The Water Zone

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

In the latest episode of The Water Zone podcast, Quinten Dreesmann, principal & partner at Sciens Capital Management, discusses the firm’s investment focus on the water industry through its Sciens Water Opportunities Fund, launched in 2018 to acquire and grow private companies addressing U.S. water infrastructure challenges—particularly in utilities, transmission, distribution, and wastewater treatment—while delivering both income and long-term value for investors.

Podcast Recorded on August 21, 2025

Eric Santos, president of Epic Landscape and Water Management Services, shares how his grandfather sparked his interest in landscaping. He discusses key qualifications for success in the industry, what HOAs look for in service providers, and the top challenges they face. Eric also advocates for more rebate funding for water-efficient products and supports state licensing for irrigators to ensure better water management.

Podcast Recorded on August 7, 2025.

Tom Lyons, Founder of Viridis Advisors, explores how resilient freshwater systems are central to global investment themes like energy, health, and technology. He highlights gaps in current water demand solutions and outlines opportunities across the water cycle—from supply and consumption to collection and treatment. Tom also shares how emerging water tech firms can build strong business strategies and secure long-term funding in this evolving landscape.

Podcast Recorded July 31, 2025

This episode of The Water Zone features activist and endurance athlete Leo Gripari (filmmaker, co-founder of That Gorilla Brand),  David Finn (CEO of Globe House Streaming) and Nubia DuVall Wilson (President of Starfury Productions) who joined forces to distribute the award-winning documentary MAJI. The film follows Leo as he takes on five extreme physical challenges across four continents to raise 150,000 Euros for clean water projects in Uganda, while spotlighting the global water crisis, political tensions in regions like Nepal and Jordan, and efforts to preserve sacred springs in Arizona’s Grand Canyon. That Gorilla Brand has raised over half a million Euros for all their conservation projects. The guests share powerful insights on the making of the film, its global impact and the urgency of protecting our most precious resource.

Podcast Recorded on May 22, 2025

This special episode marks The Water Zone’s 10-year anniversary and 500th broadcast, featuring current and former co-hosts Rob Starr, Mike Baron, Chris Davey, Inge Bisconer, Paul McFadden, and Chris Austin. Surprise guest Rick Olson, Chairman and CEO of The Toro Company, joins to share his thoughts on the show’s impact.

The team reflects on favorite guests, key topics like water efficiency, drought, and irrigation tech, and expresses gratitude for the award winning show's outstanding public outreach.

Podcast Recorded on July 17, 2025

Sandra Giarde, executive director of the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA), shares the organization’s origins dating back to 1952 and its mission to support members in creating lasting, high-quality landscapes. She highlights CLCA’s code of ethics focused on professionalism and customer satisfaction, and details their advocacy work on water regulations, legislative issues, and equipment use such as lawn mowers and leaf blowers. Sandra also discusses CLCA’s specialized workshops, dual water certification program, and events that inform members and educators about proposed legislation and its potential impact on the industry.

Podcast Recorded on July 10, 2025

In the latest episode of The Water Zone, Mary Conley-Eggert and Frank Slovenec, co-directors of Global Water Works (GWW), discuss how their nonprofit platform connects technology, case studies, and community expertise to accelerate smart water solutions worldwide. They highlight rainwater harvesting as an overlooked but powerful approach and share how GWW has helped implement major collection and purification systems across Africa. The conversation also explores “orphan lakes,” with GWW estimating that 40% of U.S. lakes are impaired or neglected. To address this, they’re leading a pilot program in Illinois that uses real-time data to track the status of 12 lakes.

Podcast recorded on June 26, 2025

In this episode, we welcome Tim Quinn, water policy strategist for Ocean Well, to discuss a revolutionary new approach to ocean desalination.  Tim explains how Ocean Well’s innovative underwater “pod” system harnesses natural hydrostatic pressure at depths of 400 meters to power reverse osmosis—cutting energy use by up to 40% compared to traditional land-based systems. The process is entirely chemical-free and avoids harmful brine outfalls, using a specially designed circulation system to protect marine ecosystems. With the ability to scale to millions of gallons per day, Ocean Well’s technology offers an environmentally responsible solution for delivering high-quality freshwater directly from the deep ocean. Don’t miss this fascinating look at the future of sustainable water sourcing.

Podcast Recorded on June 12, 2025

Guests Mike Hightower, director of the New Mexico Produced Water Consortium, and Jonas Armstrong, director of New Mexico’s Environmental Water Protection Division, discuss the state’s innovative produced water project, which treats contaminated groundwater from oil fracking and converts it into clean, usable water. Jonas explains his team’s role in sampling, analysis, and updating Source Water Assessments to identify and mitigate contamination risks, while Mike outlines the fracking process and highlights partnerships working to turn produced water into a community resource. They also explore current treatment technologies—such as carbon filtration—and the challenges of filter disposal, emphasizing the need for continued innovation in sustainable water management.

Podcast Recorded on June 5, 2025

Gisele Schoniger, organic gardening educator for Kellogg Garden Products shares fascinating insights into how organic soils and plant foods are manufactured, highlighting Kellogg’s commitment to sustainable and environmentally responsible practices. She discusses the company’s OMRI Listed products and explains how to select the right soil and amendments for various garden types—including small spaces, edibles, raised beds, and landscape gardens. Gisele emphasizes the importance of keeping soil alive with nutrients and beneficial organisms, as well as applying and distributing water correctly to maximize garden health.

Podcast Recorded on May 29, 2025

Dr. Melissa Matlock, Director of Programs at the California Water Efficiency Partnership (CalWEP), shares insights into her leadership initiatives including the creation of CalWEP’s flagship Peer to Peer Program, which brings water professionals together to exchange real-world strategies and innovations. She introduces the Implementation Hub & Resources, a centralized platform offering tools and templates to help agencies implement the California Conservation Framework. Melissa also highlights her new Charting the Course for Compliance Series, designed to simplify complex regulatory requirements, and discusses CalWEP’s Data Streaming Efforts, which aim to reduce reporting burdens and improve data system coordination for water purveyors across the state.

Podcast Recorded on May 8, 2025

Guest Steve Creech, President of the Wyland Foundation, shares how the organization—founded by famed marine artist Wyland—has grown its impact through education, community outreach, and partnerships promoting environmental sustainability. Steve highlights key programs like the Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, which engages thousands of water agencies and their customers in pledging to save water, with prizes ranging from smart irrigation controllers to a $50,000 electric vehicle. He also discusses the Wyland Art Challenge for K-12 students, a new watershed study curriculum supporting STEM learning, and the foundation’s 80-foot mobile water museum featuring a theater, mini watershed, rainforest, and interactive exhibits that travel across the U.S. to inspire the public to protect our planet’s most vital resource.

Podcast Recorded on May 1, 2025

Eddie Wallace, owner of MidWest Landscaping in California, shares his perspective on the recent Southern California fires and how property owners can proactively protect their homes and businesses. Eddie outlines a three-zone planting strategy using specific types of ground cover, shrubs, and trees to reduce fire damage and describes a simple irrigation system modification that can create a protective water shower during a wildfire. He also discusses the latest advancements in controllers, spray heads, and high-capacity rotors for fire defense, emphasizing the importance of maintaining irrigation systems for peak performance. Listeners can view Eddie’s instructional videos on his website and through the California Landscape Contractors Association.

Podcast Recorded on April 24, 2025

In this episode we welcome Marc LoPresti, CEO and chief market strategist of Market Rebellion, Wall Street veteran, securities attorney, and media contributor. Marc shares his legal team’s pivotal role in the landmark multi-billion-dollar lawsuit against 3M over forever chemical contamination in U.S. drinking water, offering insights into the technical evidence that led to the historic settlement. He also discusses litigation involving DuPont and its spin-offs Chemours and Corteva for similar violations. Looking ahead, Marc offers his take on water-related investments—viewing utilities as stable but recommending tech-driven water solutions like filters, pumps, and desalination for those seeking stronger returns.

Podcast Recorded on April 14, 2025

In this episode of The Water Zone, Rylan Dobson, water stewardship programs leader at the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), shares how he drives public-private collaboration and policy advocacy to advance global water sustainability. He highlights water's critical role as a connector across environmental priorities like climate and nature, and addresses key issues including water scarcity, stress, security, hygiene, and their link to UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6). Rylan voices frustration over water being sidelined in broader environmental conversations, noting that “water is where climate impacts hit first,” and stresses the importance of data-driven action. He also discusses WWF’s partnership with GlobeScan and industry leaders to diagnose water challenges and push for a more impactful global agenda.

Podcast Recorded on April 10, 2025