waterloop

Science has always been foundational to water management. That tradition continues in 2023, with a staggering breadth and depth of research underway.

It’s particularly important to gain knowledge about emerging contaminants, impacts of climate change, and water reuse, as discussed in this podcast with Peter Grevatt, CEO of The Water Research Foundation.

Peter explains how research can be applied to improve water management, the opportunity for regulators to use research to accelerate solutions, and the science of PFAS.

This episode is from a conversation at the Reservoir Center in Washington, D.C. where waterloop is a media partner. Learn more at reservoircenter.org

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. Visit waterloop.org

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed drinking water regulations for several types of PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals that are pervasive in society and the environment and pose a risk to human health.

The announcement was made at an event in Wilmington, North Carolina and this episode features the remarks by EPA Administrator Michael Regan and commentary by waterloop host Travis Loop.

The episode also includes reactions from Secretary Elizabeth Biser of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, La’Meshia Whittington of The Green Majority, and Emily Donovan of Clean Cape Fear.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. Visit waterloop.org

This episode is part of a series, Funding To Fight Lead. There are perhaps 10 million lead service lines in the ground in the U.S. and it may cost $50 billion to remove them. The series explores financing lead service line replacement, technical assistance for under-resourced communities, and examples of successful approaches.

This episode is about the role of state and local policy.

State and local policies play a central role in financing of lead service line replacement. The ability of utilities to use public funds for work on private property is often the key challenge, as discussed in this episode with Tom Neltner of the Environmental Defense Fund. He cites Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania as examples of states that have adopted policies to facilitate financing of the work.

Successful funding approaches at the local level are also highlighted in this episode by Kareem Adeem of Newark Water and Sewer and Nancy Quirk of Green Bay Water.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. This episode is made possible by support from the WaterNow Alliance and Environmental Policy Innovation Center and is sponsored by:

LeadCopperRule.com helps utilities proactively manage lead communications and public information emergencies. Visit leadcopperrule.com

120Water offers cloud-based software and digital sampling kits to help water systems and states to execute lead programs. Visit 120water.com

BlueConduit has developed cutting-edge, predictive machine learning software to effectively locate lead service lines. Visit blueconduit.com

Analysis has shown a significant lack of diversity in the sources cited in media coverage. This means failing to include Black, Latino, and Indigenous water experts and to present the stories of people within impacted communities. 

The Color of Water platform was created to counter this trend. It’s an online directory that journalists can use to connect with a diverse set of experts, as discussed in this episode with Jose Aranda, Relationships Manager for the Water Hub. 

Jose explains how the Color of Water is training these experts to bolster their skills, sharing where they appear in media coverage, and aiming to add their voices to policy discussions and professional gatherings.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. Visit waterloop.org

Nearly two decades after Hurricane Katrina, there are continued efforts to make New Orleans more resilient to storms and climate change.

A recent innovation is the green mortgage, a program that helps lower-income people buy a home and provides a budget for retrofits for water, wind, and energy projects. The green mortgage concept is discussed in this episode with Damon Burns, President and CEO of Finance New Orleans.

He explains how green mortgages can also be used to bolster resilience of multi-family affordable housing developments and surrounding water infrastructure. Damon talks about creating an environmental impact bond to finance the program.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. This episode was made possible by support from Spring Point Partners.

Visit waterloop.org

This episode is part of a series The PFAS Puzzle: Lessons From A Contaminated Cape Fear. The forever chemicals were dumped in the North Carolina river for nearly 40 years before being discovered. The series explores how a community responds when it is the epicenter of PFAS pollution.

This episode is about the drinking water.

The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority in Wilmington, N.C. found itself in a difficult situation when high levels of PFAS were discovered in its water. How should the utility manage the forever chemicals, particularly in the absence of drinking water standards, information about health impacts, and a method of removal?

In this episode, Ken Waldroup, executive director of CFPUA, discusses the lessons learned by the utility. He talks about building a $43 million treatment system for PFAS, pursuing the company responsible for the pollution, and rebuilding public trust in the water coming from the tap.

This series is sponsored by:

Black & Veatch, providing end-to-end consulting, engineering, and construction services to address each community's unique PFAS needs. Learn more at bv.com/pfas

PFASComms.com, who makes utilities the trusted, go-to-source for PFAS information in the community. Visit pfascomms.com

ALTRA, a company with the most robust PFAS treatment solution. Visit logistec.com/pfas-solutions/

Black people in environmental conservation have not historically received the same visibility in the media. This not only fails to acknowledge their contributions, but also leaves young people without role models in fields such as water.

That’s why a conservationist is profiled each day during Black History Month by Sierra Taliaferro, founder of the Green Obsidian. In this episode, she talks about five years of writing the profiles and shares examples of people she is highlighting this year.



waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. Visit waterloop.org

This episode is part of a series, Funding To Fight Lead. There are perhaps 10 million lead service lines in the ground in the U.S. and it may cost $50 billion to remove them. The series explores financing lead service line replacement, technical assistance for under-resourced communities, and examples of successful approaches.

This episode is about the menu of options.

The ways to fund lead service line replacement and some of the key financial aspects are discussed in this episode with Cynthia Koehler of the WaterNow Alliance and Tim Male of the Environmental Policy Innovation Center. Cynthia and Tim talk about the $15 billion for lead pipe removal from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the use of municipal bonds to fund work on private property, the role of state and local policies, and help for communities in need.

This episode is made possibly by support from the WaterNow Alliance and Environmental Policy Innovation Center. The episode is sponsored by:

BlueConduit has developed cutting-edge, predictive machine learning software to effectively locate lead service lines. Visit BlueConduit.com

120Water offers cloud-based software and digital sampling kits to help water systems and states to execute lead programs. Visit 120Water.com

LeadCopperRule.com helps utilities proactively manage lead communications and public information emergencies. Visit LeadCopperRule.com

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. Visit waterloop.org

This episode is part of a series The PFAS Puzzle: Lessons From A Contaminated Cape Fear. The forever chemicals were dumped in the North Carolina river for nearly 40 years before being discovered. The series explores how a community responds when it is the epicenter of PFAS pollution. This episode is about the science.

Dr. Detlef Knappe of North Carolina State University is one of the leading scientists who found PFAS in the river and has conducted continued research on its presence. In this episode, Detlef discusses discovering the chemicals, identifying sources of the pollution, and sharing information with government regulators and utilities. He explains how PFAS levels have been lowered, shares the lessons he learned about research, and offers advice for communities with concerns about the chemicals.

This series is sponsored by:

ALTRA, a company with the most robust PFAS treatment solution. Visit logistec.com/pfas-solutions/

Black & Veatch, providing end-to-end consulting, engineering, and construction services to meet each community's unique PFAS needs. Visit bv.com/pfas

PFASComms.com, who makes utilities the trusted, go-to-source for PFAS information in the community. Visit pfascomms.com

How can the affordability of water bills be properly addressed without consistent and comprehensive data?

New Jersey decided to get a clearer look at the situation. A state law now requires all water utilities to report on a monthly and zip-code basis affordability metrics including rates, customer bills, water usage, arrears, shutoffs, and tax liens sold on homes for non-payment.

The law is discussed in this episode with Larry Levine, Director of Urban Water Infrastructure and a Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Larry also talks about the coalition that developed and lobbied for the legislation, how the law will be implemented, and NRDC’s affordability toolkit.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet helping water leaders to discover solutions and drive change. Visit waterloop.org