Talking Under Water

In this week's episode of Talking Under Water, we are sharing part one of a panel featuring infrastructure and energy editorial leads at Endeavor Business Media. This panel, EBM's Data Center, Communications, and Power Infrastructure Confluence Forum, is a shared discussion on important topics, such as funding and regulations, and how those are affecting various infrastructure brands. The brands t...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, we are continuing our annual tradition started last year of asking our colleagues within Endeavor Business Media about the importance of water for their industries and what a day without water would look like in their market. This year, we are featuring the Robert Schoenberger Manufacturing group editorial director; Matthew Vincent, editor-in-chief of Data C...

Steve Grise is the GM of utilities for North America at VertiGIS. In this episode, Grise explains how VertiGIS aims to help organizations to manage the data they need. In addition to traditional mapping and work management support, there are many other challenges such as the retiring workforce, regulatory pressures, and aging infrastructure. Grise talks about helping organizations tackle these cha...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, hosts Mandy Crispin, Alex Cossin and Bob Crossen discuss their experience at WEFTEC and their main takeaways from the show. Crossen talks about his conversations surrounding destruction and disposal of PFAS and the concerns water professionals have about the emissions from destruction technologies. Crispin shares some insights from a conversation she had wit...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts discuss a report of alleged Clean Water Act violations in Idaho, a partnership between the Bureau of Reclamation and other federal agencies to address water management challenges, and infrastructure funding news.    Show Notes:    Idaho wastewater treatment plant report shows 458 Clean Water Act violations in 2023   Submitting a letter of interest...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, Co-host Bob Crossen is joined by Bruce Bharat, country manager and vice president of North America for Kamstrup, and Jason Hewitt, managing partner of Infrastructure for Sustainability Partners. Crossen spoke with them about metering as a service, how their business model works, the safeguards in place for utilities, and the long-term goals they have in mind...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, we share recent industry news including SpaceX’s application for a treated wastewater discharge permit; the Delaware Riverkeeper’s notice of in intent to sue U.S. EPA regarding proposed rules for the Clean Water Act; some Lead and copper rule updates and a deadline reminder; and finally, a PFAS testing initiative from EPA and the US Army.  Show Notes SpaceX...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, co-host Katie Johns is joined by Maria Lehman, GHD’s U.S. Infrastructure Lead, past president of ASCE, and vice chair of the president's national infrastructure advisory council. Lehman and Johns discuss GHD’s new CROSSROADS research study, which explores intergenerational equity through an infrastructure lens. 13,000 people across multiple generations were...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts dive into recent industry news, including NOAA funding for coastal resiliency along with a Safe Drinking Water Act Violation in New York state. Additionally, the hosts provide brief history and current notes on SRF funding.     Show Notes:   NOAA announces nearly $220 million for habitat restoration and coastal resilience  U.S. EPA announces settle...

In June, the United States Supreme Court overturned a 40-year-old precedent called “Chevron deference” in the “Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo” case. Chevron deference essentially meant that in cases where interpretation of a law developed by Congress was grey the courts would yield their decisions to the primacy agency in charge of enforcing the law. With this latest ruling, deference will n...

In this episode of Talking Under Water co-hosts Bob Crossen and Mandy Crispin, along with Water Group Editor Alex Cossin share the trends they witnessed at AWWA ACE24 in Anaheim, California. Then, the hosts are joined by fellow co-host Katie Johns to discuss recent industry news, including $60 million in funding from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Association to build a climate-ready workf...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, Duke McCall, partner in Environmental Counseling & Litigation at Morgan Lewis, discusses the 1-year anniversary of the Sackett vs. EPA ruling. The Supreme Court’s decision on Sackett v. EPA significantly altered ‘waters of the United States,’ only allowing the regulation of wetlands that are indistinguishable from a protected body of water. In this inter...

In this episode, hosts discuss recent industry news, including DuPont's plans to spin off into multiple companies, in which the holding company’s electronics and water divisions will split from its core industrial chemical businesses. The hosts also discuss recent State Revolving Fund support across the water sector, Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant funding, the 2024 hurricane s...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, co-host Katie Johns interviews Roland Jones, market director for the Mid-Atlantic Region for the Clean Water Partnership and Corvias Infrastructure Solutions. The two discuss various aspects of flood control, including funding, flood mitigation challenges and implementing flood control measures.  

In this episode of Talking Under Water, we touch on recent industry news, including the looming biosolids crisis in Maine following the state's ban on land application due to biosolids. Incinerators and landfills have limited what they will accept and the only state-run landfill expects to run out of capacity by 2028. We also touch on funding for the Chesapeake Bay as well as some news about cyber...

On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS contaminants. This is the first brand new Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set by the EPA since arsenic was updated in 2001. In this episode, four industry professionals; Miles Menyhert,  liquid phase applications engineer at Jacobi Carbons; Ken Sansone, partner at SL Environmental; Kyle T...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts discuss how the Water Coalition Against PFAS testified on Capitol Hill during a PFAS hearing; share news about California's Department of Water Resources completing a groundwater mapping project; and the White House’s plans to work with state administrations to address cyber risk in the water industry. Finally, this week's interview is with Andrew...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, get to know the new acting assistant administrator to the U.S. EPA Office of Water, Bruno Pigott. Pigott was promoted to this role in February, and in this interview with Co-host Bob Crossen, Pigott touches on his vision for the future of water; issues to tackle, such as PFAS; how he hopes his past experiences and professional relationships can help the indu...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, we share our final episode celebrating Women’s History Month. Co-host Bob Crossen interviews Kathy Romans, water and wastewater segment manager for the protective and marine coatings division of PPG for US and Canada. Romans was the first woman president of NASSCO where she played a vital role in influencing safety practices and industry standards; and is a...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts discuss the recent leadership changes and movement in the EPA Office of Water, a letter from water leaders urging Congressional leaders to reinstate the complete funding of the SRF programs for drinking water and clean water, and Water Research Foundation's request for project pre-proposals. Finally, our interview this episode features Amanda Jones...

On December 19, 2023, the state of California passed new regulations for direct potable reuse. In this episode of Talking Under Water, Co-host Mandy Crispin, editor-in-chief of WaterWorld, talks with David Pederson, the president of WaterReuse California, and Rosario Cortes, WaterReuse California’s regulatory affairs director about what direct potable reuse is and how and why the regulation was de...

In this episode of Talking Under Water the hosts discuss U.S. EPA’s latest proposal to add nine PFAS to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act as hazardous substances, a public draft testing method for detecting 6PPD-quinone in stormwater and updates to the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements including public comments that were submitted. Additionally, this week’s interview features Ifetayo Venn...

In this week’s episode of Talking Under Water, co-host Katie Johns interviews Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) General Manager Joe Mouaward. EMWD has been elevating its work with desalinated water, so the conversation dives nto groundwater desalination, how stormwater plays a role and the importance of funding.   Show Notes:   EMWD places emphasis on groundwater desalination Research finds...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, the hosts talk about the announcement from U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator to the Office of Water Radhika Fox that she is leaving EPA in February, the re-adoption of an emergency regulation for minimum flow of some river in California, Illinois EPA funding availability and how to apply, and the entrance of Aqualia to the U.S. Market. Finally, the interview...

In this episode of Talking Under Water, co-host Bob Crossen talks with Radhika Fox, assistant administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, about the agency’s annual Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Progress report, which was released on Dec. 14, 2023. Crossen and Fox discuss UCMR5; the proposed Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for the National Primary Drin...