Water Leaders Pod

When it comes to future-proofing water systems in the face of climate extremes, few countries have had to contend with that reality more than Australia. So it’s only fitting that the final stop on the Future Water Leaders Tour brings us here - a land where drought, innovation, and resilience go hand in hand.From industrial collaboration on reuse to bringing wetlands back to life, Australia was full of surprises.

Tallulah speaks to Jayne, Gerrit and Gabbie as they reflect on the final leg of the tour. Expect talk of water in the community, drawing on the knowledge of Traditional Owners and platypi/platypuses.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

When you work in the water sector, one country comes up more than any other when it comes to delivering a successful vision for water, so an infrastructure tour of Asia could not fail to include a visit to Singapore.

Pioneers in everything from reuse to international cooperation, the city-state's utility, PUB Singapore, are well versed in hosting curious visitors like our group of young leaders.

In this episode, Tallulah gets Sasha and Margarida’s thoughts on this much anticipated one-day stop of the tour. Find out about a world-famous reuse scheme, dual-function desalination plants and excellence in everything Singapore does.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

Pioneers in everything from reuse to international cooperation, the city-state's utility, PUB Singapore, are well versed in hosting groups of curious delegates and were more than happy to do the same for our group of young leaders.

In this episode Tallulah talks to Sasha and Margarida about their thoughts on this one-day stop on the tour. Expect talk of a world-famous reuse scheme, dual-function desal plants and excellency in everything Singapore does.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

Our next stop on the Future Water Leaders Tour was a visit to Shenzhen Water and Environment Group, just across the border from Hong Kong.

Tallulah speaks to two other rising stars - Divya from Anglian Water in the UK and Carlos from Canal de Isabel II in Spain - about what they learned from arguably the world's most technologically advanced water utility. Hint - it's a lot!

Expect robo dogs, sewage that doesn't smell, a rowing race and next level hospitality. This really was a day to remember!

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

We're back! And with something extra special. In February of this year we took 11 rising stars from water utilities in the Global Water Leaders Group to visit colleagues in East Asia and Australia and discover what they were doing to address the challenges of today and tomorrow.

In this miniseries, recorded at the Global Water Summit 2025, Tallulah interviews those rising stars about their experiences and the innovations that excited them the most.

We kick off in Hong Kong, where Water Supplies Department and Drainage Services Department showed us some of the innovations they're most proud of. Expect discussion of how innovative doesn't have to mean complicated, how to employ fish and why Hong Kong's toilet water is salty.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

BONUS EPISODE

Just in time for Christmas, we're bringing you a special episode on GWI's 2024 Global Water Tariff Survey, a comprehensive look at how much utilities charge their customers around the world.

Tallulah starts by talking to Carlos Cosín⁠, CEO of Almar Water Solutions (this year's Tariff Survey partners), about why the survey suggests that water is still critically undervalued around the world.

Next, Tallulah goes to Las Vegas and Ottawa to speak to utilities about the tariff tools they use to address critical water challenges in their areas.

If you thought this might be a bit dry, think again! Expect astonishing numbers, drones and trying to get a member of the Sultan of Brunei's family to turn off his sprinklers.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

It's no secret that the global water sector faces huge challenges. Some of those are legacy challenges, such as ageing infrastructure, whilst climate change has created a new set of fresh challenges. All of them require investment.

In this episode Great Lakes Water Authority CEO discusses what she and her company are doing to both bring water further up the policymakers' agenda and bring greater awareness of water to her customers.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

Water reuse may well be the future of water. Certainly that's the way John Kennedy, General Manager of Orange County Water District sees it.

Since 2008, Orange County has been at the forefront of water reuse in the US with its Groundwater Replenishment System, the larges of its kind in the world.

In this episode, John tells Tallulah how the system works, what its limitations are and why Orange County is the perfect location for testing this technology of the future.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

The second episode of this series which was recorded at Singapore International Water Week is another with a leading woman in Australian water - Maree Lang, Managing Director of Greater Western Water.

As Australia continues to rethink its relationship with its First Nation people, one area that naturally lends itself to deeper understanding is water. First Nation peoples were, afterall, the original stewards of water in Australia.

Maree tells Tallulah about her utility is helping to forge stronger bonds with the community, as well as the areas in which there is still progress to be made. They then dive into workforce diversity and bushfires.

If you like the pod, please give us a rating!

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered accesss to water's leading voices.

Rohit "Rit" Aggarwala kicks off this episode with some bad news for New Yorkers but if there's anyone out there who can deliver it to them, it's him. Because although technically a utility leader as the man responsible for delivering water to 9 million of them, he is also so much more besides.

As Commissioner to New York City's Department of Environmental Protection, his role extends to being responsible for the whole city's climate plan. Listen now to find out what it's like to be responsible for the whole water cycle in the world's most iconic city.

Plus there's discussion of how New York is now technically a sub-tropical city, the role that plumbers can play and the ways in which satellite imagery could help with fairer bills.

The water leaders pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.

Where does our body heat go? Well at least some of it ends up down the drains that connect our homes to sewage networks, along with the heat from showers, washing machines and other household items. And that makes wastewater a potential resource.

This week on the pod we’re getting technical with Christoph Donner, CEO of Berliner Wasserbetriebe, as we delve into the science and regulations behind Berlin’s push to use wastewater to heat homes and businesses, including Ikea.

We also discuss the other good stuff that can be extracted from your sewage and the challenges that come with supplying water to a thriving metropolis.

The Water Leaders Pod with Tallulah Lutkin.

Unfiltered access to water's leading voices.