Public Works Radio

When natural or manmade disasters hit a community, public works is uniquely positioned to fast-track its return to normalcy. Public works professionals know which roads flood first, the domino effects of debris that clogs ditches, and how infrastructure failures will ultimately impact safety. Through careful documentation, they thread the needle in telling the story of what the community has been...

While it may be true there are more women in public works than there used to be, deeper questions still remain. This week on Public Works Radio, the official voice of the American Public Works Association (APWA), we're joined by two individuals whose decades of passion for this line of work serve as inspiration to the next generation of young women ready to break into this field and lead it forwar...

To advance, streamline, and modernize their water utility infrastructure, Sugar Land, Texas built what they call a dual-horizon predictive management system. The framework works to predict long-term pipe wear and flags pipes at risk using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Just last week Alence Poudel, PE, the Senior Engineering Manager in Sugar Land, presented these findings at PW...

When preventable behavior starts damaging the community's infrastructure, it's probably time for public works to step in. That could mean teaming up with stakeholders on an outreach campaign to stop it. But too often, the behavior just doesn't stop because the message didn’t address the underlying causes of the problematic behavior. We put a premium on strong communication here at Public Works Rad...

We're officially back for the second half of Public Works Radio's first season, and this time it's all about family. After years of service in the United States Army, Mike Duffy was eager to transition into a career that offered a similar sense of pride and camaraderie. He struck that balance in public works over the last two and a half decades. He currently serves as the Assistant Public Works Di...

Welcome back to Public Works Radio and while we will be fully back in August with brand new episodes, we're returning this week with a second and final bonus episode. We're talking about the power of community. Leaning on your peers when times get challenging to fight imposter syndrome, burnout, or feelings of being stuck in your career. As evidenced by the stories you will soon hear, when you equ...

While we remain on a mid-season summer vacation here at Public Works Radio, we're back this week with a little bonus. Every week, our podcast production team has the unfortunate task of whittling down each episode to about 30 minutes. This means a lot of great stuff finds its way to the cutting room floor. Today we'll explore top social media tips for public‑works professionals from the first half...

In honor of National Public Works Week, and this year's theme "Rooted in Service, Powered by Community," which acknowledges that the roots of service run deep in public works, we're hitting the road for some face-to-face sidewalk interviews. We want to hear what public works means to everyday people in the community, with a little public works trivia thrown in for good measure. National Public Wor...

Just last week we wrapped up APWA's annual North American Snow Conference in Cleveland. While nearly all of us in North America are out of the winter threat and will be for quite some time, it's no coincidence that this event takes place in the middle of spring. As we learn from four passionate experts in today's episode, snow and ice planning is a year-round endeavor — and with summer quickly app...

By definition, a sentinel animal is used as an early warning system for hazards or disease, with a canary in a coal mine being the most famous example. Down in Charlotte County, Florida, it's chickens that are stepping up for the community in what can only be described as the ideal sentinel chicken program. This program is a vital link between public works and public health, acting as an early war...

The Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) is a yearlong experience designed to inspire those who lead at all levels in public works. This program features a popular in-person retreat and monthly check-ins with instructors. Academy members are divided into groups and work throughout the year to solve a public works-related challenge that they present at our PWX conference the following year. Proving time...

Nestled within the upstate region of South Carolina, the City of Greenville rarely considers hurricanes a point of critical concern. That suddenly changed with the arrival of Hurricane Helene in September 2024, leaving Scott McIver, CPFP, CAFS, Greenville's Fleet Manager, with lessons that forever changed his understanding of emergency response. He joins us to discuss those lessons in this week's...

Taking place May 17–23, this year’s National Public Works Week theme is “Rooted in Service, Powered by Community,” and that special time of year will be here before you know it. To get the ball rolling, we’ve invited some of the most inspiring public workers in the country to join our show and share their ideas on how they make this week so special. From ideas for celebrating with food, trivia, lo...

While police, fire, and EMS are commonly recognized as first responders, public works professionals are often on the scene as well, quietly doing essential work to restore normalcy in communities without the praise or recognition. In this week’s edition of Public Works Radio, the official podcast of the American Public Works Association (APWA), we’re exploring the stories of why public workers are...

In today’s episode of Public Works Radio, the official podcast of the American Public Works Association, we’re talking all things accreditation with our guest Troy Shaw, PE, the Director of Public Works and City/County Engineer for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas. We’re also joined by Jeanette Klamm, the Associate Director of Credentialing with APWA. A structured do...

The world’s growing appetite for energy continues, and lithium‑ion batteries are at the forefront of that wave, especially when it comes to powering the gadgets and products that define modern life in North America. Lithium‑ion batteries are everywhere: smartphones, laptops, medical devices, power tools, EVs, and the newest culprit—vapes and e‑cigarettes. Yet there is an overwhelming lack of aware...

We’re diving straight into what many people are calling the most pressing challenge to the future of public works. Workforce development is critical, and building pathways for the future leaders of this profession is the answer to these threats. This is a key takeaway from today’s debut episode of Public Works Radio, the official voice of the American Public Works Association (APWA). In this discu...