Water Values Podcast

Denise Nelson, Vice President of Public Education for the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, discusses the EnvisionTM Ratings System. Denise describes the origins of the system through a collaboration of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Council of Engineering Companies, and the American Public Works Association. Denise also explains why it was needed and how the ratings system works, giving plenty of examples.

Meghna Tare, the Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact at the University of Texas at Arlington joins The Water Values Podcast to discuss how the Institute approaches water sustainability and to describe some of the projects and research undertaken by the Institute. Meghna emigrated from India approximately 15 years ago, so she has experienced water shortages firsthand and understands the need to practice sustainability when it comes to our water resources.

Tom Gwynn, President of Krausz USA, joins us on this week’s episode of The Water Values Podcast to discuss the current state of water infrastructure in the United States, collection and distribution system pipe repairs, and how Krausz USA is working to safely and quickly repair those pipes. Tom tells us in detail about the various products Krausz USA has to offer and informs us on their uses to help with efficiencies and fast repairs.

James Eklund, the Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, discusses Colorado’s Water Plan. James looks at why Colorado needed a water plan, how the State went about developing the water plan, and where the State is in the process of finalizing the water plan. James also engages in a discussion of how water and funding water projects fit in with the rest of the State’s fiscal requirements. Finally, he touches on the notion of integrating Colorado’s water plan with other state water plans.

Terrence McDonough, an economics professor at the National University of Ireland in Galway, discusses one of the most controversial issues surrounding water in the current world: the implementation of water charges in Ireland. Terry fills us in on how water historically has been paid for by the Irish people, why the model has changed, and what is behind all of the unrest over these charges in Ireland. As Terry explains, it’s a very complicated issue. One far more complex than it appears at first blush.

Incredible efficiencies have been gained in the municipal water use sector over the last 30 years. As part of its Drought Forum webinar series, the Western Governors’ Association put together an expert panel that digs into the issues surrounding municipal outreach and consumer technology in the municipal water sector. Tune in for a fascinating discussion with Robb Barnitt of Dropcountr, Nicole Seltzer of the Colorado Foundation for Water Education, and Jeff Tejral, the Conservation Manager for Denver Wate

Susan Latvala discusses the discord in the Tampa Bay area amongst the various counties and municipal governments over water supply. After legislative intervention, the affected governments negotiated an intergovernmental agreement that formed Tampa Bay Water. Susan describes how the board of Tampa Bay Water worked through their differences and gradually calmed the turbulent Tampa Bay water scene. Susan stresses the importance of relationship-building between the utility board and the utility staff.

Sharlene Leurig, Water Program Director at Ceres, discusses the impact of climate change on water. Sharlene takes us on economy-wide tour of water’s impact on climate. Sharlene addresses how cities are using innovative green infrastructure programs & provides examples from San Francisco and Philadelphia. She also identifies some of the challenges of funding the investments needed to cope with our infrastructure needs, from rating agencies issues to government-imposed limits in debt instruments, like bonds

Mark Peterman, CEO of OndaVia, discusses water testing and technological advancements occurring in the water industry. Mark shares how OndaVia technology provides rapid testing results, which provides a better alternative to off-site laboratory testing that can take weeks. Mark cites examples such as perchlorate in groundwater and water at oil refineries and how on-site testing at the micro level can better optimize industrial processes, along with a host of other technological advancements.

Phil Rolchigo, Vice President of Technology at Pentair, joins The Water Values Podcast this week to discuss new products and technologies his company is developing to feed the world through innovations in sustainable aquaponics systems and the recovering of resources from water. He also talks about some of the challenges and processes that Pentair is using to drive productivity and growth in the marketplace with new business models, and how these applications create value for the customer.