Make It Clear: Why You Can't Just Flush and Forget

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Lynn Broaddus discusses her extensive experience in the water industry, focusing on the critical connections between water, energy, and climate change. She emphasizes the importance of water sustainability and the need for innovative solutions to address water scarcity and pollution. Lynn highlights the invisibility of water as a significant challenge and sha...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Angela and her brother, Tristan Bounds, discuss distributed water infrastructure (DWI) and the focus of WEF's Distributed Water Infrastructure Task Force on improving water management systems. They explore the definitions of distributed infrastructure, the synergistic roles involved in DWI, future focus areas, pathways for innovation, and the next steps...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt podcast episode, Angela and Jeff reflect on Jeff's long career at Orenco, discussing the changes brought about by the company's ownership transition and Jeff's impending retirement. They share memorable experiences, the challenges faced during economic downturns, and the emotional impact of selling the company. The conversation highlights the impor...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation with Adam Link of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), we discuss the ongoing issues surrounding PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in California, the role of CASA, and the importance of public awareness and individual actions in addressing environmental challenges. We also explore California's regulatory approach to PFAS, the...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Dr. Bob Rubin discusses the importance of a holistic approach to water management, emphasizing the need to consider all sources of water and the significance of (and innovative solutions for) contaminants like PFAS. He highlights the necessity for research and education in the field, as well as the importance of attracting younger generations to water managem...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Angela and Shawn talk with Tristian Bounds, a cochair of WEF's Distributed Water Infrastructure Task Force, who recently presented a paper on the subject at WEFTEC. The conversation covers the goals of the task force, the importance of clear definitions in the industry, various roles within distributed infrastructure, and its associated benefits and challenge...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Dr. Reshmina William of ISLE Utilities discusses the Trial Reservoir Program, a unique initiative designed to de-risk piloting and trials for water and wastewater innovation technologies. The program supports vendors and end users by providing a revolving loan fund that absorbs the costs of unsuccessful trials. Dr. William highlights the global impact of the...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Angela and Shawn discuss the differences between blackwater and greywater. They explain that blackwater comes from toilets, sinks with garbage disposals, and dishwashers, while greywater comes from sinks, showers, and washing machines. They talk about the various ways to treat and reuse greywater, including filtration, sedimentation, biological treatment, and...

Send us Fan Mail During our time at WEFTEC, we had the privilege of talking with several thought leaders and influencers in our industry. In this series, you'll hear from six individuals who sat down with us to share their insights into emerging industry trends and what obstacles they see coming on the road ahead. In this episode, our guests are Adam Link, Executive Director of the California...

Send us Fan Mail During our time at WEFTEC, we had the privilege of talking with several thought leaders and influencers in our industry. In this series, you'll hear from six individuals who sat down with us to share their insights into emerging industry trends and what obstacles they see coming on the road ahead. Our guests in this episode are Dr. Bob Rubin, Professor Emeritus at North Carol...

Send us Fan Mail During our time at WEFTEC, we had the privilege of talking with several thought leaders and influencers in our industry. In this series, you'll hear from six individuals who sat down with us to share their insights into emerging industry trends and what obstacles they see coming on the road ahead.  Our guests in this episode are Stuart Coleman, the Executive Director and cofo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Angela talks with Manolis Dialynas, our Orenco dealer and distributor in Greece, as he discusses his company's focus on water and wastewater engineering. He shares how he got into the wastewater industry and emphasizes the importance of trust in building relationships with customers. Manolis highlights his favorite project, Palaiochora, which is the largest A...

Send us Fan Mail Hawaii is facing a major wastewater challenge, with 83,000 cesspools discharging 52 million gallons of raw wastewater into the ocean every day. This is causing significant damage to the marine environment, including coral reefs. The state has set a goal to close all cesspools by 2050, but progress has been slow. The estimated cost to eliminate all cesspools is around $2 billion, a...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Angela and Shawn discuss the true impacts of failing on-site septic systems. We explore the reasons why septic systems may fail, including excessive water use, poor maintenance, and poor design and installation. We also highlight the signs of a failing septic system, such as backups, slow drains, and odors. The conversation emphasizes the importance of addres...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Angela and Shawn discuss various news topics related to the wastewater industry. We cover articles on wastewater surveillance for pathogens, flood risks in coastal cities, and water reuse and recycling. The conversation highlights the importance of monitoring and predicting disease outbreaks through wastewater surveillance, the impact of aging infrastructure...

Send us Fan Mail Cleaning up wastewater isn't just an issue we face here at home. There are many places around the world that would benefit from having cleaner groundwater. Our international team works with our dealers and partners around the globe to participate in projects that will enhance the local ecosystems and keep communities safe from groundwater contamination. Join us as we talk wit...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Senior Engineer, Garry-Lee Espinosa, shares his experiences and reflections on his 26 years at Orenco Systems. We talk about the changes he has witnessed in the company, from its early days as a small group to its current size. Garry-Lee also talks about the challenges of remote work and the importance of learning from colleagues. He shares his educational ba...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we talk with Catherine Kirkland, an Orenco engineer. She shares her background, her interest in the industry, and her favorite part of the job: the opportunity to meet new people. Finally, she talks with us about her passion for working on projects in rural areas and making a difference in those communities.  If you have comments or questions about our podcast, yo...

Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Mike Saunders shares his journey in the water and wastewater industry, including how he started, the challenges he faced, and his transition to Orenco. With a passion for improving water quality, Mike's favorite part of his job is seeing communities benefit socially, economically, and environmentally from wastewater solutions. If you have comments or que...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we discuss vacation homes and short-term rentals with Cory Lyon, and Aaron Yates. Cory and Aaron define vacation homes and highlight the trend of people frequently renting out their properties. The conversation explores the variations in vacation homes by region, including examples from California, the Midwest, and the Northeast. We also discuss the design conside...

Send us Fan Mail Mike Saunders joins us for another engaging discussion. This time, the conversation explores the concept of aging infrastructure in the wastewater industry. It discusses the two main aspects of aging infrastructure: deteriorating functionality and becoming obsolete.  The timeline for infrastructure to be considered aging varies, with some systems losing functionality as early as 1...

Send us Fan Mail In his book "Start With Why", author Simon Sinek talks about inspiration, and discovering your drive and passion for doing what inspires you.  In a departure from our normal format, Angela and I take some time to talk about our own personal "why". We talk about what drives us and inspires us to be a part of this industry and a part of Orenco Systems. What drive...

Send us Fan Mail Looking for information regarding our industry can seem overwhelming. There are a lot of places out there that will provide you with information. Some of it is good, and some...not so good. Sometimes, finding reputable sources can be a challenge. To help you out, we have put together a brief list of websites, textbooks, tradeshows, and publications to get you started.   If you hav...

Send us Fan Mail In the wastewater industry, being an equipment dealer means so much more than just selling equipment. There is often more to a project than just the parts and piece that go into an installation.  Many dealers often offer additional services or resources that can help in every phase of a project. Engineers sometimes need product specs or design assistance. Installers may ask for in...

Send us Fan Mail Every industry has acronyms or uses some kind of shorthand to convey information. If you have been in any particular industry for an extended period of time, you have probably picked up on many of them. Many of us use them on a daily basis and often forget that new industry members or those outside the industry don't understand what we mean when we use them. In this episode,...