The Water Zone

Fred Womack, Executive Director of Operation Good in Jackson, Mississippi, provides an update on all matters related to the water system in the city.  Their current water is contaminated, and the delivery of water to areas within the city have been diminished to the point that residents have no safe drinking water. He details the organization’s work to provide bottled water and lunches to impoverished communities and elementary schools. Fred further explains the difficulties in receiving state assistance to help remedy the poor conditions.

Podcast Recorded on February 9, 2023

Innovyze, a subsidiary of Autodesk, is a global leader in building industry software for water and wastewater professionals.  Technical Leadership Team member, David Trotman, details how they design and integrate software programs with local water utility monitoring processes to provide real-time information and analysis. David also discusses how software has played a key role in helping to identify significant problems with the outdated water infrastructure in Jackson, Mississippi.

Podcast Recorded on February 2, 2023

The Water Zone hosts Rob Starr and Chris Davey discuss the concerningly low temperatures around the country and steps the homeowner can take to "winterize" their irrigation system to prevent damage to critical irrigation components. They also address ways homeowners in warmer areas of the country can effectively manage outdoor watering during unseasonably cold or freeze events during winter months.

Episode Recorded on January 26, 2023

Nick Dyner, CEO of Moleaer, describes their unique nanobubble technology adaptable to multiple industries and water processes. Two-thousand, five hundred times smaller than a grain of salt, nanobubbles supersaturate water with oxygen and form natural oxidants for disinfection, improved plant health and increased ability to permeate soil and rock. Moleaer’s patented nanobubble technology provides the highest oxygen transfer rate in the aeration and gas infusion industry. Nick shares how this technology can help purify contaminated waste water and address the growing global demand for water.

Podcast Recorded on January 19, 2023

Bluefield Research is a team of analysts exclusively focused on water, wastewater and stormwater across global industrial and municipal sectors. Team members Reese Tisdale and John Berryman, join the show to discuss all the ways industry businesses, utilities and professionals are addressing the challenges and opportunities in water conservation. They also share insight on the future of proposed remedies to address the drought in the western U.S.

Podcast recorded on January 5, 2023

Desalination has historically posed challenges due to the massive amounts of energy required and the resulting brine waste with potential impact on aquatic life.  Peter Fiske, director of the Water-Energy Resilience Research Institute discusses desalination and its potential. Peter explains how desalination is becoming more efficient and effective through innovation in membranes, technologies to address brine waste and extraction of valuable elements. 

Podcast Recorded on December 22, 2022

Special guest Max Gomberg, former climate change mitigation specialist for the California State Water Resources Control Board, shares his take on various project updates and what’s really going on related to state water management project implementation. He provides carefully detailed insight to what has happened within the State Resources Board and current issues that have tarnished the board’s reputation and work activities. 

Podcast Recorded on December 15, 2022

Featured guests Dominic Simms, Chief Executive Director for the International Code Council and Matt Sigler, Executive Director for the Code Council discuss the status of clean water and future planning requirements. They address the lack of a federal standard as opposed to current mandates set by state and local government. They investigate and take a look back at landmark water legislation to uncover how we’ve arrive at the water crisis many experience today. In addition, they share how Israel has transitioned from a net water importer to being a water positive country, and how that experience is being used to help other countries. Finally, Dominic and Matt share their strategy on how local agencies can help the future of clean water.

Podcast Recorded on December 1, 2022

Can private industry help remedy the U.S. water crisis? Guest Alex Loucopoulos of Sciens Water joins the show to discuss the significant shortage of funding from government sources to help water agencies and utilities secure capital to fund much needed improvement projects. In addition, he shares examples of how Sciens Water is working with both government and private entities to provide immediate funding at a reduced payback, and describes how this type of partnership also reduces the time to secure capital and gets projects completed faster.

Podcast Recorded on November 10, 2022

The Central Arizona Project (CAP) carries water from Havasu to the southern boundary of the San Xavier Indian Reservation. Special guest Brenda Burman, executive strategic advisor, provides insight on the project’s activities and challenges. With 361 miles of aqueducts, tunnels, pumping stations & pipelines the project provides water to agricultural lands and is the municipal water purveyor for several communities in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ.

Special guest Greg Nathan, chief business officer for the National Golf Foundation reveals the most essential elements of a desirable golf course. He offers insight to the effects of the pandemic and now inflation on the industry. He also describes the different steps taken by superintendents to keep the cost of golf play reasonable including the impact of technology on water cost and use.

Podcast Recorded on September 8, 2022

According to the ‘Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States’ report nearly 2.2 million people in America live without running water or toilet facilities. This concerning state of affairs is reported to cost the U.S. economy over $8.5 billion a year. Featured guest and report co-author George McGraw, comments on the report and how closing the water gap could generate $200 billion over the next 50 years. He states that water insecurity has a significant impact on productivity, lost time at work or school, physical and mental well-being, and the cost of water.

Podcast Recorded on September 1, 2022

The health and availability of water impacts more than we think like labor, farming, infrastructure, business, and housing.  Reason Foundation Vice President and economist, Adrian Moore, Ph.D. discusses the effect of water on the growth and sustainability of our economy. Adrian points to numerous scenarios where economic growth or retraction has been closely related to water availability and cost.  He also shares his views on the future of water if old regulations and infrastructure are not updated soon.

Podcast Recorded on August 25, 2022

SiteOne Landscape Supply Category Manager, Brad Lipsey, joins the show to discuss the professional retailer's rise and how it has grown to become one of the largest professional landscape supply distributors with over 600 locations in the U.S. and Canada. Brad shares insight to how the pandemic and inflation has affected the landscape industry.  He talks about how irrigation technologies have helped the industry utilize water more efficiently and provides his thoughts about the future of business in the water and landscaping industries.

Podcast Recorded on August 18, 2022

Stephanie Clark, director of business development for the Irrigation Association joins the show to talk about the 2022 IA Show and Education Week. The show brings a vast amount of irrigation technology to the industry through exhibits and a new product contest. It also provides educational opportunities through the IA University. The show and education week is perfect for those interested in learning more about general irrigation technologies or who want to become certified in various aspects of the irrigation trade.

Podcast Recorded on August 11, 2022

Emma Robbins of the Navajo Water Project and Crystal Tulley-Cordova, Ph.D. of the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, describe their journey; earning technical degrees in hydrology, climatology, and environmental science to give back to the Navajo tribe. They help solve lingering water problems that still affect tribal life such as a lack of water, water contamination, and agriculture. They also share their desire for greater attention from the federal government to their day-to-day struggles in an effort to help maintain and receive clean water to survive.

Podcast Recorded on August 4, 2022

Featured guest Jay Prag, clinical professor at Drucker School of Management in Claremont, CA, provides keen insight into the macro-economics of water. Jay discusses how the economy affects water and how water scarcity affects the economy.  He also explores the fine line the state of California walks with the significant reduction of agricultural production due to drought as well as how this condition impacts the home building industry. He asserts that lost revenue and jobs are quickly piling up with no quick fix insight.

Podcast Recorded on July 28, 2022

Kyle Brown, Editor in Chief of Irrigation & Lighting and Irrigation Today magazines shares key issues and information impacting the agricultural industry and regulatory policy at the state and national level. Kyle also previews the 2022 Irrigation Show.

Journalist Trymaine Lee explores concerning water conditions in Jackson, Mississippi. Trymaine reports that residents routinely boil their water before use, and collect rain water to help flush the toilets, do laundry and take a bath. While the state estimates that an infrastructure improvement project will cost nearly $2 billion, local residents believe a lack of funding for the repair project stems from a bias toward people of color. 

Podcast Recorded on July 14, 2022