waterloop

The South continues to experience rapid development and is now facing more intense rainfalls due to climate change. This makes stormwater management a more critical issue for the region. This episode delves into the challenges and solutions with Vinicius Taguchi, an Extension Associate at North Carolina State University.  He highlights Wilson, North Carolina as an example of a community with storm...

This episode is part of a series Mississippi By Nature that explores how nature based solutions are helping the river and its communities. The Houma Nation has a deep-rooted history in southeastern Louisiana, where they have lived and thrived along the Mississippi River and its delta for centuries. Recently, they face escalating challenges as environmental degradation accelerates, pushing them eve...

As the Western United States grapples with water scarcity, onsite recycling is becoming a crucial solution. San Francisco has positioned itself at the forefront of this initiative. This episode explores the city's pioneering efforts in onsite water recycling with Paula Kehoe, Director of Water Resources at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Delving into the city's adoption of advanced...

This episode is part of a series Mississippi By Nature that explores how nature based solutions are helping the river and its communities. For the past 200 years, no single entity has had more influence on the Mississippi River than the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Since 1824, the federal agency has been responsible for maintaining navigation, promoting commerce, and preventing flooding along the...

This episode is part of a series Mississippi By Nature that explores how nature based solutions are helping the river and its communities. This episode features a ride to the mouth of the Mississippi River with Captain Richie Blink of Delta Discovery Tours, who shares how he has seen the river change over his decades on the water and how projects that use nature itself are beneficial. Then John Sa...

The iconic Charles River, central to Boston's suburbs and urban landscape, faces significant environmental challenges, including the impacts of climate change. The problems such as flooding hit hardest in downstream areas that are often disadvantaged communities. Dira Johanif, with her roots in the diverse environments of Malaysia—from bustling cities to the lush rainforests of Borneo—brings a uni...

Water scarcity and groundwater overuse are driving land use dilemmas in California, particularly in agriculture. One promising solution gaining traction is multi-benefit land repurposing, which involves transforming unproductive farmland to capture rain, floods, and diverted water for groundwater recharge. These repurposed lands also provide various advantages for wildlife, recreation, education,...

2024 is the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the landmark federal legislation designed to protect public health by regulating the quality of drinking water in the United States. This episode features a discussion with Alan Roberson, Executive Director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators. He explores the state of America’s drinking water before the enact...

Sustainability is now a pivotal concern in the realm of corporate responsibility, pushing companies to integrate environmentally beneficial practices into their core strategies. This shift is particularly evident in the growing focus on water stewardship and the adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, highlighting how businesses are increasingly held accountable for their...

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) has consistently defied conventions in the use of social media by a water utility. Their approach combines humor and human connection to foster relationships within the community. During the last holiday season, they took their efforts a step further by encouraging people to dial a phone number, which greeted them with a heartfelt voice message....

It only rains about 11 inches per year in Tucson, Arizona and decades of historic mismanagement compounded the water scarcity problems, resulting in dwindling groundwater supplies and a mostly dry Santa Cruz River. In response, this city in the Sonoran Desert became a leader in saving, reusing, and recycling water. Programs to conserve water and reclaim treated wastewater are discussed in this epi...

As a variety of forces continue to change the water landscape in the American West, adaptation is the focus. This episode features conversations with several prominent water leaders from the One Water Summit in Tucson. Adel Hagekhalil, the General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, explains ambitious plans to capture, store, and recycle enormous amounts of water acr...

Members of the Color of Water directory bring extensive knowledge and firsthand experience in water solutions, environmental justice, climate resilience, on-the-ground research, and policy advocacy. A new collaborative series between waterloop and the Water Hub will provide a platform for these diverse experts, who are improving understanding and management of water in their communities. This epis...

Blue Plains, located in Washington, D.C., holds the title of the world's largest advanced wastewater treatment plant. In this episode, join Miguel Miranda, a process engineer at DC Water, for an informative and technical tour of the facility. Treating approximately 380 million gallons daily, the plant is a testament to cutting-edge environmental engineering. Miguel delves into the advanced treatme...

King tides are the highest high tides of the year and they are increasing due to factors such as rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and land subsidence. Communities are experiencing more flooding from king tides, posing a variety of challenges and hazards. This episode explores a collaboration between the North Carolina King Tides Project and Wetlands Watch that utilizes digital tools and citizen...

There's an urgent need for assistance with water and sanitation in the United States, where 2 million people lack access to basic services. In this episode, Boris Martin, CEO of Engineers Without Borders USA, delves into the challenges faced by underserved communities, particularly when it comes to accessing funds. Boris talks about the transformation of 14,000 engineers into volunteers, many of w...

In a groundbreaking episode, water management in the digital era is explored through a unique engagement with artificial intelligence. ChatGPT was used to create Dr. Aqua, an AI persona embodying a water management expert. Dr. Aqua's responses were then given voice and visual life through AI tools, presenting a fascinatingly interactive character. Dr. Aqua discusses the integration of digital twin...

Water management is critical and challenging for Navajo Nation, which spreads across 27,000 square miles of the arid Southwest. In this episode, Crystal Tulley-Cordova, Principal Hydrologist for the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, shares her experiences and observations, including how climate change is impacting the landscape. She discusses the role of Navajo Nation in management of t...

This is an epilogue to the series The PFAS Puzzle: Lessons From A Contaminated Fear. The chemicals were dumped in the North Carolina river for nearly 40 years before being discovered. The series explores how a community responds when it is the epicenter of PFAS pollution. In this episode, waterloop founder Travis Loop shares some of the pivotal soundbites from an array of experts including environ...

There is tremendous potential in onsite reuse, where a building’s greywater, wastewater, or stormwater is treated and used again at the same location. To raise awareness of this technology, a beer was brewed using water recycled by an onsite system at a San Francisco apartment building. The OneWater Brew and the concept of onsite reuse are discussed in this episode with Aaron Tartakovsky, CEO of E...

Historic levels of funding are available to replace lead service lines across the United States. But thousands of water systems are so small they lack the staff expertise and capacity needed to identify, apply for, and manage funds. That’s why there is a massive push to expand and deploy technical assistance, including the launch of more environmental finance centers. The effort is discussed in th...

Resilience is a shared characteristic of rural communities, often dealing with adversity through their close-knit and resourceful nature. However, the ongoing rural struggles related to water infrastructure, pollution, and workforce shortages are now amplified by the effects of climate change. New strategies and technical assistance can build up their resilience, as discussed in this podcast with...

A sommelier is commonly associated with wine expertise, but there exists a category of professionals specializing in the assessment of water's taste, texture, and quality. These experts offer valuable insights into attributes like mineral composition, source, and purity, all of which are explored in this episode featuring Milin Patel, a water sommelier and consultant. Milin takes the podcast host...

Time spent exploring outdoors can provide the best perspective on the state of our water world. This episode delves into the remarkable lessons offered by the mountains and rivers of Colorado, insights shared by Chris Wolff on his Adventure Hydrology Instagram page. Chris takes us through the observations and transformations he's witnessed during his hikes, rafting excursions, and skiing adventure...

It’s the year 2099 and civilization has finally achieved global water sustainability. In this positive era, water is a human right, properly valued, efficiently and productively used, extensively reused, and part of thriving ecosystems. The path to this future is discussed in this episode with Peter Gleick, author of The Three Ages of Water and President Emeritus of the Pacific Institute. He expla...