. This conversation follows the path from classroom instruction to boiler rooms and cooling towers, then uses that journey to examine what makes technical training "stick" for working professionals.

From educator to water treater, then back to educator

Dan shares how leaving graduate study, teaching high school and community college, and stepping into service work shaped his approach to explaining technical concepts. The throughline is simple: the instructor owns the clarity. When someone in the room does not understand, the response is not frustration. The response is translation.

Bridging the knowledge gap without dumbing it down

Trace and Dan describe a common failure mode in technical instruction: experts answering correctly, but not helpfully. They frame the goal as closing the gap between what the instructor knows and what the audience can realistically absorb in the moment, especially for attendees building competence over time.

Stories and demonstrations as tools for retention

The episode highlights why AWT trainers lean on stories and physical demonstrations, from an Archimedes fountain to static electricity experiments. Dan explains how the "light bulb moment" is the reward of teaching, and why trainers adapt when a method fails (including what humidity can do to a demo in a room full of people).

Keeping the CWT exam in proper context

The conversation also draws a firm boundary: training supports growth, but it does not replace the CWT experience requirement and recommendations. Dan and Trace emphasize accurate language around the credential and reinforce what the training can and cannot do.

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

Timestamps

01:38 — Setup for a two-part series to help listeners prepare for AWT Technical Training

02:24 — AWT Technical Training logistics: March 10–13 in Frisco, Texas (near Dallas)

03:10 — Trace shares why AWT Technical Training matters personally (mentorship, community, support)

05:51 — "Desert Pete" story: why instructors "fill the bottle" by giving back through training

11:53 — Words of Water with James McDonald: definition + answer ("flow rate")

14:13 — Events mentioned for water professionals 18:42 — Trace introduces the guest: Dan Merritt (CH2O) and their history through AWT

19:39 — Dan's background: 24 years in water treatment; former teacher (chemistry, calculus, physics).

22:44 — Dan's entry into water treatment: Industrial Water Engineering ride-alongs + first field impressions

26:49 — Move to Pacific Northwest + start at CH2O (service tech) and why that timing mattered

31:40 — How Dan and Trace connected through AWT training; Dan begins teaching (service tech reporting).

34:17 — Dan's AWT involvement expands: education committee + Intro to Water Treatment online course task force

35:31 — Dan asked to teach the chemistry class; Trace frames "know your audience" and confidence gap

36:50 — Teaching tools and learning from misses: demos (Archimedes fountain, static electricity + humidity issue)

37:49 — The key teaching principle: "you're the instructor; it's your job to explain it clearly" (adult learners)

41:31 — Bridging the knowledge gap: why brilliance can miss the audience, and why training must translate

44:48 — Why a math/calculations class helps: making the "bang, there's your answer" steps teachable

50:19 — Troubleshooting reality: many forces in boilers/cooling towers; deeper understanding improves diagnosis

52:00 — Field story lesson: softener cleaning foam incident (why stories stick and prevent repeat mistakes)

56:19 — CWT clarification: training helps, but it cannot replace required experience and recommendations

58:31 — CWT wording matters: it's an "exam," not a "test" (Trace mentions Angela Pike's correction)

Quotes

"It's your job to explain the material in a way that we can understand it."

"It's our responsibility to take this information, to package it in a way so you, not me, you can understand it."

"Math is the only known axiom that we have. And it kind of quiets the chaos."

"And again, it's not a test. Do not say that it's a test. It is an exam."

Connect with Dan Merritt, CWT

Email: [email protected]

Website: .https://www.ch2o.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-merritt-cwt-18413819/

CH2O, inc.: Overview | LinkedIn

Guest Resources Mentioned

Education Offerings – AWT

Become Certified – AWT

I Said This, You Heard That 2nd Edition by Kathleen Edelman

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

AWT Technical Training - Registration

2026 AWT Technical Training Schedule

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is a measure of the volume or mass of a fluid (liquid or gas) that passes through a certain point or cross-section over a unit of time. Can you guess the word or phrase?

2026 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.

"Don't be afraid to say I don't know. - Will Ritter"

Corrosion is expensive, relentless, and easy to underestimate—until a "lasagna battery" turns aluminum foil green and reminds you what electrochemistry can do in the real world. This conversation reframes corrosion coupons as what they actually are: a repeatable field test that can sharpen your decisions—if you treat the process with consistency.

Respect the coupon, protect the data

Trace breaks down why coupons became non-negotiable in his systems: they turn guesswork into usable corrosion-rate intelligence. Will Ritter of MetaSpec (formerly Pacific Sensor) explains the fundamentals—pre-weighed coupons, exposure time, cleaning, and calculating corrosion rate in MPY (mils per year). The point isn't that the coupon is your pipe; it's that the coupon becomes a reliable, relative gauge over time when variables are controlled.

The "five things" that make results repeatable

Will outlines practical failure points that quietly ruin comparisons quarter to quarter: alloy selection (and staying consistent), surface area (and what happens when hardware covers the coupon), surface finish (including why scratches and pits matter), weight accuracy (and why kitchen/postage scales don't belong in the workflow), and protective VCI packaging that prevents premature corrosion in storage and transit.

Brand building, trade shows, and getting comfortable saying "I don't know"

Will shares his path from Pacific Sensor to MetaSpec and what it looks like to merge brands intentionally heading into 2026. The discussion also moves into trade show presence and digital marketing, plus a simple confidence framework: get comfortable saying "I don't know, but I can find out," and build communication reps—he points to Toastmasters as a low-stakes way to do that.

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

Timestamps

02:20 — Trace sets the stage: why corrosion coupons matter as diagnostic data

04:05 — What a coupon is (size, pre-weighed precision) and why tiny changes matter

06:14 — Trace's "four things" water treaters manage (and what microbial control is not)

07:07 — The "lasagna battery": anode/cathode/electrolyte/path in a real-life example

08:50 — Defining corrosion (ISO 8044 and NACE definitions referenced)

09:50 — Corrosion cost perspective: "2.5 trillion" and "3.5% of global GDP" (as cited)

10:53 – Words of Water with James

12:38 – Events for Water Professionals

14:56 — Will Ritter introduction and why the podcast helped him understand the industry 18:30 — How Will got into coupons: Pacific Sensor, mentors, and early AWT exposure

24:36 — Trade show mindset: don't be afraid to say "I don't know"

27:50 — Toastmasters as a practical system for better speaking and confidence

31:25 — Pacific Sensor → MetaSpec; co-branding and planned transition "starting in 2026"

34:06 — Coupon basics and MPY explained in clear operational terms

36:51 — The big misunderstanding: coupons as a relative gauge (not "the pipe")

40:06 — The "five key characteristics" behind usable coupon data

58:10 — Best-practice takeaway: treat coupons like a lab test brought into the field

01:06:35 — Close: why Trace "owes a lot" to that "little slip of metal"

Quotes

"Use the coupon as a relative gauge of the corrosivity of the system." - Will Ritter

"Surface finish is critical… a change in surface finish is going to impact corrosion results." - Will

"Treat your coupons… like you are taking a laboratory test and bringing it into the field."

"It's not a piece of metal. It's very special. Treat it as such."

"Digital marketing is free… small businesses need to take advantage of free resources."

Connect with Will Ritter

Phone: (713) 882- 1427

Email: [email protected]

Website: Pacific Sensor - Buy Corrosion Coupons and Test Specimens

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

https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-sensor/about/

Guest Resources Mentioned

Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway (Audiobook)

Steel Isn't Hard (To Learn) by Shane Turcott (Paperback)

The Goal: 40th Anniversary Edition: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M Goldratt (Author), Jeff Cox (Author)

Toastmasters International

Pacific Sensor Corrosion Coupon Installation Guide

Water Treatment Flyer- Pacific Sensor

Metaspec Capabilities Presentation

NACE SP0775-2023 Preparation, Installation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Corrosion Coupons in Hydrocarbon Operations

ASTM-G1-25 Standard Practice for Preparing, Cleaning, and Evaluating Corrosion Test Specimens

TP25-18 The Impact of Metal Surface Roughness on Corrosion Monitoring Water Treatment

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Submit a Show Idea

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

The Rising Tide Mastermind

304 Pinks and Blues: Corrosion Coupons

075 The One that's All About Corrosion Coupons

AWT Guidelines on Corrosion Coupons

Corrosion cost perspective: "2.5 trillion" and "3.5% of global GDP"

Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is any of the elements found in Group VIIA, also known as Group 17, of the Periodic Table, including fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine, characterized by the ability to disinfect water.

2026 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.

"If you say something over and over often and enough, it becomes true because perception is reality."

Paul O'Callaghan has built a career at the intersection of water science, wastewater realities, and the practical question every operator and executive eventually faces; what actually moves innovation from idea to adoption.

As Founder and CEO of BlueTech Research, Paul explains how his team helps decision-makers put capital to work more efficiently in water by reducing uncertainty and separating signal from noise. He describes patterns he's watched repeat across water entrepreneurs, pilots, and product market fit, and why "innovation" often breaks down simply because utilities, investors, and founders are using the same word to mean different things.

Capital, fit, and the language gap

Paul unpacks what it takes to align an investor's expectations with a technology's true pathway to scale. He contrasts different "types" of innovation and why matching the right investor, entrepreneur, market, and timeline matters as much as the technology itself. The conversation also highlights why solving a problem someone has today is often a safer starting point than betting everything on a problem that might arrive tomorrow.

Regulations as a driver and a risk

Regulation matters in water and wastewater, but Paul cautions against building an entire business on the hope that rules will create a market on schedule. He walks through timing risk, enforcement uncertainty, and why tracking policy momentum matters as much as tracking the text of the regulation itself. He also notes a shift toward more "aspirational" regulation focused on reuse, regeneration, and systems-level outcomes.

Storytelling that changes adoption

From Brave Blue World to Our Blue World, Paul shares what he learned about making water personal and compelling without reducing it to doom-and-gloom narratives. The stories he tells connect to a core professional challenge: technologies enable outcomes, but adoption accelerates when people can see and want the "better" future those outcomes create.

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

Timestamps

02:33 - Trace's message on finding "your next love" through learning

09:25 - Words of Water with James McDonald 11:25 - AWT connection and the importance of being challenged by community 13:06 - Industrial Water Week dates for "this year" (Oct 5–9)

14:02 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

19:15 - Interview with Founder & CEO of BlueTech Research, author of The Dynamics of Water Innovation, Executive Producer of Brave Blue World and Our Blue World

22:20 - Pivot moment into water as a career (Malaysia, Edinburgh course, "living machines")

25:15 - What BlueTech Research does (reducing uncertainty, helping capital work efficiently)

27:50 - How startups connect with BlueTech and why storytelling matters

30:09 - Matching investors, entrepreneurs, and markets (alignment and "different languages")

33:00 - The role of regulations (timing risk and market realities)

35:15 - How BlueTech keeps up (themes, emerging areas, and using AI for tracking legislation)

36:30 - Paul's book: The Dynamics of Water Innovation (why he wrote it and who it's for)

40:49 - Documentary storytelling origin and Discovery Channel experience

44:22 - How celebrities got involved and why the outreach worked

45:30 - Why they made a second film and the goal of making water personal

48:03 - Viewer feedback, education impact, and grassroots screening stories

50:08 - "Water 2050" video game inspired by the films

51:21 - Additional ripple effects and "halo" projects (curriculum, photography competition, water walks)

53:06 - Where water innovation is going (desirability, storytelling, and "leaving water")

56:07- Advice for people with ideas (talk to people, generosity of the sector, ikigai, long-term view)

58:08 - Ostara / Crystal Green story (finding the operator's "today problem")

59:54 - One point Paul wants to leave: "It's a journey, enjoy it."

Quotes

"We do our best to help people put capital to work more efficiently to solve water challenges."

"Try and find a problem that someone has today, ideally."

Connect with Paul O'Callaghan

Email: [email protected]

Website: BlueTech Research – Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence

braveblueworldstudios | Instagram | Linktree

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/o2environmental/

Guest Resources Mentioned

The Dynamics of Water Innovation: A Guide to Water Technology Commercialization by Lakshmi M. Adapa (Author), Paul O'Callaghan (Author), Cees Buisman (Author)

Watch Brave Blue World: Racing to Solve Our Water Crisis | Netflix

Braveblueworldstudios | Instagram | Linktree

"Dynamics of water innovation: Insights into the rate of adoption, diffusion and success of emerging water technologies globally" – Wageningen University & Research

"Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet: The Living Machine" – U.S. EPA

"Brave Blue World" film – Science on Screen synopsis

"Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey" – IMDb overview

"Water Reuse for Industrial Applications Resources" – U.S. EPA

"ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023—Water for the Processing of Medical Devices" – ANSI Blog

"Key EPA Actions to Address PFAS" – U.S. EPA

"The Philosophy of Ikigai: 3 Examples About Finding Purpose" – PositivePsychology.com

Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters Paperback by Brian Klaas

Rivers of Power: How a Natural Force Raised Kingdoms, Destroyed Civilizations, and Shapes Our World Paperback by Laurence C. Smith

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

415 Green Building Updates: What You Need to Know

004 It's Not Easy Being Green!

032.5 The One That Takes You to AWT's 2018 Technical Training]

022 The One with Tim Fulton

280 The One About Retaining Top Talent

368 Adapting to the New Workforce: Attracting Top Talent

413 Charting the Future: Mastering the Art of Strategic Planning

Words of Water with James McDonald Today's definition is a single, reactive molecule, usually an organic compound, having the ability to join with a number of similarly defined molecules to form a polymer.

2026 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 work rewards people who can move between precision and practicality. Katie Holliday brings both. She started as a lab chemist, then transitioned into field service with Apex Water and Process, where much of her work supports healthcare facilities and high-accountability programs.

Lab habits that protect your tools and your data

Katie describes the first surprise of field work: a central plant is "very dirty," and the job demands good technique without chasing lab-level perfection. She shares a couple of simple practices that prevent expensive problems. Use proper lab wipes on glassware instead of shirts or paper towels, which can scratch surfaces and compromise readings. Keep pH probes wet with the correct storage solution, because once they dry out, they often stop working.

Healthcare water: SPD work and Legionella prevention

About 90% of Katie's accounts are healthcare. She defines SPD as the sterile processing department and explains why expectations shift compared to boilers and cooling towers. SPD work is cleaner, more controlled, and typically includes additional components such as endotoxin filtration and UV. It also involves more testing and stricter standards that tie directly to patient safety. Alongside SPD, she emphasizes Legionella prevention as a constant priority, from cooling towers (including secondary disinfection) to domestic water, because facilities want to reduce risk to patients.

Water chemistry reality check: Phoenix versus "everywhere else"

Katie explains how Arizona water changes the operating window. She notes high hardness and high chlorides, which can limit cycles of concentration and force conservative targets compared with places like Atlanta, where Trace describes running much higher cycles. The takeaway for experienced pros is familiar: operating limits are local, and "what good looks like" depends on the incoming water and the constraints that matter most at that site.

Mentorship, representation, and field readiness systems

Katie shares what it meant to be the first woman account manager hire in a long-running operation, and her advice is practical: recruit intentionally, then train people in the field, not from the sidelines. She credits her mentor, Bernie Peacock, for accelerating her learning curve, and she now passes that on by responding fast, following through, and providing steady backup to newer teammates. She also describes how she built mechanical confidence, using manuals, YouTube, phone video, and a OneNote playbook that captures account contacts, access details, sampling points, and "where things are" notes for clean coverage when someone else is on-site.

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

Timestamps

02:14 - Trace Blackmore shares "first day" intimidation and learning curve in water treatment

08:55 - Words of Water with James McDonald

12:30 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

14:48 - Interview begins: Katie Holliday introduced (Apex Water and Process)

15:55 – Lab to Field transition and technique

20:27 – Representation and Mentorship

26:42 – Culture and Water Stewardship

33:31 – Healthcare work, SPD, and Legionella

35:56 – Mentoring and "give it back"

39:22 – Mechanical Confidence, Tools, and Documentation Systems

Quotes and Key Takeaways

"What do I not know that I don't know?"

"Everyone needs a Bernie Peacock"

"Field accuracy doesn't require lab perfection, but it does require clean technique."

"The most effective mentoring is responsive and practical."

"Documentation scales your value"

Connect with Katie Holliday

Email: [email protected]

Website https://teamapex.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-holliday-9b6977246/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/apex-water-process/

Guest Resources Mentioned

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey

AAMI ST108 Compliance in Sterile Processing

High hardness in Phoenix

ASSE 12080 Legionella Water Safety certification

Navajo Nation water access

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Fearless Pricing: Ignite Your Team, Own Your Value, and Command What You Deserve by Casey Brown

Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is the upward flow of water through a resin bed to clean, expand, and reclassify the bed. Can you guess the word?

2026 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.

Corrosion rarely announces itself as a "big water problem." It shows up as leaching at the tap, residual loss in the field, premature equipment replacement, and the slow, expensive erosion of decision-quality.

Pat Rosenstiel (CEO) and Wolf Merker (chemist/Chief Science Officer) of Great Water Tech lay out a system-wide view of corrosion control—starting with what changed in Flint from a technical standpoint and moving into why many utilities still struggle to meet expectations when standards and risk assumptions shift.

System-wide corrosion control starts with chemistry and consequences

A source-water change can shift corrosivity fast. If corrosion control does not adjust proactively, the downstream effects show in metal release and public exposure. Wolf stresses the distinction between the technical problem and the political challenges, then points to corrosion control as a solvable technical matter when it is treated as a system condition—not a single asset issue.

Why "phosphate-only" isn't the end of the story

Trace frames what most operators recognize: many municipalities use phosphate inhibitors to form a tenacious film and reduce corrosion. Wolf argues phosphates are "a little bit of old news" in practice and explains the approach Great Water Tech discusses with their German partners—using phosphates and silicates together in the right amounts to create a tighter separation between water and metal.

Barriers, biology, and the disinfection tradeoff

Wolf breaks corrosion drivers into three sources: chemical, biological, and electrochemical (dissimilar metal corrosion). He also ties corrosion to cascading operational decisions—especially disinfectant strategy. If residual loss pushes a system from chlorine to chloramine, Wolf warns that corrosivity can increase dramatically, and that corrosion can amplify the formation of disinfection byproducts as chlorine reacts with what is in the water.

What industrial water treaters should listen for

Pat connects the same barrier logic to industrial priorities—CapEx, OpEx, and lifecycle extension in closed systems (cooling towers, closed chilled loops, boilers). Wolf clarifies that closed systems require different product "flavors," while keeping the core concept consistent: the combined silicate/phosphate approach remains the best path he is aware of.

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

Timestamps

02:20 - Trace sets the tone for the episode: decision-quality improves when you "rethink the way that you think you know things," especially around tests and procedures

08:20 - Words of Water with James McDonald

11:00 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

18:22 - Interview with Pat Rosenstiel, CEO of Great Water Tech & Wolf Merker, Chief Science Officer of Great Water Tech

23:00 - Flint technical breakdown

27:30 - Corrosion control options

32:20 - Scale vs. Corrosion

43:40 – Algae Control Pivot

Connect with Pat Rosenstiel

Website: Great Water Tech | Water Treatment Solutions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-rosenstiel-a148952/

Great Water Tech LLC: Overview | LinkedIn

Connect with Wolf Merker

Website: Great Water Tech | Water Treatment Solutions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolf-merker-a1b95284/

Great Water Tech LLC: Overview | LinkedIn

Guest Resources Mentioned

NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 — Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals: Health Effect

NSF — Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals Certification (NSF/ANSI/CAN 60) (how certification works)

ANSI Webstore listing (official standard access/purchase)

EPA — Lead and Copper Rule (regulation hub)

EPA — Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) (final rule page)

EPA fact sheet — Tap Monitoring Requirements (LCRI) (sampling protocol changes)

Great Water Tech

Folmar (Great Water Tech) — corrosion inhibitor (phosphate + silicate blend)

Algae Armor (Great Water Tech) — nutrient-binding tool for ponds/lakes

EPA Distribution System Toolbox — Pigging fact sheet (PDF) (removing biofilm/scale/sediment from mains)

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation report page (chlorine vs chloramine impacts incl. corrosion/leaching discussion)

AWWA Opflow article (main cleaning techniques incl. pigging): AWWA's utility-facing perspective on cleaning options

Silicate corrosion inhibitors

Historical context for silicate–phosphate combinations

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

AWT Technical Training (March 2026)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Ep 422 Inside the Association of Water Technologies with John Caloritis

Hach Water Analysis Handbook

Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is the smallest functional unit of a cooling tower that contains its own heat exchange section, fan or air-moving system, water distribution system, and drift eliminators.

2026 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.

Boilers can feel intimidating the first time you step into a boiler room—the heat, the noise, the pressure gauge, and the weight of knowing that mistakes can be costly. Trace Blackmore opens with a reminder that boilers deserve respect, not fear—and that learning fundamentals is how you replace mystique with clarity.

The talent gap behind the boiler room door

Eric Johnson, Founder and CEO of Boilearn, explains why boiler expertise is becoming harder to replace. He points to the shrinking pipeline of boiler-trained technicians—historically strengthened by Navy steam training—and why companies can't rely on "tribal knowledge" and informal shadowing alone to develop the next generation.

Training that scales past the 2–3 day class

Eric shares what pushed him to build Boilearn: technicians and operators need structured, repeatable competency systems—not just scattered classes and a "shotgun approach" to on-the-job training. He lays out why fundamentals can be taught effectively online when it's done well, and why travel-heavy training models often spend a large share of the budget on logistics instead of learning.

Troubleshooting that starts with fundamentals

Troubleshooting is where boiler work can feel like a mystery—until you understand fundamentals and sequence of operations. Eric explains how technicians can isolate problems faster by knowing what should be moving (or not moving), testing one theory at a time, and using electrical diagrams as a practical roadmap when formal sequence documentation isn't available.

Better partnerships between boiler techs and water treaters

The conversation closes with practical steps that reduce friction and finger-pointing: take photos during inspections, package observations clearly in service reports, communicate directly when possible, and over-communicate inspection schedules so the water treater can prepare the program before the boiler is opened.

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

Timestamps

02:20 - Trace Blackmore sets the stage on boiler fear vs. Respect, learning boilers from a Navy-Trained mentor

09:20 - Words of Water with James

10:50 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

14:20 - Interview with Eric Johnson of Boilearn

16:30 – Eric's Path: HVAC school – Boiler Service Tech – Founder

19:10 – What Boilearn Does

22:10 – The lost "lifeline" problem

33:20 – Electrical Troubleshooting

44:20 – Coordinating Boiler Openings and Inspections

Quotes

"I've learned that boilers are something you definitely need to respect, but definitely not fear."

"There's a career behind boilers. There's a career behind water treatment and not enough people talk about it."

Connect with Eric Johnson

Email: [email protected]

Website: Boilearn I The Foundation of Boiler Training

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericjohnson2020/

Boilearn: Overview | LinkedIn

Guest Resources Mentioned

Boilearn

Boilearn mission and origins

Boiler operator roles and skills

Common steam‑boiler problems

Safe boiler operation guide

Boiler start‑up and maintenance

Safer operation manual

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

AWT Technical Training Seminars

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is water lost from a cooling tower as liquid droplets are entrained in the exhaust air.

2026 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 professionals are increasingly pulled into conversations about scarcity, resilience, and "where the next gallon comes from."

Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva, CEO and Co-founder of Waterloop Solutions frames water reuse as an implementation challenge more than a technology gap—and explains where the practical starting points are when the scope feels overwhelming.

Moving reuse forward when the technology already exists

Waterloop Solutions was founded to accelerate implementation: clarifying end-use quality, identifying post-treatment needs on the back end of existing plants, and building risk management plans that fit real operational and regulatory expectations. The conversation stays grounded in what slows projects down (time, permitting, funding, and public acceptance) and where progress can be made without reinventing the toolbox.

Centralized vs. decentralized: why "less regulated" can move faster

Europe's agricultural reuse regulation (noted as coming into effect in June 2023) created shared minimum requirements, but also uncertainty around permitting and responsibility at the local level. In contrast, decentralized reuse is described as an "early adopter" space—often driven by innovative building projects (gray water separation, rooftop rain capture) and, in some cases, easier implementation from scratch than retrofits.

What matters to industrial listeners: partnerships, autonomy, and distance

For industrial teams, Dr. Veronika points out opportunities for synergistic partnerships with municipalities and agriculture—balanced against the realities of infrastructure distance and cost. She also makes the case for industrial autonomy: decoupling from conventional sources through internal reuse to protect future production when municipal needs take precedence.

Communication and the "toilet to tap" problem

Public perception remains a stubborn barrier. Dr. Veronika calls out the long-lasting impact of "toilet to tap" framing and why first impressions can derail technically sound reuse projects.

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

Timestamps

03:58 - Trace Blackmore shares how "Pinks and Blues" questions get chosen—and where listeners can submit them

05:05 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

07:42 – Words of Water with James McDonald

11:47 – Meet Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva and why Trace invited her from LinkedIn insights

12:20 — Veronika's path: UMD → Colorado School of Mines → PhD at Technical University of Munich

15:40 — Why Waterloop Solutions started: progress is slow, but implementation support is missing

19:40 — Decentralized reuse: why interest is rising, and why it can be easier to implement in buildings

20:20 — EU agricultural reuse regulation (June 2023): minimum quality, crop types, and risk plan uncertainty

23:40 — Unique barriers by sector: municipal timelines, industrial ROI, and the difficulty of reaching farmers

33:20 — Lowest-hanging fruit: municipal reuse for street cleaning and parks; industrial autonomy via internal reuse

45:00 — Women and young professionals: visibility, role models, and why the sector's willingness to help matters

47:20 — Where to learn more: US EPA resources, EU work underway, and Australia as a reuse leader

Quotes

"It's okay to ask questions."

"But actually, all the technology needed for it already exists."

"What I think is awesome in the US, for example, that you guys are really pursuing this direct potable reuse now."

"I think these are all valid options to have kind of in the water management portfolio on a local level and also on a regional level."

Connect with Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva

Email: [email protected]

Website: Home – Waterloop Solutions

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

Waterloop Solutions: Overview | LinkedIn

Guest Resources Mentioned

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (Paperback) European Commission's Water reuse: New EU rules to improve access to safe irrigation

Intermezzo Paperback – by Sally Rooney (Author)

Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott

US EPA State Water Reuse Resources

US EPA Water Reuse Information Library

US EPA's "A Framework for Permitting Innovation in the Wastewater Sector Report"

US Department of Energy's About the BuildingsNEXT Student Design Competition

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) Water Reuse Europe Policy and Regulations

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

AWT Technical Training Seminars

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is a device for removing condensate from a steam line without allowing the steam to escape. Can you guess the word or phrase?

2026 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.

"Stay curious. And you only have one reputation. Guard it with your life."

Hiring for judgment, not just rehearsed confidence

Industrial water treatment is full of decisions made with incomplete data—on sites, with customers, and inside the business. JD Roth (Managing Director and Co-owner of Guardian Chemicals) builds his hiring around that reality. His aim is straightforward: protect the team and the culture by selecting people who can think, collaborate, and lead under pressure.

JD frames the organization as a group of people choosing to work toward a common goal: building a better future for communities, the environment, and staff. That priority shows how Guardian hires, who they keep, and what becomes a deal-breaker. If a candidate is misaligned with core values, JD is clear: performance elsewhere won't override that mismatch.

The "Hiring Olympics" structure

For a high-bandwidth, project-based role (their Graduate Business Analyst program), Guardian needed a way to evaluate many strong candidates without consuming 40–50 hours of team time. The result is a four-hour, multi-station day that includes:

• Core values interviews (two-person format)
• Competency interviews (horsepower and capability)
• An individual case study (primarily math/business-oriented)
• A collaborative case study (decision-making and team dynamics)

The collaborative case study is the centerpiece. Candidates work with peers who are also competitors for limited roles, using real cases built around business decisions—often with imperfect or incomplete information—so the team can observe how candidates break down problems, delegate, support others, and present recommendations.

How decisions get made afterward

After candidates leave, the interview team convenes for a group decision. JD starts by looking for any "vetoes," especially around core values to fit (he references an EOS-style standard of meeting 5 out of 6 core values most of the time). From there, the team compares notes across competency, core values, and observed collaboration behaviors.

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

Timestamps

02:20 – Trace Blackmore shares part of a real-world service routine and ongoing professional improvement

05:35 – Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals

12:00 – Words of Water with James McDonald

13:52 – Fun Fact about 1903 from this day

14:28 – Interview with JD Roth, Managing Director and Co-Owner of Guardian Chemicals

15:20 - "A company is people"

19:00 – First solo site lesson: ask for help vs. pretend

25:10 – The GBA Program (Graduate Business Analyst)

27:50 – Hiring Olympics format + Efficiency

33:30 – "Ping pong balls in a jumbo jet" example

39:10 – Selection rules: Core values veto + EOS bar + Values list

Quotes

JD:"And if you've got great people and you take care of great people, they take care of your customers, and your customers take care of you."

JD: "There really isn't a company. There is just a whole bunch of people who have decided to work together towards a common goal."

Trace: "I can only imagine how empowered your team feels because they're so involved in this process and you're involving everybody"

Trace: "I love the fact that we're diving deeper into the most important thing, and that's protecting and enhancing our culture."

Connect with JD Roth

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.guardianchem.ca/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-david-jd-roth-58714113/

Guest Resources Mentioned

Entrepreneurs' Organization

Verne Harnish 'Scaling Up'

About Verne Harnish

Harvard Business Review Case Studies

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

AWT Technical Training Seminars

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen. R. Covey

Fearless Pricing: Ignite Your Team, Own Your Value, and Command What You Deserve by Casey Brown

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection by Charles Duhigg

Charles Duhigg — "The science behind dramatically better conversations" (TEDxManchester)

12 Week Year Plan

457 2026: A New Year with New Intentions

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is an ion with a net positive charge, formed when an atom or molecule loses one or more electrons. Can you guess the word or phrase?

2026 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.

Trace Blackmore opens 2026 with a practical reset: how to plan with urgency, sharpen the fundamentals that make troubleshooting easier, and use the tools around this podcast to keep your development moving all year.

The 12-Week Year: urgency you can use

Annual goals often feel "far away" until December forces focus. The 12-week year flips that dynamic by treating each quarter like a year—creating urgency sooner and giving you four chances to reset and improve. Trace walks through the structure: start with a vision (he uses a three-year example), then choose 3–5 tactical goals for the next 12 weeks, so you don't overload and quit. He also ties it to a water treatment reality: quarterly customer touchpoints are simply more productive than an annual "re-introduce everything" meeting.

Trace points listeners to planning support and easy on-ramps:

• the book link: ScalingUpH2O.com/12weekyear
• the planning guide PDF: ScalingUpH2O.com/12weekyearplan
• and an Audible option (free month + free book mentioned in the transcript).

Mailbag: how the show is made—and what's changing

A listener asks how an episode goes from spark to air. Trace lays out the workflow: idea sourcing, research and pre-production, guest outreach, scheduling, outline creation, recording discipline, post-production with audio engineer Sean, then show notes, graphics, social posts, scheduling, and promotion. He also shares a key quality upgrade: guests now receive equipment prerequisites (including budget-friendly mic options) because the Scaling Up Nation can hear the difference.

On what's new for 2026, Trace shares a major personal commitment: he's pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration, including research, data collection, and defending a thesis—with an intent to involve listeners through future surveys.

Skills to build in 2026: foundation, communication, and technology

Trace's recommendations land in three buckets:

1. Strengthen fundamentals (chemistry, products, and the "why" behind test kits),
2. improve communication and relationship-building (including temperament-based communication concepts he references), and
3. Learn what's available in data and technology so you can show up to accounts better prepared—and avoid time-wasting return trips.

He closes with a direct action: browse the ScalingUpH2O.com events section and pick learning opportunities you can attend (especially those nearby), then build a 12-week plan that helps you justify bigger conferences by clearly stating what value you'll bring back.

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

Timestamps

02:38 - Welcome to 2026 and what this "first show of the year" is designed to do (reset, tools, and a mailbag).

07:30 – 12 Week Year Planning format

21:09 – Dive Into The Scaling UP! H2O Mailbag

30:54 – What Is New for 2026 for Trace Blackmore

38:05 – Words of Water with James

40:15 – Trace's Favorite Food

46:42 – What Are The Top 2 to 3 skills Water Treaters Should Focus On

Quotes

"Now the reason I really like the 12-week year is because it puts the urgency of not having a full year of time, only having a smaller amount of time to work for you."

"It also gives you 4 chances a year to reset and improve, not just one."

"Everybody in water treatment should focus on developing skills around a solid foundation."

"That leads me to my third skill that I want to talk to you about, and that's learning what's available to you when it comes to data and technology."

Connect with Scaling UP! H2O

Submit a show idea: Submit a Show Idea

LinkedIn: in/traceblackmore/

YouTube: @ScalingUpH2O

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

Audible

Book - The 12 Week Year: Get More Done in 12 Weeks than Others Do in 12 Months

12 Week Year Plan

Episode 100 The 100th One

Episode 117 The One With Temperament Expert, Kathleen Edelman

Episode 179 Another One that Teaches Us to Communicate Better with Others

AWT – The Analyst - Library

I Said This, You Heard That 2nd Edition by Kathleen Edelman

HACH Water Analysis Handbook

Words of Water with James McDonald

Definition: Today's definition is the ratio of the dissolved solids in a system's circulating water to the dissolved solids in the makeup water. Can you guess the word or phrase?

2026 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.

A year-end recap is more than a highlight reel—it's a practical reset. In this New Year episode, Trace Blackmore walks through 2025 using a "12 Days of the Scaling Up Nation" format, tying together performance, community growth, listener engagement, and the sponsor support that keeps the podcast and its companion tools available at no cost.

Year-end by the numbers

Trace explains how he used to track every stat closely—and how that shifted into an unhealthy measure of self-worth—so the team now uses numbers as feedback, not validation. He notes the show released 56 brand-new episodes in 2025 (including the additional releases during Industrial Water Week) and explains why the data still matters: it helps confirm what the community is using, such as discussion guides and other tools, and what needs to be improved.

Most-downloaded episodes and what listeners leaned into

Trace shares the three most-downloaded episodes of 2025:

• Episode 405 — cooling water innovation using treated wastewater
• Episode 418 — maleic acid (with Mike Standish)
• Episode 424 — chlorine dioxide (the most downloaded episode of the year)

Engagement that keeps learning moving

The episode highlights growth in the Scaling Up Nation across newsletter subscriptions, discussion guide downloads, and an expanding LinkedIn community.

Recognition, partners, and momentum into 2026

Trace acknowledges milestones including AWT naming Scaling Up H2O the official podcast of the Association of Water Technologies, and he thanks the sponsors who make the podcast's free content possible—19 sponsoring partners in 2025. The episode closes with a direct invitation for listeners to share what they want to learn next, who they want interviewed, and what stories could help the industry keep "raising the bar."

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

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

Timestamps

02:50 — Show open and New Year framing: a reset point for leaders and operators heading into 2026

03:10 — Why the retrospective exists: improve the next year and celebrate what the Scaling Up Nation achieved together

05:00 — The format revealed: "12 days" of highlights built from what happened in 2025

08:40 — The final 2025 "Water You Know" question: hydroxide ion formula—and the answer reveal

16:30 — The top three downloaded episodes of 2025

29:00 — Signature segments and field lessons: community participation, Detective H2O, and "quicker is not better

Quotes

"Slow is smooth and smooth is fast."

"It's not going to take somebody's job away because of AI, but somebody who knows AI or is familiar with AI over somebody that is not familiar with it and refuses anything with AI, that person will probably take that other person's job."

"Lift others as you rise."

Connect with Scaling UP! H2O

Submit a show idea: Submit a Show Idea

LinkedIn: in/traceblackmore/

YouTube: @ScalingUpH2O

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned

AWT (Association of Water Technologies)

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses

Submit a Show Idea

The Rising Tide Mastermind

405 Cooling Water Innovation: Harnessing Wastewater for Sustainability

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

424 Chlorine Dioxide Insights with Greg Simpson

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

422 Inside the Association of Water Technologies with John Caloritis

423 Pushing the Boundaries: Jacob Deak on Innovating Water Treatment Systems

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

447 Unlocking Team Potential with Culture Index with Randi Fargen

179 Another One that Teaches Us to Communicate Better with Others

Water You Know with James McDonald

Question: What is the molecular formula for hydroxide ion?

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.