waterloop

Sustainability is now a pivotal concern in the realm of corporate responsibility, pushing companies to integrate environmentally beneficial practices into their core strategies. This shift is particularly evident in the growing focus on water stewardship and the adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, highlighting how businesses are increasingly held accountable for their...

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) has consistently defied conventions in the use of social media by a water utility. Their approach combines humor and human connection to foster relationships within the community. During the last holiday season, they took their efforts a step further by encouraging people to dial a phone number, which greeted them with a heartfelt voice message....

It only rains about 11 inches per year in Tucson, Arizona and decades of historic mismanagement compounded the water scarcity problems, resulting in dwindling groundwater supplies and a mostly dry Santa Cruz River. In response, this city in the Sonoran Desert became a leader in saving, reusing, and recycling water. Programs to conserve water and reclaim treated wastewater are discussed in this epi...

As a variety of forces continue to change the water landscape in the American West, adaptation is the focus. This episode features conversations with several prominent water leaders from the One Water Summit in Tucson. Adel Hagekhalil, the General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, explains ambitious plans to capture, store, and recycle enormous amounts of water acr...

Members of the Color of Water directory bring extensive knowledge and firsthand experience in water solutions, environmental justice, climate resilience, on-the-ground research, and policy advocacy. A new collaborative series between waterloop and the Water Hub will provide a platform for these diverse experts, who are improving understanding and management of water in their communities. This epis...

Blue Plains, located in Washington, D.C., holds the title of the world's largest advanced wastewater treatment plant. In this episode, join Miguel Miranda, a process engineer at DC Water, for an informative and technical tour of the facility. Treating approximately 380 million gallons daily, the plant is a testament to cutting-edge environmental engineering. Miguel delves into the advanced treatme...

King tides are the highest high tides of the year and they are increasing due to factors such as rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and land subsidence. Communities are experiencing more flooding from king tides, posing a variety of challenges and hazards. This episode explores a collaboration between the North Carolina King Tides Project and Wetlands Watch that utilizes digital tools and citizen...

There's an urgent need for assistance with water and sanitation in the United States, where 2 million people lack access to basic services. In this episode, Boris Martin, CEO of Engineers Without Borders USA, delves into the challenges faced by underserved communities, particularly when it comes to accessing funds. Boris talks about the transformation of 14,000 engineers into volunteers, many of w...

In a groundbreaking episode, water management in the digital era is explored through a unique engagement with artificial intelligence. ChatGPT was used to create Dr. Aqua, an AI persona embodying a water management expert. Dr. Aqua's responses were then given voice and visual life through AI tools, presenting a fascinatingly interactive character. Dr. Aqua discusses the integration of digital twin...

Water management is critical and challenging for Navajo Nation, which spreads across 27,000 square miles of the arid Southwest. In this episode, Crystal Tulley-Cordova, Principal Hydrologist for the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, shares her experiences and observations, including how climate change is impacting the landscape. She discusses the role of Navajo Nation in management of t...

This is an epilogue to the series The PFAS Puzzle: Lessons From A Contaminated Fear. The chemicals were dumped in the North Carolina river for nearly 40 years before being discovered. The series explores how a community responds when it is the epicenter of PFAS pollution. In this episode, waterloop founder Travis Loop shares some of the pivotal soundbites from an array of experts including environ...

There is tremendous potential in onsite reuse, where a building’s greywater, wastewater, or stormwater is treated and used again at the same location. To raise awareness of this technology, a beer was brewed using water recycled by an onsite system at a San Francisco apartment building. The OneWater Brew and the concept of onsite reuse are discussed in this episode with Aaron Tartakovsky, CEO of E...

Historic levels of funding are available to replace lead service lines across the United States. But thousands of water systems are so small they lack the staff expertise and capacity needed to identify, apply for, and manage funds. That’s why there is a massive push to expand and deploy technical assistance, including the launch of more environmental finance centers. The effort is discussed in th...

Resilience is a shared characteristic of rural communities, often dealing with adversity through their close-knit and resourceful nature. However, the ongoing rural struggles related to water infrastructure, pollution, and workforce shortages are now amplified by the effects of climate change. New strategies and technical assistance can build up their resilience, as discussed in this podcast with...

A sommelier is commonly associated with wine expertise, but there exists a category of professionals specializing in the assessment of water's taste, texture, and quality. These experts offer valuable insights into attributes like mineral composition, source, and purity, all of which are explored in this episode featuring Milin Patel, a water sommelier and consultant. Milin takes the podcast host...

Time spent exploring outdoors can provide the best perspective on the state of our water world. This episode delves into the remarkable lessons offered by the mountains and rivers of Colorado, insights shared by Chris Wolff on his Adventure Hydrology Instagram page. Chris takes us through the observations and transformations he's witnessed during his hikes, rafting excursions, and skiing adventure...

It’s the year 2099 and civilization has finally achieved global water sustainability. In this positive era, water is a human right, properly valued, efficiently and productively used, extensively reused, and part of thriving ecosystems. The path to this future is discussed in this episode with Peter Gleick, author of The Three Ages of Water and President Emeritus of the Pacific Institute. He expla...

The NFL has long had an environment program to mitigate the impact of its major events and leave a green legacy in host cities. But over the last few years, water stewardship has become a more prominent part of the portfolio, particularly in conjunction with the Super Bowl, as discussed in this episode with Jack Groh, Director of the NFL Environment Program. He explains how the NFL works with FORC...

Water treatment facilities use tremendous amounts of energy, often responsible for up to 30 percent of a municipality's energy consumption and cost. There is a movement to make these water facilities net zero, meaning they produce as much energy as they consume. Oregon is home to one of the original net zero facilities in the U.S., as discussed in this episode with Jacob Corum, an engineer at the...

This episode is part of a series, Funding To Fight Lead. A group of experts from government, banking, and advocacy recently gathered at the Reservoir Center in Washington, D.C. to discuss funding options and opportunities and how to advance the work. This episode features presentations from the event on topics including federal loan programs, activities at the municipal level, technical assistance...

Fresh perspectives and innovative ideas play a pivotal role in addressing the challenges of the 21st century, such as climate change, water equity, and environmental justice. This is why it's crucial to identify, recognize, and nurture emerging leaders, a topic explored in this episode with Dr. Jalonne White-Newsome, Senior Director for Environmental Justice at The White House Council on Environme...

There are one million people in California without safe drinking water and many of them live in the San Joaquin Valley, a region dominated by agriculture. Many residents, particularly low-income, Latino farmworkers in rural communities, face the harsh reality of dry wells or contaminated water sources due to the excessive water consumption and pollution caused by the agricultural industry. But the...

Sports have tremendous influence and impact on many facets of society, including the environment. The potential to turn the sports industry into a powerful driver of sustainability led to the formation of the Green Sports Alliance in 2010. Over a decade later, its member teams, leagues, venues, and businesses are creating change, as discussed in this episode with Dune Ives, the organization’s co-f...

This episode is part of a series The PFAS Puzzle: Lessons From A Contaminated Cape Fear. The forever chemicals were dumped in the North Carolina river for nearly 40 years before being discovered. The series explores how a community responds when it is the epicenter of PFAS pollution. This episode is about regulations. Some of the big questions about PFAS are how industrial facilities have been abl...

Athletes have tremendous influence - on fans, teams, brands, and more. That power can be used to create positive change for the environment, as discussed in this episode with Chris Dickerson, a former Major League Baseball player and co-founder of Players For The Planet. Chris explains how he developed an interest in sustainability when surrounded by single-use plastic in a baseball clubhouse and...