21st Century Water

Alyson Watson is our first non-utility CEO guest, and she lends her perspective from the private sector. Alyson is the CEO of Woodard and Curran, a planning, funding, engineering, construction and O&M (operations and maintenance) organization. Alyson talks about three big trends in the water industry: resiliency, the switch from an extraction to a creation economy, and ESG (environmental and socia...

Laura Briefer is the director of Salt Lake City Public Utilities.  Today she joins Mahesh Lunani of Aquasight to talk about her unique role in the water community as it relates to her appointment, droughts in the West, collaboration, and leadership. Unlike many of her colleagues, Laura's job is appointed by the Mayor, and she's been in the role through three administrations.  There are unique oppo...

Today, Aquasight founder and CEO Mahesh Lunani sits down with Calvin Farr, Chief Executive Officer of Prince William County Service Authority, providing water and wastewater services for over 360,000 customers. Calvin talks about changes to workplace culture in his two decades in the industry.  The days of a two-generation workplace, where Baby Boomers order around Gen X'ers, are gone.   Now, with...

Megan Ross is the Utilities Director of Pinellas County Florida, which includes Clearwater and St. Petersburg (near Tampa).  A chemical process engineer by trade, her background is different than other water professionals we've spoken to.   She entered this industry because she saw a need, and she wanted to stay close to home and serve her community. Megan describes the unique governance structure...

Carla Reid is the CEO of Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) Water, one of the largest utilities in the country, serveing over 1.8 million residents through 11,000 miles of water and sewer mains, 2 water filtration plants, and 6 Water Resource Recovery Facilities. She also served on the boards of several reputed organizations such as DC Water, Prince George County Revenue Authority and...

David Gadis is the CEO of DC Water.  Prior to this, he was with Veolia NA and Indianapolis Water.  He joins Aquasight CEO Mahesh Lunani for a wide-ranging discussion, including how his experience in the private sector informs his management style when running a utility. A third generation water professional, Gadis looks at DC Water as an economic engine for our nation's capital.   This includes cl...

Today, Aquasight CEO Mahesh Lunani is joined by OJ McFoy, CEO Buffalo Sewer Authority and Chairman of Buffalo Water. OJ is a Professional Engineer, on the board of NACWA, and is a member of the US Water Alliance Equity Taskforce Team. OJ and his team is treating wastewater for over 500,000 residents in the State of New York and recharging Niagara River.  Throughout our conversation, you'll hear OJ...

Mami Hara is the CEO of the US Water Alliance and formerly CEO of Seattle Public Utilities, as well as Deputy Commissioner at Philadelphia Water.  Her diverse background also includes time as a visiting professor at MIT, an  adjunct professor at Temple University, and principal at an urban planning and architecture firm. She has degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and the Harvard Universit...

Tad Bohannon leads the largest public drinking water system in Arkansas, serving 500,000 consumers and 18 cities. Tad's law degree, water licenses, and recent Master's degree from the University of Oxford combine to make him the perfect man to lead Central Arkansas Water through the 21st Century. Tad and Aquasight Founder Mahesh Lunani discuss how CAW is set up and governed, including their naming...

Adel Hagekhalil is the CEO of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It is the largest  wholesale agency in the country serving 19 million residents and 26 member-public agencies. Given the challenges of water in California, this conversation should resonate with listeners not only in the US, but worldwide. Adel discusses how the fourth aqueduct, including reuse of water, will sec...

Today, Aquasight Founder and CEO Mahesh Lunani is joined by Andy Gere, COO and President of San Jose Water.  SJW is an Investor-Owned Utility serving one million residents, and it is part of SJW Group that is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.  Andy has over 28 years of experience in all things water and has both a PE as well as a California T4 operator license.  Given the challenges...

Today, host Mahesh Lunani is joined by Erin Mahoney, Commissioner of Environmental Services for Ontario Canada's York Region. Erin has over 30 years experience in the public and private sectors, and she's responsible for a range of services including water and wastewater.  She is also on the board of Canada's Federal Clean Technology Foundation.  We had a fascinating conversation around Erin and h...

Michael Johnson of Birmingham (Alabama) Water Works joins Mahesh Lunani today. We discuss how his background in the military, as well as private and public service, influences the work he does in his current role. Michael explains the unique challenges of BWW, a system that supplies water to over 600 thousand residents, over five counties and 750 square miles. We also cover the day to day demands...

Today, Mahesh Lunani is joined by Mickey Conway, a lawyer by trade.  Mickey left his career in New Jersey to return to his home state of Colorado.  Eventually he rose from general counsel to district manager of the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, serving Denver and beyond. Mahesh and Mickey discuss his career transition and experience running a government entity. What surprised him and what...

Today, Aquasight CEO Mahesh Lunani is joined by Dr. Lynn Broaddus, President of both the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and  Broadview Collaborative Inc. She has also worked at Johnson Foundation and The Nature Conservancy.  This Duke PhD is known for her outside-the-box thinking when it comes to addressing sustainability challenges. In this episode, we cover how Lynn "fell into" water, litera...

Today, Aquasight CEO Mahesh Lunani is joined by Howard Neukrug, former CEO of Philadelphia water, currently professor at University of Pennsylvania, and chair of the Leading Utilities of the World  CEO network.  Howard wears many hats, but his principal job is head of the Water Center at UPenn.  We will have an interesting dialogue both from a point of view of practitioner and a teacher. Howard wa...

Today, Aquasight CEO Mahesh Lunani speaks to Terry Leeds, President of National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and Director of Kansas City Water, as well as Adam Krantz, Chief Executive Officer of NACWA. What career accomplishments are Terry and Adam most proud of? What are the big issues being addressed at NACWA?  What does Adam hope to accomplish as NACWA President? How does Terry m...

American Water Works Association CEO David LaFrance joins Mahesh Lunani for a 360-degree look at the water sector.   We start with the financial impact COVID-19 has had on the industry.   This leads into a discussion on the public's trust of the water sector. Which groups trust it more than others? We also  look at water rates in the US. Are they under rated?  The water sector is both highly regul...

George Hawkins, former GM of DC Water, sits down with Mahesh Lunani to discuss how he transitioned from being a regulator to an operator,  and why his time at DC Water was all about the people and innovation. He discusses his new passion, Moonshot Missions, and how it will help utilities improve cost structure.  Links: Moonshot Missions Website Aquasight Website Aquasight Website: https://aquasigh...

Links: Louisville Metropolitan Sewer District Website Aquasight Website Aquasight Website: https://aquasight.io/

Pam Elardo is the Deputy Commissioner of New York City's Department of Environmental Protection . She talks to Mahesh Lunani today about the vast scope of the city's wastewater system, and how she has to balance the past, present, and future. Pam also shares her thoughts on what the 21st century holds for water systems, and who will be needed to work in the field. Finally, Pam discusses how her wo...

Additional Resources: Sue McCormick and GLWA Leadership Team Great Lakes Water Authority Aquasight Aquasight Website: https://aquasight.io/

Tremendous challenges and opportunities exist right now for our nation's water infrastructure. In this 15 minute podcast, the industry's top leaders and innovative minds share their knowledge and insights for ensuring our water systems are operating safely and efficiently. These discussions are designed to motivate and create vibrant 21st century water systems and the innovative workforce required...