The Water Zone

Doug Bennett, conservation manager for the Washington County Water Conservancy District in St. George, Utah, discusses the region’s most pressing conservation and sustainability challenges. He explains how the district is implementing buy‑back programming to improve drought resilience and stretch limited water supplies amid severe future availability forecasts. Doug highlights projections showing water demand may increase by up to 200% by 2060. To address these long‑term needs, the district is investing in a billion‑dollar water reuse system that will treat and reuse wastewater while adding new supporting infrastructure.

Podcast Recorded on January 26, 2026

Shilpa Alva, CEO of Surge for Water, shares how her organization invests in underserved global communities by delivering safe water, hygiene, and menstrual health solutions to help break cycles of poverty. She highlights that Surge for Water is a women‑led movement rooted in equity, respect, and stewardship ensuring historically excluded groups are prioritized and that local wisdom guides every project. Alva explains how the organization partners with community‑based teams in Haiti and Uganda to ensure all solutions are locally owned and sustainable. She also describes a range of educational water projects, from solar‑powered wells to spring harvesting, well drilling, repair, and filtration. Ultimately, she emphasizes that safe water is foundational for thriving schools, health centers, and entire communities.

Podcast Recorded on January 15, 2026

Peter Fiske, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Water Innovation at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, explores the future of water production and reuse. He highlights major advancements in desalination, filtration, and resource recovery technologies that are reshaping how industries treat and repurpose water. Fiske also discusses emerging methods for extracting magnesium and rare earth elements from fracking brine, along with innovations like reactive plasma processing for high‑tech sectors. He explains how water movement directly impacts energy use and how new local regulations aim to increase the safe reuse of produced water.

Podcast Recorded on January 8, 2026

The Water Zone host Rob Starr provides and in depth discussion about the impactful work of Orange County Coast Keepers, a non-profit dedicated to protecting fresh and saltwater ecosystems. Rob shares the organization’s history and its connection to over 300 “Keeper” programs worldwide, each operating independently. He highlights Coast Keepers’ hands-on efforts in public outreach, education, marine restoration (including oyster regeneration), research, and water quality enforcement. Current projects include trash cleanups, corporate engagement, internships, and eco-friendly gardening. Rob also addresses their advocacy against offshore drilling and challenges to federal water protections in Southern California.

Podcast Recorded on December 18, 2025

Arizona homeowner John Bartlett, shares his concerns about pressing water issues impacting communities nationwide. The discussion covers the legal definition of water rights as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court and explores whether the government can alter senior water rights, including current litigation trends. Bartlett and the hosts also examined the global PFAS crisis—known as “forever chemicals”—and debated the necessity and environmental impact of fracking, along with mining brine for rare earth minerals. The episode concluded with practical ideas on how individuals can contribute to long-term water sustainability.

Podcast Recorded on December 11, 2025

Moses West, President of AWG Contracting and the Moses West Foundation, shares his journey into Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG). Drawing on his military experience and engineering background, Moses developed a groundbreaking water harvesting system to provide clean, abundant water for troops in the field—a prototype that earned military approval and orders. Today, his company delivers scalable solutions from small units to large systems producing up to 1.5 million gallons per day, supporting disaster relief, community resilience, and sustainable infrastructure. Moses highlights installations like the one in Jackson, Mississippi, and explains how his solar-powered technology can even generate water in desert conditions.

Podcast Recorded on December 4, 2025

Scott Revell, manager of Roza Irrigation District, and Larry Mattson, director of the Office of Columbia River, discuss the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan. They highlight historically low reservoir storage and streamflows after three consecutive drought years, prompting strict water diversion restrictions to protect fish and senior water rights. They explain key drought factors, current supply levels, and projected water availability, along with voluntary and mandatory conservation measures for domestic users. They also outline resources and emergency drought grants available to farmers to help mitigate crop and livestock losses.

Podcast Recorded on November 20, 2025

Donna DiFrancesco, conservation coordinator for the City of Mesa, AZ, who shares how Mesa won the Wyland’s National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. Donna highlights the city’s innovative programs—like water management for commercial customers and HOAs, residential grass-to-landscape drip conversions, tree bonus incentives, and water education for schools—that empower residents and businesses to use water more efficiently. She also introduces helpful tools such as Mesa’s Water Calendar for personal water budgeting and a library of videos on demand covering landscaping, irrigation troubleshooting, and DIY water-saving tips. Donna explains how these efforts help Mesa reduce water use while sustaining the environment.

Podcast Recorded on November 13, 2025

In this episode, Tia Fleming, executive director of the California Water Efficiency Partnership, explains California Bill 1572 and its impact on water conservation. The bill restricts the use of potable water for irrigating non-functional turf, but exempts residential yards, parks, cemeteries, golf courses, and sports fields. Tia defines non-functional turf, outlines compliance deadlines, and discusses enforcement. She also introduces a new online toolkit to help commercial users and water agencies understand the law, and encourages listeners to check with local water providers for rebates and turf removal programs.

Podcast Recorded on November 6, 2025

Ryan Meres, Paulette McGhie, and Michael Matthews from RESNET explore the significance of the HERS H2O rating system, which evaluates a home's water efficiency alongside its energy performance. They explain the types of homes eligible for certification and share statistics on adoption in California and other states. The discussion highlights how the HERS H2O rating aligns with the EPA’s WaterSense label, offering builders and homeowners a pathway to formal recognition and incentives. The guests also detail the inspection criteria used in certification and emphasize the value of water-efficient homes—even in regions not currently facing water scarcity. This episode underscores the growing importance of integrating water conservation into residential construction standards.

Podcast Recorded on October 30, 2025

In this episode, we speak with Mauricio Guardado, general manager of United Water Conservation District, about their fight for fairness in water policy. A recent federal court ruling allows the government to take most of a community’s water without compensation, citing species protection—even when the science doesn’t support it. United Water is pushing back, demanding that environmental decisions be based on credible science and the rule of law. Listen to learn how this landmark case could reshape regulatory accountability and the future of water management across the country.

Podcast Recorded on October 23, 2025

Homeowner and new listener Alan Lee, from Ohio joins he show seeking advice for his new home's irrigation system after years of apartment living. Hosts Rob and Chris guide him through landscape basics like design costs, DIY installation, and irrigation controller options. They also cover turf selection, watering schedules, winterization techniques, and troubleshooting common system issues like zone failures and drainage. This episode offers practical insights for homeowners navigating irrigation for the first time.

Podcast Recorded on October 16, 2025

Dr. Kyle Murray of principal scientist at Murray GeoConsulting, discusses how brine—an oil and gas byproduct—contains nearly every element in the periodic table, including critical minerals like lithium, rubidium, and platinum. These elements are vital for industries such as energy, computing, and transportation. He explained that recovering and selling these minerals could help oil and gas companies offset drilling costs. Additionally, brine holds large quantities of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which can be reused in manufacturing and fertilizer production. Dr. Murray also outlined methods for extracting these minerals from brine waste.

Podcast Recorded on October 9, 2025

Anthony Giudice introduces AquaFlow’s innovative valve technology designed to optimize water flow and reduce costs across residential, commercial, and industrial applications. The product uses a 3-in-1 system that compresses trapped air and gas in water lines before it reaches the meter—preventing users from being charged for air volume. He explains that air enters water systems through municipal pumps, repairs, temperature shifts, and micro-leaks, and since most meters read total volume, this leads to inflated bills. The valve also regulates flow and pressure, reducing water consumption by up to 35%, minimizing water hammering, and extending plumbing lifespan. In simple terms, Anthony says, “the AquaFlow valve fixes water turbulence and air bubbles & gases so you stop paying for the measured air in the water lines.”

Podcast Recorded on October 2, 2025

Kendall DeJonge, a USDA Research Agricultural Engineer, discusses his team's award-winning work on standardizing evapotranspiration (ET) software for water resource management. While ET methods have long been documented, Kendall highlights the lack of unified, publicly available code—until now. His team overcame major challenges to create collaborative tools using Python, chosen for its readability, extensive libraries, and broad applicability.

Podcast Recorded September 25. 2025

Derek Heeren, PhD, Professor and Irrigation Engineer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, shares insights into his award-winning work in irrigation education. Honored with the 2025 Irrigation Association’s Excellence in Education Award, Heeren discusses his leadership in developing coursework, certificate programs, and a graduate specialization in agricultural water management. He also highlights his role as general editor for Irrigation Systems Management procedures published with ASABE in 2021. Beyond teaching and research, Heeren drives curricular reform, builds faculty teams, and fosters partnerships with community colleges. He further supports global and domestic irrigation efforts as the IWMI Education Coordinator for the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.

Podcast Recorded on September 18, 2025

Scott Bowmen, president of Precision-Rain Irrigation, shares his company’s unique business model focused on filling gaps in the landscape and irrigation industry. He emphasized the importance of selecting the right contractor and helping clients organize their project goals into actionable categories. His firm offers full project management or specialized services like irrigation system selection, water management, and arborist support. A key part of their approach is educating clients to understand the technical and operational aspects of their projects.

Podcast Recorded on September 11, 2025

Guest Mark Freeman, Mayor of Mesa, Arizona highlights the city's leadership in water conservation, including winning the 2025 Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge, with residents pledging to save over 22 million gallons of water. He discusses educational and rebate programs that support conservation and sustainability. Additional efforts—like reducing electronics use and switching to refillable bottles—are projected to cut 6.2 million kWh of electricity and eliminate 14,000 plastic bottles. He also addresses Arizona’s climate challenges, emphasizing the urgency of water stewardship.

Podcast Recorded on September 4, 2025