The water challenges are serious for Navajo Nation, including one in three families lacking running water, impacts of climate change straining the land, and legacy pollution tainting some sources. But a spirit of resilience and leadership from within are steadily leading Navajo Nation toward a more sustainable water future.

A focus on solutions instead of obstacles is also key, as discussed in this Pass The Mic episode, which is guest hosted by Emma Robbins, Executive Director of the Navajo Water Project at DigDeep.

Emma speaks with Crystal Tulley-Cordova, Principal Hydrologist at the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, about her experience growing up in a home without running water, her journey as a woman in science and government, her belief in collaboration and partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to helping her community.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet, made possible in part by a grant from Spring Point Partners.

Listeners can support waterloop and get exclusive opportunities through Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thewaterloop

Five decades ago, Cleveland was infamous for major water problems, including the Cuyahoga River catching on fire and Lake Erie being proclaimed dead. But the challenges attracted attention, resources, businesses, and problem-solvers. 50 years later, the city is an epicenter for water innovation and technology, as discussed in this episode by Bryan Stubbs, President and Executive Director of the Cleveland Water Alliance. Bryan talks about the effort to make Erie a smart lake, solutions emerging from the Erie Hack, creation of a testbed for tech, and Cleveland’s thriving water community.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet, made possible in part by a grant from Spring Point Partners.

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at hydraloop.com

Listeners can support waterloop and get exclusive opportunities through Patreon at patreon.com/thewaterloop

In 2014, a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie forced the shutdown of Toledo’s drinking water system, cutting off the vital service for 400,000 people. In the years since, the City of Toledo responded by forging partnerships to monitor conditions in the lake, investing in upgrades to infrastructure and water treatment, and communicating in a transparent and comprehensive manner with the public. The lessons learned and level of preparedness is discussed in this episode with Patekka Bannister, Commissioner of Operations for the City of Toledo Department of Public Utilities. Patekka also explains how water managers from around the country and world often consult Toledo about how to deal with toxic algae blooms and how the experiences shaped her perspective as a water leader.

Find more content at waterloop.org

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet, made possible in part by a grant from Spring Point Partners.

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at hydraloop.com

Listeners can support waterloop and get exclusive opportunities through Patreon at patreon.com/thewaterloop

Illinois is the state with the most lead service lines for drinking water in the country, estimated to be between 700,000 and 1.4 million, with a large number of those found in Chicago. But in 2021, the efforts of a diverse coalition of stakeholders led to passage of landmark legislation that made Illinois one of only two states to require replacement of all lead service lines. An inside look at the Illinois legislation is provided in this Pass The Mic episode, which is guest hosted by Jeremy Orr, an environmental attorney specializing in Safe Drinking Water Act enforcement who previously worked at the Natural Resources Defense Council and now is at Earthjustice. Jeremy talks with Justin Williams of the Metropolitan Planning Council in Chicago about the problem of lead service lines, the disproportionate impact on communities of color, the extensive work it took to pass legislation, and expected benefits for people and the economy.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet, made possible in part by a grant from Spring Point Partners.

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at https://www.hydraloop.com

Listeners can support waterloop and get exclusive opportunities through Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thewaterloop

Wilmington, North Carolina is home to the USS North Carolina, a retired World War II battleship that is open as a museum that draws over a quarter of a million visitors each year and serves as a memorial to the North Carolinians who died in the war. But now this special piece of American history faces an unlikely challenge - water. That’s because blue sky flooding, made increasingly frequent by sea level rise, is impacting visitor access to the battleship. The path forward is a Living With Water approach that will convert flooded parking lots into wetland, capture stormwater from the remaining parking area, and restore a natural shoreline.

The Battleship North Carolina project is discussed by Captain Terry Bragg, Executive Director of the Battleship North Carolina; Dawn York, Senior Coastal Scientist at Moffatt and Nichol; Jenny Davis, Research Ecologist at NOAA National Ocean Service; and Rami Diaz, Senior Project Designer at Waggonner & Ball.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet, made possible in part by a grant from Spring Point Partners.

Listeners can support waterloop and get exclusive opportunities through Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thewaterloop

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at https://www.hydraloop.com

The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world, containing over 20 percent of Earth’s surface freshwater. This makes the Great Lakes an incredibly unique and critical place for water research, including in the areas of invasive species, microplastics, emerging contaminants, and climate change. The opportunities to learn and devise solutions for water challenges is discussed in this episode with Rebecca Klaper, the Vice Dean of the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Rebecca also talks about how the university attracts students from a wide range of backgrounds who then go into a diversity of fields after graduation, highlighting the cross-disciplinary nature of water.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet, made possible in part by a grant from Spring Point Partners.

Listeners can support waterloop and get exclusive access through Patreon at patreon.com/thewaterloop

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at hydraloop.com

Healthy and resilient coastlines depend on action by states to properly manage development and prepare for climate change. While the Surfrider Foundation’s 2021 State of the Beach report found only two-thirds of states performing at poor to adequate levels, nine states did improve their scores from last year. The highest scoring states had strong policies for coastal building setbacks, restrictions on coastal armoring, limits on development in harm’s way, and progressive sea level rise policies, as discussed in this episode with Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, Coastal Preservation Manager at the Surfrider Foundation. Stefanie also explains why Gulf Coast and Great Lakes states have low grades, the role of the federal government in state actions, and how advocates can use the report to drive change.

Support waterloop on Patreon at patreon.com/thewaterloop

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet made possible in part by grants from the Walton Family Foundation and Spring Point Partners.

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at hydraloop.com

waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at highsierrashowerheads.com

Local government officials and staff responsible for water management often have limited resources and must avoid risk, putting them on the constant search for proven solutions that work for their peers. Enter The Atlas, an online community where they can browse case studies, follow topics, and crowdsource ideas and advice, as discussed in this episode with Ellory Monks, Co-Founder of The Atlas. Ellory explains that water content has always been extremely popular on the platform and that lead, green infrastructure, data and technology, and sea level rise are leading categories of case studies.

Find more content at waterloop.org

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet made possible in part by grants from the Walton Family Foundation and Spring Point Partners.

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at hydraloop.com

waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at highsierrashowerheads.com

Over time many property owners in New Orleans have replaced green spaces in favor of concrete and other impervious surfaces in order to gain more parking and reduce yard maintenance. The amount of hard surfaces contributed to serious flooding problems across the city. Now a program incentivizes homeowners to replace the pavement with grass and other permeable materials to allow rain to soak into the ground and reduce stormwater runoff.

The Front Yard Initiative is explained in this episode with Dana Eness, Executive Director of The Urban Conservancy. Dana discusses how the process empowers property owners to design their front yard, the growing understanding of green solutions among New Orleans residents, and the success of the program, which captures 2 million gallons of water per year.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet made possible in part by grants from the Walton Family Foundation and Spring Point Partners.

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at hydraloop.com

waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at highsierrashowerheads.com​​​

Managing water in New Orleans is a challenge because of the city’s unique hydrology, system of pipes and pumps, and intense rainfall events. Instead of relying only on traditional gray infrastructure, the city is embracing the use of green infrastructure to contain water, reduce flooding, transform public spaces, and beautify neighborhoods. The approach is discussed in this episode with Meagan Williams, Stormwater Program Manager for the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works.

Meagan also shares her own journey, from being motivated to help find solutions after Hurricane Katrina devastated her city as a teenager to becoming an engineer in college and now an advocate for green approaches. She talks about the Pontilly Neighborhood Stormwater Network project that reduces flood risk and beautifies green spaces in the Pontchartrain Park and Gentilly Woods neighborhoods.

waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. Learn more at waterloop.org

waterloop is made possible in part by grants from the Walton Family Foundation and Spring Point Partners.

waterloop is sponsored by Hydraloop, the innovative water recycling system for homes and businesses. Use water twice with Hydraloop. Learn more at hydraloop.com

waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at highsierrashowerheads.com​​​