Tap Talk

Welcome to Tap Talk episode #93! In this installment, we're excited to welcome on Smiti Nepal, an environmental engineer in the US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Wastewater Management. Our conversation centers on SCOWT, the EPA's Searchable Clearinghouse of Wastewater Technology, and how this tool helps to connect small and rural communities to resources on advanced wastewater technology.  Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

For TT092, we're happy to welcome Marty Nessman, chief of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Private Water Section, to the show! Marty tells Jennifer and Steve all about the ways the state of Wisconsin strives to serve its well community, from well users to well drillers. From making advanced well data available for public view to using American Rescue Plan Act funds on the essential drinking water infrastructure that is private wells to new federal money for testing wells for PFAS, Wisconsin serves as an important model for state-level well water advancement. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

This week's episode of Tap Talk, #91, finishes the conversation we began last week with Dr. Andrew Jacque, the founder and chief scientist at Water Quality Investigations. In Part 2 of the episode, which extensively covers water quality issues caused by biofilms in private and public water systems, we cover additional related topics like lead and copper, oversized household pipes, water system hygiene, stagnation, and more. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

This week, we welcome a returning guest back to the show: Dr. Andrew Jacque, founder and chief scientist at Water Quality Investigations. Andrew previously guested on episodes TT069 and TT070 along with his colleague Emily Hefty-Dieckhoff, where they covered the basics of biofilms and the impacts they have in household water systems. In Part 1 of this new two-part episode, Andrew dives even deeper into the water quality issues that biofilms cause in all kinds of water systems from private wells to public water supplies. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

For Tap Talk's 89th episode, we were pleased to welcome on Gary Hawkins, a water resource management specialist at University of Georgia Extension! In this role, Gary spends a lot of his time conducting outreach and education programs for the citizens of Georgia to teach them more about their septic systems, private wells, and other water resources. In this episode, he dives deep with Steve and Jennifer on how he has built creative and engaging methods of delivering needed onsite wastewater education. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

This episode welcomes back Dr. Amie Shei of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, joined by Jenna Day of RCAP Solutions, to share what's happened since we first discussed their private well project in TT041. They explain how sampling hundreds of wells grew into a statewide coalition, a funded MassDEP study, and a bill that would require private well testing when a property is sold. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

This week we continue talking with Heather Stevenson, the Director of Workforce Development for the Kentucky Rural Water Association. Last week, we discussed the development of Kentucky's rural water apprenticeship program. Here in Part 2, Heather, Steve, and Jennifer continue to discuss the current direction of the program, the use of VR as a training tool, the importance of on-the-job training, the necessity of building relationships in the water industry, and more. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

This week for TT086, our guest is Heather Stevenson, the Director of Workforce Development for the Kentucky Rural Water Association. Kentucky is one of the 35 states that participates in the National Rural Water Association's apprenticeship program, and Heather has overseen the building of Kentucky's program and the development of many successful apprentice graduates since 2019. In Part 1 of our conversation with her, Heather, Steve, and Jennifer discuss the requirements and basics of KRWA's program, its history, the advantages it offers to the industry, success stories from graduates, and more. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

Welcome to Tap Talk Season 8! To kick off this new season, we welcome Courtney Lee to the show, who is the Director of Workforce Development at The Water Tower. The Water Tower is a nonprofit innovation hub striving to transform the future of water with research, workforce development, and industry collaboration programs. Courtney talks with Steve and Jennifer the unique approaches the organization is using to cultivate the next generation of water professionals. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

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 the water sector, and some of the distinct difficulties that small systems deal with. Don't forget to listen to Part 1 of this episode if you haven't yet. And keep your eyes peeled for Tap Talk Season 8! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.