The Water Zone

In this episode, Cat Shrier, Ph.D., Founder & CEO of WaterCitizen.org, shares how her nonprofit transforms water professionals and entrepreneurs into industry changemakers through virtual and high-engagement in-person events. She highlights the organization’s three core pillars—Water Innovation, Water Workforce, and Water Leadership—and discusses "Water Pitch," a high-energy startup matchmaking event connecting entrepreneurs, funders, and clients. Cat also introduces WaterCitizen’s virtual educational lab, which helps individuals launch water programs and events in just 10 weeks, fostering relationships, revenue, and long-term impact.

Podcast Recorded on February 13, 2025

Gregg Semler, founder & CEO of InPipe Energy, introduces HydroXS, an innovative energy recovery system that replaces traditional control valves by converting wasted water pressure into renewable energy. Instead of burning off excess pressure, HydroXS optimizes flow control, reduces operating costs, conserves water, lowers carbon emissions, and extends infrastructure lifespan. This smart control technology also provides real-time data for improved system verification. Gregg highlights how water districts across the U.S. are already using HydroXS to generate revenue, making water systems more reliable, efficient, and sustainable.

Podcast Recorded on February 6, 2025

Guests Clifford Chan (GM, East Bay Municipal Utility District), George Hawkins (CEO, Moonshot Missions), and Lou Bendon (CEO, Flycatcher Marketing) discuss key water industry challenges and innovations. The conversation examines how firefighters ran out of water during the Los Angeles wildfires, what went wrong, and how various utilities collaborated to support local agencies during the crisis. Lou also highlights proven methodologies for reducing energy costs and carbon footprints, enabling utilities to accelerate decarbonization efforts. Additionally, the group explored how artificial intelligence is transforming utility operations by optimizing data collection and analysis to reduce unnecessary expenditures.

Podcast Recorded on January 30, 2025

Troy Hayes, Water Services Director for the City of Phoenix, Arizona, shares insights into the city’s water treatment and distribution system. Phoenix operates five water treatment plants, with two in North Phoenix (Union Hills and Lake Pleasant) utilizing Colorado River water delivered by the Central Arizona Project (CAP), while three central plants treat Salt River Project (SRP) water. CAP water can also be redirected to any plant during maintenance or drought. Troy details the city’s treatment process, robust water quality monitoring, and its 6,000-mile interconnected pipe system, which delivers an average of 264 million gallons of water daily. Deliveries are adjusted monthly to meet customer demand, influenced by factors such as weather, tourism, and usage patterns.

Podcast Recorded on January 23, 2025

In this episode of The Water Zone, California Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot discusses the state’s water infrastructure, detailing its current status and future needs. He highlights key initiatives, including the Sites Reservoir project and Delta Conveyance expansion, emphasizing their critical role in meeting California’s long-term water demands. Crowfoot also explores the integration of advanced technologies for agricultural irrigation and groundwater monitoring, as well as partnerships with countries like Israel, the Netherlands, and Denmark to adopt cutting-edge water efficiency methods. Additionally, he provides insights into the diverse entities he oversees, such as the State Board of Water Resources, Cal-Fire, and Fish and Wildlife.

Podcast Recorded on January 16, 2025

Dr. Gerald Pollack, Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington, shares insights from his groundbreaking book, The Fourth Phase of Water. He introduced "EZ water" (Exclusion Zone water), a structured form of water (H3O2) that forms upon contact with most surfaces and differs fundamentally from conventional H2O. This unique phase generates an electric charge, offering energy with potential applications in medicine, agriculture, energy production, and health. Dr. Pollack discussed his experiments and how this discovery could revolutionize our understanding of water’s role in biology, chemistry, and beyond, paving the way for innovative uses in science and technology.

Episode Recorded on January 9, 2025

In this episode of The Water Zone, Brad Loiselle, President & CEO of Artic Freshwater, discusses his company’s mission to combat the global water crisis by unlocking the potential of trillions of liters of renewable freshwater. He emphasizes the severity of issues such as water scarcity, lack of access, the burden of water collection, and child mortality, highlighting Artic Freshwater’s innovative, collaborative, and socially responsible approach. Brad details their partnerships with local and governmental agencies, regional distribution networks, and their active involvement in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) program. He also shares how their awareness and education initiatives draw on Iceland’s water ecosystem to promote a culture of water responsibility while building a global coalition dedicated to making a difference.

Podcast Recorded on December 12, 2024

JP Robinette, Engineering & Construction Manager for the Sites Reservoir Project, discusses his role in overseeing the construction and management of this innovative 15-million-acre-foot off-stream reservoir. Designed to capture rainfall and runoff from extreme storms, the reservoir will provide a flexible water supply for California's communities, farms, and environment during times of scarcity. Once integrated with the California State Water Project and Central Valley Project, it will improve water management during floods and droughts while delivering key environmental benefits, such as 372,029 acre-feet of water for ecological use, increased Delta freshwater flows, and cold water for salmon in the Sacramento River.

Podcast Recorded on December 5, 2024

Clifford C. Chan, general manager of East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), discusses the utility's ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. He highlights the water industry's significant carbon footprint—4 gigatons annually, four times that of aviation—and the critical role of innovation in reducing it. Mr. Chan shares how EBMUD tackles the challenge of balancing decarbonization efforts between large utilities and underserved communities, emphasizing that while the industry may be perceived as slow to innovate, many water agencies are actively driving progress. 

Podcast Recorded on November 21, 2024

In this episode, Tom Ferguson, managing partner at Burnt Island Ventures, discusses his venture capital group’s role in driving innovation in water technology. Burnt Island Ventures invests in emerging solutions to address critical water challenges, emphasizing the importance of entrepreneurial creativity and engineering ingenuity. Joined by guest host Lou Bendon, Ferguson highlights the connection between water management and climate change, sharing insights on transforming environmental issues like brine from petroleum fracking and blue-green algae into valuable resources. He stresses the need to balance innovation with production success, offering a forward-thinking perspective on the future of water sustainability.

Podcast Recorded on November 14, 2024