Solving Water: A Xylem Podcast

Adam Drakeley, Xylem Senior Applications Engineer and Simon Mathias, Xylem Global Product Manager of Dewatering Digital Solutions, share their experiences in preparing for and responding to historic flooding that took place in Liege, Belgium, in July 2021.   Drakeley and Mathias discuss: How they prepared for an "unprecedented" dewatering need Pumping water without power How a response strategy wa...

Matt Tait, Xylem Regional Sales Manager for Western Canada, discusses the Canadian mining market, differences and similarities throughout the country, how service and digital solutions are changing customer approaches to projects and maintenance, and more.   Learn more about Xylem mining solutions: https://www.xylem.com/mining  

Michael Elliott, Xylem Service Center Manager based in Nashville, Tennessee, joins the show to share his experiences working with customers in aggregate mining and the role of water in applications including water supply to plants, pit dewatering, dust suppression and wheel washes.   Elliot also discusses custom barge building for turbine pumps, unique challenges from the field, and the evolution...

Fred Kesich, owner and head of engineering of Pac Machine Co., shares the origins of his family-owned business and how they became a longtime Xylem partner and Flygt and Godwin distributor based in California.   Kesich shares his experiences and insights on a variety of topics, including: Communicating cost versus quality to customers Offering rental solutions as a path to purchase Industry shifts...

Chris Settelmeyer of Pac Machine Co., a Xylem partner and Flygt and Godwin distributor headquartered in Sacramento, California, joins the show to give insight into his world serving customers in the Nevada mining, construction and municipal markets. Settelmeyer discusses weather-related impacts on those markets -- including flooding due to snow run-off -- and working with customers on projects ran...

Allison Stroebele, Xylem Director of Sales and Service for Canada, joins host Amanda Holloway to explain her current role in managing Flygt and Godwin brands in the Canadian market, her career journey thus far, and her thoughts on the changing dynamics as a woman in the water industry and why it's a good space for women engineers. Stroebele shares her experience in helping pipeline owners better m...

Greg Asselta, Global Product Manager for Flygt Dewatering, Infrastructure and Process, discusses his role at Xylem in supporting the industrial, construction and mining industries, highlights what customers should look for in a pump provider, and explains how the enduring value of partnerships is realized by understanding actual customer needs and building customized, outside-the-box solutions to...

Jason Miller, Service Solutions Business Development Manager for Infrastructure at Xylem, joins the show to share his experience working with customers to update America's sewer systems, aging infrastructure and his work in the CIPP (cured-in-place pipe) market. Miller highlights stories from notable sewer bypass projects, how integrating electric pumps and automated systems brings municipalities...

Mike Ivory, Xylem Director of Service Solutions and Business Development, joins host Amanda Holloway from CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas to talk about the aggregate and mining industry and the role of water, from nuisance water and process water to dust suppression and more. Ivory shares his take on the state of the aggregate industry, notably the focus on efficiency in mine water management, electr...

A pair of Bell & Gossett manufacturer's reps, Rob Grady, President & CEO of Mulcahy Company, and Eugene Mitchell, Principal of McNevin Company, join Solving Water to share their insights on a changing and fast-moving industry. Grady and Mitchell discuss: The booming HVAC industry, reasons behind the spike in projects, including retrofits, and how they are adapting to turn challenges into business...

Dan Chudecke, Director of Business Development at Mulcahy, a Bell & Gossett manufacturer's rep, and First Vice Chair for the Membership Promotion Committee at ASHRAE, shares his unique wisdom and perspective on the ever-evolving state of the HVAC industry. Chudecke breaks down the differences between decarbonization and electrification, discusses the industry's overall progress towards Net Zero go...

Mike Barnett with Texas-based Oslin Nation, a Bell & Gossett manufacturer's rep, joins the show to share his insights on the state of the HVAC industry and the critical focus on searching for and educating the next generation of industry professionals. Barnett also shares his perspective on timely industry topics such as electrification, sustainability, and the ongoing process of integrating these...

Alan Jones, Xylem Senior Director of Product Management, and Mike Licastro, Xylem Training and Education Manager for Commercial Building Services and the Little Red Schoolhouse, join the show to discuss the release of their new co-authored white paper, "Building a Sustainable Future: Solving Modern Building Challenges with Hydronic Systems." Licastro and Jones share highlights and key takeaways fr...

Dave Flinton, Xylem Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Technology and Product Management Officer, returns to Solving Water to discuss the latest Xylem initiative in the commercial buildings market, Building Better . Led by the Bell & Gossett brand, Flinton explains the concept of Building Better and how Xylem and Bell & Gossett -- through focus areas such as sustainable product development...

The team from Pure Technologies, a Xylem brand, joins the show to discuss all things assessment services. Chris Kyea, Global Product Manager for Inline Leak Detection; Kate Zhao, Product Manager for Monitoring Solutions; Adrian Black, Director of Product Management for Assessment Services; and Eric Toffin, Global Product Manager for Inline Wall Inspection Platforms, break down pipeline management,...

Chris Thomson, Vertical Marketing Manager for Water Networks at Xylem, joins Solving Water to provide updates and highlight what's new from Sensus technologies and digital solutions for water, gas and electric customers. Recording at WEFTEC 2022, Thomson shares application examples from customers on how digital solutions are helping water utilities connect data outside of metering, including storm...

Griffin Harrison, Product Security Leader at Xylem, joins the show to share the state of cybersecurity in the water sector. He reviews risks facing utilities and municipalities, and how preparedness through back-ups, practice of procedures and establishing partnerships can help operators get started on the path to anticipating and addressing challenges. Harrison also discusses the best questions f...

Ifetayo Venner, President of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and a Senior Vice President at Arcadis, joins host Amanda Holloway to share her ongoing journey in the water sector. Venner discusses how a background rooted in environmentalism led her to engineering and water, eventually leading to various roles within WEF. Venner shares the importance of getting involved in the water industry a...

Charli Matthews, Founder & CEO of Empowering Brands, which includes Empowering Pumps & Equipment, Empowering Women in Industry, and the Empowering Industry Podcast (hosted by Matthews), sits down with Solving Water host Amanda Holloway at WEFTEC 2022 to discuss her trailblazing career, including: The value and need for mentorship in the water industry Her role in providing empowerment and career d...

Austin Alexander, Xylem Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact, joins the show to discuss a new Xylem paper released at WEFTEC 2022 , Net Zero: The Race We All Win. With over 80 water and wastewater utilities already setting net-zero and climate-neutrality targets, Alexander explains the water industry's role as a leader on the frontlines of climate change, and what utilities can do to...

Lindsay Birt, Client Solutions Manager at Xylem, joins the show from WEFTEC 2022 to discuss her role as a leader within InFlow, a program led by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) that helps introduce future leaders in water by engaging undergraduate and graduate students across the United States through offering in-person experiences at WEFTEC. Birt shares the process that selects scholars th...

Joe Johnston, Xylem Vice President of Global Lifecycle Services, joins the show to share his role in building shared success and supporting customers by aiming for and achieving outcomes that help improve efficiency, sustainability and address challenges faced by utilities today. Johnston explains the importance of lifecycle services and what it entails -- from extending the life of assets to help...

Xylem CEO Patrick Decker & Hayati Yarkadas, Senior Vice President and President, Europe, Water Infrastructure and Global Services at Xylem, join the show to discuss the current state of water challenges, including aging or underdeveloped infrastructure and climate change. They also share why they take an optimistic point of view when facing these challenges, the importance of building trust, and e...

Annabelle M. Rayson, of Canada, was the recipient of the prestigious 2022 Stockholm Junior Water Prize for her research on how to treat and prevent harmful algae blooms. Rayson’s project, titled, Plankton Wars: An Innovative Analysis of Daphnia Genotype Biomanipulations for Algae Bloom Prevention, is a direct response to the struggles her father -- a commercial fisherman -- was facing. This conver...

Nate Mather, currently with the San Bernardino water department and former Chief Plant Operator for the wastewater treatment plant, collections and drinking water systems aboard the 29 Palms Marine Corps Base in California, joins Solving Water to share stories from the field as a Xylem customer. Mather discusses his approach to project planning, choosing the correct pumps for the job, and experien...