Tap Talk

Today, we finish up Season 7 of Tap Talk with the final part of our conservation with Anthony DeRosa, the executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators ( ASDWA ). In this half of the conversation, Anthony discusses the changing approach of states to drinking water compliance and the challenges they face, the shifting culture of innovation and knowledge-sharing across...

To conclude Season 7 of Tap Talk, we bring you a two-part conversation with Anthony DeRosa, the executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators ( ASDWA ). In Part 1 of the episode, Anthony tells Steve and Jennifer about the work ASDWA does to support drinking water regulators, the evolution of the organization over the time he has worked there, and his approach to lead...

This week on Tap Talk, we are pleased to welcome to the show a colleague from the Illinois State Water Survey : Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford. Trent explains the weather phenomenon of El Niño to Steve & Jennifer, including the science behind the oscillation's mechanics, the likelihood of this year's El Niño becoming a "Super" El Niño, the expected impacts on regional climates around the...

This week's episode of Tap Talk is a direct follow-up to last week's show, " What We Can Learn from Vermont's Flash Drought ." In that episode, we primarily discussed the impact of flash drought to private well users in Vermont. This week, we hear about the challenges from the other side of 2025's water crisis: those experienced at public water systems. Sille Larsen, water resources program manage...

For the 80th episode of Tap Talk, we are pleased to talk with Tom DeBell, an environmental health engineer at the Vermont Department of Health. Tom tells Steve and Jennifer about the intense flash drought that Vermont (and other northeastern states) experienced in the summer of 2025, particularly how the drought impacted private well users in the state. They also discuss the steps that the health...

The more people maintain their septic systems, the more septage gets generated. But, there's increasingly no where for it to go. Sara Heger, a decentralized wastewater expert with NOWRA, is back on the show to break down why septage disposal is becoming a bigger headache, what PFAS and other contaminants have to do with it, and what it might actually take to fix this challenge. Visit drinkingwater...

Next up on Tap Talk, we are welcoming Shannan Walton, the National Rural Water Association 's Director of Workforce Development, to the show. At NRWA, Shannan has been integral in running the organization's successful NRWA Apprenticeship Program for training new operators across the country. Listen to her conversation with Steve and Jennifer to learn all about the history, development, and the fut...

This week on Tap Talk we finish our two-part series with Bob Schreiber! In this episode, Bob (a water resources engineer at  CDM Smith and long-time National Ground Water Association member) continues to discuss the development and importance of the National Ground Water Monitoring Network with Steve and Jennifer. They also discuss the links between Bob's advocacy work for both groundwater and bla...

Our newest Tap Talk episode is a two-parter! Today, we welcome Bob Schreiber, a water resources engineer at CDM Smith and long-time National Ground Water Association member, to the show to discuss the development and importance of the National Ground Water Monitoring Network . Be sure to tune back in next week for Part 2 with Bob! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show...

For Tap Talk's landmark 75th episode, we welcomed on Hunter Adams, the  Water Source & Purification Superintendent for the City of Wichita Falls, Texas. With Jennifer & Steve, Hunter discusses the importance of getting involved with the water industry and giving back to the water community. Hunter also explains the story behind the series of "What Operators Need to Know" articles he writes and edi...

Today, we welcome Katie Maegli of Water Quality Investigations to Tap Talk! WQI is a private water testing lab in southern Wisconsin, where Katie serves as the lab's microbiologist with specializations in buildings' water systems and Legionella management. This conversation dives deep into Legionella; from where the bacteria is commonly found, the regulatory guidelines that help reduce Legionella...

Tap Talk Season 7 is here! Today, we bring you a conversation with Michael Phillis, a water & environment reporter for the Associated Press. Michael tells Jennifer & Steve about how he got into environmental reporting, the importance and range of stories about water, and the experience of reporting the recent long-form investigation " A crisis emerges across the US as 'forever chemicals' quietly c...

Today, we finish Tap Talk Season 6 with the second part of our conversation with Mike McGill of WaterPIO ! Jennifer, Steve, and Mike discuss the importance of reliable and updated websites for water utilities, the similarities and differences in communicating about lead versus PFAS contamination, how small utilities can best communicate on these subjects, and more. We hope you've enjoyed Season 6,...

We're concluding Tap Talk Season 6 with another two-part series! Today, we release the first episode of the set: "Build Trust Before a Crisis: Communication Basics for Water Systems." Mike McGill, founder and president of water utility communications & PR firm WaterPIO , joins Jennifer and Steve to discuss the shifting landscape of communicating in the water sector. Between the longstanding issue...

In the second episode of our series featuring Andrew Jacque and Emily Hefty-Dieckhoff from Water Quality Investigations , we continue exploring the world of biofilms and other common water quality issues in household water systems. Make sure you've caught Part 1 first that covers a lot of biofilm basics, and then here in Part 2 hear Andrew, Emily, Steve, and Jennifer further discuss biofilm-induce...

In the first episode of a two-part series, we explore the world of biofilms in drinking water systems with guests Andrew Jacque and Emily Hefty-Dieckhoff of Water Quality Investigations . Andrew and Emily explain to Jennifer and Steve the fundamentals of what biofilms are, where they can be found both in water systems and naturally, and the health issues they can cause. Be sure to return for Part...

In Tap Talk's 68th episode, Steve and Jennifer chat with Kurt Rakouskas — a project manager at the Environmental Council of the States — about the organization's cross-disciplinary work and its stewardship of the Be Well Informed tool . This free tool helps well users understand the results of water tests performed on their wells by translating the scientific and technical notation into plain lang...

This week on Tap Talk we are pleased to welcome guest Erin Ling, a senior extension specialist at Virginia Tech University who coordinates the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP). The unique program provides a wealth of services to well owners in Virginia, including affordable testing, educational programming & workshops, water quality data collection & publication, and youth outreac...

In this episode we're concluding a two-part series exploring PFAS and their impact on private well users. Our conversation with Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson and Jennifer Hoponick Redmon dives further into their research efforts and potential applications. Together these episodes offer important foundational understanding as well as new insight on PFAS exposure via well water. Visit  drinkingwat...

In this episode we're kicking off a two-part series exploring PFAS—also known as "forever chemicals"—and their impact on private well users. Jennifer and Steve are joined by Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson and Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, two leading experts in environmental health and water quality. Together, they break down the science behind PFAS, discuss how these chemicals enter our water suppli...

In TT064, we bring you another private well-focused episode. Our guest is Cindy Brookes, a seasoned technical assistance provider at the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership , a division of RCAP . In this role, Cindy has assessed over 300 private wells and counseled well owners on how to proceed with their well challenges, and made significant use of the Private Well and Spring Assessment Tool...

This week on Tap Talk, we are beyond pleased to welcome two of our colleagues on our Water & Public Health team at the Illinois State Water Survey to the show: Sallie Dolan and Erin Huggett, who are the main forces behind running our Private Well Class Help Center and phone hotline. Launched in the spring of 2024, these services have assisted over 65,000 well owners in finding answers to their wel...

If you've ever been to WEFTEC , you know about Operations Challenge. The annual showcase of the top operations teams in the country is the Olympics of the industry, and it's impossible to miss in WEFTEC's exhibit hall. WEFTEC 2025 is just around the corner, and to mark the return of the world's largest water quality exhibition to Chicago, we welcomed Steve Harrison and Jeff Sober to the podcast. S...

To kick off Tap Talk's sixth season, today we bring you a special early episode to mark the 13th annual celebration of SepticSmart Week ! Jennifer and Steve welcomed Jim Starbard and Andrew Evans, technical assistance providers at RCAP Solutions , to the show to discuss some of stories of onsite wastewater and septic system challenges they have faced in Massachusetts and around New England. Someti...

And now for the final episode of Season 5! To wrap up this great season, we have the second installment of our conversation with Glenn Barnes, the director of Water Finance Assistance — a consulting agency that provides finance-focused training and technical assistance to water systems. This episode focuses on the role of technical assistance providers in performing water audits and how to develop...