On The Water Quality Association Podcast, we’re joined by Richard Mest, who has stepped into a newly created role as WQA’s Strategic Affairs Officer.

Richard is no stranger to the association or the industry. He’s served WQA as President, Board member, volunteer, and advocate, and his leadership spans decades of involvement at both the association and manufacturer levels, including his time with A. O. Smith. He’s also been deeply involved in government affairs, helping establish WQA’s presence in Washington, D.C., and has led nationally through roles like president of the Water Systems Council.

In this conversation, we’ll talk about why he wanted to step into this new strategic role, what members can expect, including mentorship, how the association is positioned in today’s regulatory environment, and what success looks like in this new role.

Welcome to the Water Quality Association podcast. Eric Yeggy, MWS, WQA’s Technical Affairs Director, joins the podcast for one of our most popular annual episodes: top contaminant concerns and technical priorities for the year ahead.

Eric begins with a recap of WQA technical affairs work in advocacy and education, standards engagement, and member-facing research tools. He explains why overlapping or poorly validated standards create confusion for regulators and inspectors, can drive duplicate testing, and may increase costs that ultimately reach end users.

He then reviews last year’s contaminant predictions—lead and PFAS remaining in the spotlight, ongoing arsenic concerns, and growing attention on disinfection byproducts, including new research into unregulated compounds. Looking ahead to 2026, Eric addresses the question many members are asking: whether EPA will drop proposed drinking water regulation for PFOA and PFOS, and why he believes that is unlikely. He also highlights key issues to watch in Lead and Copper Rule implementation (including how “disturbance” is interpreted) and flags lithium as an emerging topic worth monitoring.

The episode closes with actionable steps for members: education programs, technical support requests, webinars, and WQA Convention (April, Miami Beach -- https://wqa.org/convention).

Welcome to the Water Quality Association Podcast, the podcast from WQA, the leading voice of the water treatment industry. Find us at https://wqa.org. In this episode of the WQA Podcast, we rewind the tape and look back at some of the highlights from 2025. We’ll hear thoughts and reflections from the Mid-Year Leadership Conference, the Consumer Insights report, the Manufacturers Survey, WQA CEO Pauli Undesser’s TedX Folsom speech, we’ll hear about the science of salt and water treatment, innovation involving a high school student, and water treatment for agriculture.

Happy Holidays from WQA!

Interested in becoming a member? Learn more at https://wqa.org/membership.

Welcome to the Water Quality Association Podcast. Find us at https://wqa.org.

Education and professional certification take center stage in this episode, as host Wes Bleed welcomes Dr. Tanya Lubner, WQA’s Director of Professional Certification and Training, and Membership Director Danny Lysouvakon.

They discuss why education is one of the most valuable benefits of WQA membership, how instructor-led classes are giving even seasoned professionals new insights, and why certification is so closely tied to credibility and confidence in front of customers.

The conversation also previews a major new member benefit coming in Q1 of 2026: complimentary access for all WQA members to a menu of online courses, available on demand and eligible for CPD credit. You’ll hear examples of specific course topics, how they help both new and experienced professionals, and how education fits into WQA’s broader mission of connections, credibility, and continuous growth.

Learn more at wqa.org/education and wqa.org/membership.

Welcome to the Water Quality Association Podcast. https://wqa.org.

What did 2025 mean for water-quality policy, and what’s next in Washington during an election year? Our guest is Ted Mondloch, Vice President at Current Strategies, WQA’s lobbying and public-affairs partner in D.C. Ted recaps a year marked by shifting regulatory priorities, the bipartisan progress of the Healthy H2O Act, and renewed optimism for advancing water-infrastructure initiatives.

👉 Topics include:

PFAS and lead-service-line rules under the new EPA

Why the Healthy H2O Act is gaining traction in Congress

How election-year dynamics shape what still gets done

Practical ways WQA members can make their voices heard

🎧 Listen, subscribe, and learn how advocacy today shapes the future of quality water for all.

In this episode of the WQA Podcast, host Wes Bleed talks with Mike Heatwole, MWS, Regional Sales Manager for the Mid-Atlantic with Water-Right/A. O. Smith Corporation and a past recipient of WQA’s Regents Award. Mike shares how water treatment systems serve the agriculture industry and the unique challenges farmers face in maintaining water quality. Plus, don’t miss our WQA Tip of the Week.

Welcome to the Water Quality Association Podcast. Find us at https://wqa.org.

In this episode of the WQA Podcast, host Wes Bleed sits down with Greg Reyneke, Vice President of WQA and Managing Director at Red Fox Advisors, to discuss the newly released 2025 Consumer Insights Report.

Discover how consumer attitudes about tap water, contaminants, and water treatment systems are evolving — and what it means for the water treatment industry moving forward.

🔹 58% of households worry about tap water safety

🔹 91% of current users plan to keep using water treatment systems

🔹 Water treatment ownership up 35% since 2021

📊 Download the full report: https://insights.wqa.org

Become a member to get the member version of the report by going to https://wqa.org/membership.

Welcome to the Water Quality Association Podcast. https://wqa.org. In this episode of the WQA Podcast, we’ll hear from WQA and WQRF CEO Pauli Undesser as she describes her experience as a TEDx Folsom speaker. We'll dive into her topic of “smart water” vs. “dumb water,” and why she believes collaboration across the entire water industry is more important than ever.

We also talk about what’s next for WQA following the WQA Mid-Year Leadership Conference. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to get the world thinking differently about the water we drink, this episode is for you.

Pauli's full TedX Folsom presentation can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNNgP8pET0Q

Learn more about joining WQA at https://wqa.org/membership.

Welcome to the Water Quality Association Podcast. https://wqa.org.

In this episode, we’ll hear from WQA President Mike Mitchell at the recent WQA Mid-Year Leadership Conference. WQA’s Associate Director of Marketing & Communications handles the interview. Mike shares insights from the Mid-Year Leadership Conference and reflects on the first half of his presidency. A key theme of his term is influence—building trust, listening first, and creating meaningful connections to shape conversations across the water treatment industry. From connecting with regional associations like the Texas and Eastern WQAs, to meeting directly with lawmakers in Washington, Mike highlights the importance of grassroots engagement and national advocacy.

This episode is sponsored by Corro-Protec powered anode rods for water heaters. With a 20-year warranty, Corro-Protec eliminates sulfur smell in hot water within 24 hours and prevents tank corrosion without any maintenance. A must-have for homes with softened water. Enjoy hassle-free hot water with Corro-Protec! Visit https://corroprotec.com/wqa/ to learn more.

Learn more about becoming a WQA member at https://wqa.org/membership.

💡 Where does the water treatment industry stand today? In this episode, we break down the WQA Manufacturer Confidence Report — revealing key trends, surprising insights, and the biggest challenge every manufacturer must prepare for.

The latest survey reflects cautious optimism among water treatment manufacturers. We discuss what it really means, how capital expenditure trends reveal a strong push toward innovation and efficiency, and what may be the single greatest challenge facing manufacturers today.

👉 Be sure to follow along for more insights at the upcoming Mid-Year Leadership Conference, where fresh data and perspectives will be shared. Learn more at https://wqa.org/mylc.