The Water Zone

Eddie Wallace, owner of MidWest Landscaping in California, shares his perspective on the recent Southern California fires and how property owners can proactively protect their homes and businesses. Eddie outlines a three-zone planting strategy using specific types of ground cover, shrubs, and trees to reduce fire damage and describes a simple irrigation system modification that can create a protective water shower during a wildfire. He also discusses the latest advancements in controllers, spray heads, and high-capacity rotors for fire defense, emphasizing the importance of maintaining irrigation systems for peak performance. Listeners can view Eddie’s instructional videos on his website and through the California Landscape Contractors Association.

Podcast Recorded on April 24, 2025

In this episode we welcome Marc LoPresti, CEO and chief market strategist of Market Rebellion, Wall Street veteran, securities attorney, and media contributor. Marc shares his legal team’s pivotal role in the landmark multi-billion-dollar lawsuit against 3M over forever chemical contamination in U.S. drinking water, offering insights into the technical evidence that led to the historic settlement. He also discusses litigation involving DuPont and its spin-offs Chemours and Corteva for similar violations. Looking ahead, Marc offers his take on water-related investments—viewing utilities as stable but recommending tech-driven water solutions like filters, pumps, and desalination for those seeking stronger returns.

Podcast Recorded on April 14, 2025

In this episode of The Water Zone, Rylan Dobson, water stewardship programs leader at the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), shares how he drives public-private collaboration and policy advocacy to advance global water sustainability. He highlights water's critical role as a connector across environmental priorities like climate and nature, and addresses key issues including water scarcity, stress, security, hygiene, and their link to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6). Rylan voices frustration over water being sidelined in broader environmental conversations, noting that “water is where climate impacts hit first,” and stresses the importance of data-driven action. He also discusses WWF’s partnership with GlobeScan and industry leaders to diagnose water challenges and push for a more impactful global agenda.

Podcast Recorded on April 10, 2025

In this inspiring episode of The Water Zone, guest Atul Bhatara, President and CEO of Atul Skin Care Products, shares his powerful personal journey and insights into the vital role water plays in skin health. Diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy as a toddler and given only a few years to live, Atul defied the odds to build a successful career and launch a skincare brand rooted in natural healing. He explains how the body is 75% water and highlights the differences between micellar, alkaline, and oxygenated water—revealing which are best for drinking and skincare. Atul also discusses the benefits of natural ingredients like turmeric and saffron in promoting healthy, radiant skin.

Podcast Recorded on April 3, 2025

Brenda Burman, general manager of the Central Arizona Project (CAP), shares her background and insights from her time as Administrator of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. She provides a deep dive into CAP’s history, infrastructure, and its critical role in delivering Colorado River water to Arizona. Brenda discusses the economic impact of this water, the causes behind current shortages, and what that means for the state’s future. She also addresses potential challenges related to energy supply, cybersecurity threats, and water quality protection. Highlighting CAP’s use of artificial intelligence to safeguard infrastructure, she shares updates on a major project to link CAP and SRP canals and introduces CAP University—an online resource for public education and legislative updates.

Podcast Recorded on March 27, 2025

In the latest episode of The Water Zone, guest Tiffany Baca—public affairs manager for the Municipal Water District of Orange County and executive director of the Water Energy Education Alliance (WEEA)—discusses how WEEA is uniting over 260 organizations across California to build career pathways in the water and energy sectors. She explains how the alliance was formed, its rapid growth, and the critical need to align education and training with industry demands. Tiffany highlights key workforce challenges, including an aging workforce and skills gaps, and shares how WEEA is addressing them through partnerships with educational institutions, hands-on programs like internships and apprenticeships, teacher training, and multilingual career resources.

Podcast Recorded on March 20, 2025

Mike Hammond, President & CEO of Signal Relief, introduces a groundbreaking drug-free pain relief technology that harnesses the water within the body to reduce or eliminate pain—without the need for medicine, power, or external devices. The patch utilizes the 4th phase of water, a scientifically recognized state found in the human body that carries a negative electrical charge within the exclusionary zones of muscles. Featuring a specialized antenna array layout, the patch activates a positive charge state when placed on the skin, stimulating the negatively charged internal water to trigger rapid pain relief. Mike also underscores the critical role of water in overall health and explores how deeper insights into the body's internal water dynamics could unlock new advancements in human performance and well-being.

Podcast Recorded on March 13, 2025

Arizona State Senator Tim Dunn shares his journey from farming to politics and discusses the state’s pressing water challenges, including water quality, salinity in agriculture, and surface and groundwater management. He highlights the need for inland desalination facilities to support future farming and emphasizes the importance of balancing water pricing and allocation to ensure economic efficiency, social equity, and environmental sustainability.

Podcast Recorded on March 6, 2025

Jeff Mosher, general manager of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA), discusses the agency’s role in managing and protecting water resources in the Santa Ana River basin. Established in 1975 as a joint power authority, SAWPA is composed of five member agencies working together to address water supply reliability, water quality, recycled water, wastewater treatment, groundwater management, brine disposal, and regional planning. Jeff highlights SAWPA’s mission to develop and maintain collaborative programs and projects that ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of the watershed.

Podcast Recorded on February 27, 2025

In this episode of The Water Zone podcast, experts Pei Xu, PhD, from New Mexico State University, and Mike Hightower, PhD, director of the New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium, explore cutting-edge research in water treatment. They delve into their work on the desalination and treatment of brackish and saline waters, as well as high-salinity waste waters. The conversation highlights current advances in produced water treatment and reuse, presenting data that demonstrates how such water can be safely transformed for various applications, including agricultural use and drinking water. Additionally, the guests share insights into their ongoing projects, innovative technologies, and advanced testing methodologies, shedding light on modern challenges and solutions in water pollution management.

Podcast Recorded on February 20, 2025