The Water Zone

The city of Plano, Texas has won two EPA WaterSense Partner awards. Outreach & Engagement Coordinator, Katie Walker, joins the show to discuss the city’s educational and conservation activities to capture attention and boost water saving activities among residents. She even shares a musical parity she created for radio and local television broadcasts.  Katie further details the rebate and assistance programs that the city offers its customers to help reduce both water and electrical usage. 

Podcast Recorded on November 9, 2023

Featured guest Jazmine Molloy, director of product development for Eagle Aerial Solutions shares insight on the company’s off-the-shelf aerial imaging technology that provides landscape detail at a 6-inch square resolution. They’ve also developed specialized software to help users manage compliance, efficiency, and adoption of state and local mandates. Jazmine also discusses some of their scientific technologies like "near infrared" remote sensing which assists the State of California's Department of Water Resources in it's state wide water conservation efforts. 

Podcast Recorded on November 2, 2023

Guest Brad Jakubowski, instructor at Penn State University’s Department of Plant Science, has been involved with the green industry for over 30 years. Brad details his philosophy around teaching irrigation and water management. His classes incorporate hands-on, field activities, and include life skills that provide insight to the opportunities that the water industry provides. Also, he is a vigorous defender of the inherent benefits of turf like carbon absorption, climate cooling, atmosphere health and more.

Podcast Recorded on October 26, 2023

Special guest Megan Jenkins, founder and CMO of Yoppify, describes the company’s interface solution between water and electrical utilities and their customers. They provide assistance with communications to deliver social norming, conservation messaging, rebate and program awareness and to measure customer engagement. Megan describes a myriad of activities, training and custom solutions that Yoppify performs for utility companies and how they help deliver a higher level of service for these companies.

Podcast Recorded on October 19, 2023

Pamela Berstler, founder of G3 Green Garden Group joins the show to discuss regenerative landscape management. G3 Green Garden Group asserts that the front yard is where we can start reversing climate change by designing, installing and managing the landscape using the watershed approach. The group conducts certification classes on water use efficiency and offers free tools for professionals and homeowners including books to learn how to create a drought tolerant garden utilizing a water shed approach.

Podcast Recorded on October 12, 2023

This week’s show brings a collective of WaterSmart Innovations Expo exhibitors who describe their business, products, and activities. Guests include Krista Guerrero of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Heidi Putze from Ecorain, Megan Jenkins from Yoppify, Volker Brohm at Gutermann, Quincy Hayes from Hayes Automation, Trey Cutler of Niagara Conservation, Kris Loomis from Sonoma Water, Janice Gould at Responsive Drip Irrigation, and Susan Musica from Flume Water.

Podcast Recorded on October 5, 2023

Dominic Rullo, parks superintendent for Marana, AZ, joins the show to discuss his journey from a part-time lawn mowing service to parks and recreation management. He walks us through the challenges and opportunities that go along with managing a large crew of landscape specialists and how he collaborates with the city council, water agencies and the general public to receive input and buy-in for new projects that will help improve irrigation and reduce water use.

Podcast Recorded on September 28, 2023

The fundamentals of a Smart Water Triangle include smart controls, BMP's in installation and most importantly the use of AxisDE as a soil conditioner. Rich Miller, co-owner of Miller Landscape in Clearwater, Florida, describes the Smart Water Triangle and his holistic approach to water conversation. He explains ways the State of Florida can bolster their contractor certifications to help create a more professional and knowledgeable work force and discusses his approach in attracting new customers through the promotion of smart irrigation products.

Podcast Recorded on September 21, 2023

Overland Distribution Company specializes in magnetic technology that induces a strong magnetic field into an irrigation system to influence water's physical structure and therefore, its behavior. Overland representative, Edward Mathieu joins the show to describe how this change in water behavior brings a higher level of performance and benefits irrigation efficiency, soil health and operational costs for agriculture applications.

Podcast Recorded on September 7, 2023

Like many of us, Cove Mesa Vineyard Owner Emil Molin and his wife discovered a new passion during the pandemic.  He joins the show to share how they turned inspiration into a small business and how irrigation technology helped the burgeoning winery’s weak vines to receive additional water. Since opening he has learned much more about soil conditions and the need for instant feedback regarding moisture content and evapo-transpiration information.  He also speaks about the different varietals of wine perfectly suited to the Arizona climate and soil.

Podcast Recorded on August 31, 2023

Noreen Rich, director of member engagement & industry relations for the Irrigation Association (IA) provides a history of the association, the organization's mission and long-term vision. She also discusses the upcoming IA show in San Antonio, Texas and details all the activities that make up the event from product displays, new up-start companies, certification training, educational classes, IA resource displays, special awards, and most importantly, networking with industry professionals.

Podcast Recorded on August 24, 2023

Featured guest Michael Davidson of Moleaer Technology returns to the show to provide an in-depth exploration of his company's nanobubble generators. Nanobubbles are 200 nanometers in size; small enough to fit 5,000 or more side by side in a single millimeter.  These extremely small bubbles contain a negative electrical charge that helps to reduce the amount of bacteria on fresh produce and can also be used for water treatment, agricultural water sanitation and algae removal.

Podcast Recorded on August 17, 2023

Featured guest Michael Davidson president of Moleaer Inc., discusses how the company has developed nanobubble technology for utilization in agriculture and how it enhances crop growth.  He explains how nanobubbles are generated and then incorporated into water to stimulate crop growth. He also defines Climate Smart Agriculture and it’s implementation in farming within Africa, the Middle East and the United States.

Podcast Recorded on August 3, 2023

Dr. Charles Hillyer, director of the Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) at California State University, Fresno and the interim associate vice president for the California Water Institute, provides his story. Including how he was drawn to the industry. He describes the function of CIT and it’s work with the Irrigation Association, AWWA and ASABI to research and develop irrigation industry standards. Dr. Hillyer also shares insights and observations related to smart irrigation adoption in agriculture.

Podcast Recorded on July 27, 2023

What will the world look like in 2050? Experts from American Water Works Association and Loop Communications share their thoughts on the future state of water. They also explore the state of mind shift required to help make sustainability decisions, shape influential new technologies and change water use behaviors to impact availability in the coming decades.

Podcast Recorded on July 20, 2023

Mary Ann Dickinson shares her career in the water industry and inspiration to found of the Alliance for Water Efficiency.  Mary Ann discusses the issues and projects she has been involved with and how she helped to create a network for the water authorities, government agencies and private stakeholders interested in water legislation. She also shares her views on the future of water in California and the top three water infrastructure issues that need to be immediately addressed.

Podcast Recorded July 13, 2023

Eric Anderson, president of Valley Soil, returns to the show to share Valley Soil’s mission and how they got started. Valley Soil has become known throughout Southern California as the “go-to” company among water purveyors for education and installation of water efficient irrigation products like smart controllers, efficient spray nozzles and drip systems. Eric also shared his vision for the future of water and discusses potential new products that could be developed to increase water savings.

Podcast Recorded on July 6, 2023

Nathan Bowen of the Irrigation Association details events and activities around Smart Irrigation Month kicking off on July 1^st, including ways that everyone can participate. Then Wall Street Journal reporters Ryan Knutson & Jim Carlton provide a detailed history of the  Colorado River and events that led up to its recent condition and the explains the water rights of its various users.

Podcast Recorded on June 29, 2023