Water Values Podcast

Brian Iversen, founder and managing partner of Cimbria Capital, pulls back the curtain on private equity in the water sector in this fascinating episode. Plus, Reese Tisdale joins us for another Bluefield on Tap session talking pipe materials and plastics. Settle in for a great episode! In this session, you’ll learn about: Why Brian believes the water sector is ripe for investment The role of grow...

Khris Dodson of Syracuse University’s Environmental Finance Center discusses a wide range of workforce development issues for water utilities. Khris identifies the problems with utility workforce development and also delves into potential solutions. It’s a great and important episode. In this session, you’ll learn about: What the biggest job needs are for water utilities Strategies to develop the...

Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Chairman Peter Lake joins us to discuss water infrastructure financing in Texas and more. Chairman Lake provides a wide-ranging interview showcasing his knowledge on water infrastructure finance, risk and creditworthiness assessment, opportunities for private capital, water markets, and much, much more. In this session, you’ll learn about: Pete’s background and...

New York Times best-selling author Seth Siegel joins The Water Values Podcast to discuss his most recent book, Troubled Water: What’s Wrong with What We Drink . In this session, you’ll learn about: Seth’s background and awakening to the water sector Why Seth chose to write a book on our water systems Seth’s conceptualization of the water governance problem Why Seth believes government does a poor...

After 100 episodes since his last appearance, George Hawkins joins The Water Values Podcast and discusses his work with Moonshot Missions. After filling us in on the 2 years since his departure from DC Water, George details specific examples of how utilities with challenging circumstances can optimize different aspects of their systems by adopting the modules prepared by Moonshot Missions. George...

An all-star panel of water experts discusses what happened with water in 2019 and provides a glimpse into what they expect 2020 will look like. Jeff Kightlinger, GM of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Sielen Namdar, a Smart Water executive with Cisco’s Cities and Communities team, and Reese Tisdale, President of Bluefield Research, collaborate to provide you with their insig...

It’s the holidays and that means it’s time for an interview from a philanthropic viewpoint. Walt Walker, a professional engineer with Greeley and Hansen, discusses his work with Engineers Without Borders. Our industry has lots of good people, and Walt represents a shining example of leadership in the water sector. Take a listen and hear how Engineers Without Borders improves lives around the globe...

JP Joly of Waterworth discusses water utility financial issues and offers great insights on water utility finances. JP delves into a wide array of financial issues affecting utilities, including modeling, cash reserves, intergenerational equity, and infrastructure cost issues. JP provides a great and unique perspective on water utility financial issues.

Aquacycl Founder and CEO, Orianna Bretschger, discusses the BioElectrochemical  Treatment Technology (BETT) that allows for distributed wastewater treatment or pretreatment. It’s a great look inside this fascinating treatment technology that Aquacycl has brought to the market. Reese Tisdale and our Bluefield on Tap segment address the California wildfires and their effects on water utilities.

Marty Wessler sits on Indiana’s legislatively created Water Infrastructure Task Force, several of whose recommendations were enacted into law in 2019. Marty relates the work of the task force, why certain recommendations were made, and how those recommendations became law.

Tony Parrott & Sharise Horne of the Louisville MSD tackle the important issue of water equity in Louisville, KY. Tony & Sharise describe how Louisville MSD’s workforce development, procurement programs, rate design & more in pursuing water equity.

Entrepreneur Rocky Holliday joins The Water Values Podcast to discuss the story of Watership Blue and ship-to-shore mobile desalination. Rocky discusses where the idea for Watership Blue originated, how the entrepreneurial process began, the hurdles overcome and how Watership Blue sees the market and analyzes and mitigates risks. It’s a fascinating discussion.

Glenn Barnes of Water Finance Assistance provides a terrific overview of water finance issues. Glenn shares his knowledge and experience after working for over a decade in water finance and UNC’s Environmental Finance Center. Also in our Bluefield on Tap segment, Erin Bonney Casey returns to discuss Bluefield Research’s latest research concerning water rates.

Newsha Ajami, Director of Urban Water Policy at Stanford and a Research Engineer for Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, engages in a wide-ranging discussion about her interdisciplinary approach to urban water systems and sustainable water management. Newsha meshes water, legislative, energy, and urban perspectives into her approach to sustainable urban water management.

Arron Hieatt joins us to discuss Australia’s water utility governance regime and infrastructure issues. Arron clearly describes Australia’s water utility governance model and the infrastructure issues encountered Down Under. He also enlightens us on innovative solutions deployed by Australian utilities to address governance and infrastructure issues. Also, Reese Tisdale returns for Bluefield on Ta...

Manny Teodoro, Associate Professor at Texas A&M, delivers an insightful and fun interview. Manny discusses the public vs. private ownership models, the benefits and dangers of each (yes, publicly owned systems are not inherently beneficial), and other water governance issues. Manny also describes decoupling and how it factors into water governance models. Manny lives up to his billing as a gre...

Emagin’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jonathan Grant, explains how Emagin is helping to mainstream AI and machine learning. Jonathan identifies and answers the most common AI questions and dispels AI misconceptions. He also provides discrete examples of AI and machine learning implementation, including what Emagin experiences as common ROI for implementation. Also, Eric Bindler provides his takeaways o...

US Water Alliance CEO Radhika Fox targets infrastructure issues affecting the United States. Radhika explains who the US Water Alliance is, its mission, and the programs it undertakes to promote that mission. She does a wonderful job highlighting water infrastructure issues at play in the US and programs that can help with water infrastructure funding and education.

Cindy Wallis-Lage, the President of Black & Veatch’s Global Water Business, provides a great discussion of digital water. Cindy delves into the deep and broad capabilities digital water provides utilities and other participants in the water sector. She also offers ideas and examples for implementation of digital water solutions, including resulting savings. Erin Bonney Casey provides insights...

American Water Works Association (AWWA) CEO David LaFrance joins The Water Values Podcast for a wide-ranging look at the AWWA. David recounts some history of the AWWA, discusses AWWA’s strategic initiatives (including a recap of how AWWA’s expansion to India is going) and important current issues, and identifies some key trends where he sees water issues heading in the future. David gives a great...

Reese Tisdale returns for a third time to discuss digital water. As always, Reese does a terrific job identifying trends, explaining drivers for water industry trends, and providing specific examples of areas where digital water is being used. It’s great to catch up with Reese again in a full interview – can’t believe how long it had been since we had him on as the featured guest!

Todd Danielson, Chief Utilities Executive at Avon Lake Regional Water, relates a number of issues pertaining to utilities in the Midwest. Water quality (including a very interesting preliminary look at what a water quality trading market might look like), water rates, “idle infrastructure” and more issues are addressed. Todd also speaks to Avon Lake Regional Water’s in-process strategic plan and w...

Antony Currie, a financial reporter who writes about financial risk from water, joins The Water Values Podcast to discuss the risks to the economy from water. Antony details a plethora of issues facing businesses dealing with a wide range of water risks from flooding to scarcity. Also, Reese Tisdale provides the latest on water systems in water-scarce areas turning to water reuse, including an ext...

Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager & Executive Director of City of Los Angeles’ Bureau of Street Services and former Assistant Director with Los Angeles’ Bureau of Sanitation, shares his approach to infrastructure assessment, team and culture building, and a holistic approach to infrastructure. Adel also discusses the interrelationship of street and road infrastructure with water infrastructure,...

Bill Brennan sheds significant light on building a portfolio of sustainable & ESG investments in the water sector. Bill discusses characteristics of companies he looks for, distinguishing those companies, and digging into the data to determine how those companies are impacting water in a positive way. Also, Reese Tisdale joins the podcast for a market update on the water sector, including a de...