In 2020, we couldn’t bring our Water Leader Summit’s curated conversations to the stage because of the pandemic, so we brought them to the airwaves in a special podcast, Water Sessions. In the 10-episode series, our guest moderators take you inside the realms of water innovation and stewardship as they share insights that are shaping the world of water.
EP 1 | Water Resiliency at the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans with Ghassan Korban of SWBNO
In our premiere episode, guest host Charles Fishman interviews Ghassan Korban, executive director of the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO), to discuss the challenges of modernizing an aging 4-in-1 utility system during demanding times, including an aging infrastructure, climate impacts and COVID-19.
EP 2 | Water Utility Resiliency During COVID-19 and Beyond with George Hawkins of Moonshot Missions
Guest host Charles Fishman welcomes Moonshot Missions CEO & Founder George Hawkins to discuss the monumental change in day-to-day operations for water utilities managing COVID-19, the state of the industry for public water institutions and his vision for building a more resilient model that can save costs and improve efficiencies despite infrastructure and funding challenges.
EP 3 | Climate Change Doesn’t Stop at the County Line with Dan Burger of the Charleston Resilience Network
In the low country around Charleston, S.C, sea level has risen a foot in the last 100 years, and the city itself has gone from 10 significant flooding events each year 20 years ago to more than 50 a year now. Six years ago, a group of professionals from the worlds of real estate, corporations, academia, government and environmental groups got together to form a regional network to tackle climate change across boundaries. Dan Burger, who then worked for the state of South Carolina’s environmental agency, was one of the co-founders of the Charleston Resilience Network, and tells the story of how it came to be.
EP 4 | Stormwater Infrastructure Stressors and Solutions with Greg Cannito of Corvias
Corvias may not be a household name but its partnerships with federal, state and municipal governments on the design of the operation and maintenance of stormwater systems are far-reaching. Listen in to hear Solutions Innovator Greg Cannito discuss the ever-changing environmental and regulatory stressors to stormwater management and some of the creative solutions the firm has employed to deliver good public outcomes for its partners.
EP 5 | Does Water Need AI? You Bet! with Dragan Savic of KWR Water Research Institute
Computerized intelligence has reshaped every aspect of our lives — from how we shop to the quality of our medical care. But the world of water has long resisted artificial intelligence and machine learning. Dragan Savic has spent his career bridging that gap — finding new ways to use the power of computing to make water systems more efficient, less expensive, less wasteful, and easier to run every day. Savic is very clear: Wherever you work in the world of water, it’s time to harness high-powered computing.
EP 6 | Water Utilities Have a Crystal Ball — They Just Don’t Use it Yet with Aquasuite’s Tom Woolley
How much water are your customers going to use? If you know the answer to that question, you can do a dozen other things smartly. Artificial intelligence and machine learning can transform the way water utilities are managed. Tom Woolley, business development director for water AI firm Aquasuite, explains how that simple, astonishingly accurate prediction — how much water your customers will use tomorrow at 2 pm — changes everything else.
EP 7 | A Better Understanding of Water Stewardship with Will Sarni
What is water stewardship and how does that translate into brand value for a corporation? As ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reporting proliferates, there is an opportunity for true corporate water stewards to be rewarded for credible water stewardship actions. To unpack these complex issues, The Water Council’s Matt Howard welcomes water strategist Will Sarni to kick the tires some wicked water problems and explore how ‘doing good’ makes for good business.
Dairy operations can use and discharge a lot of water. Simultaneously, the dairy industry is struggling as milk prices remain low and other external factors dminish the demand for milk. Miltrim Farms, located in central Wisconsin, milks 2,500 cows on nearly 5,000 acres of agricultural land. They believe that dairy farms can be stewards of the environment and water resources, while not only maintaining profits but leveraging their stewardship to enhance profitability. As the first farm in North America to earn Alliance for Water Stewardship certification, Miltrim Farms Manager David Trimner shares his insight about their water stewardship journey.
EP 9 | Creating a Water Stewardship District with Vicki Elkin and Lilith Fowler
Situated on the shores of 20 percent of the world’s freshwater supply, Milwaukee’s inner harbor is a natural resources gem. It’s not only a confluence of three rivers that come together and flow into Lake Michigan, but also a confluence of creative collaboration between private and public entities working together to support the region’s redevelopment with a focus on natural resource rehabilitation. Hear how local water-related stakeholders developed an urban “Water District” model based on the principles of the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard that serves as a best practice for other regions.
EP 10 | From Idea to Innovative Sensation: Hydraloop System’s Startup Story with Sabine Stuiver
With almost half the world’s population facing severe freshwater scarcity by 2030 without urgent action, the future is demanding the adoption of sustainable water practices to protect this precious resource. Hydraloop Systems co-founders Sabine Stuiver and Arthur Valkieser’s story starts with a determination to create a recycling system that retrieves, purifies and disinfects shower, bath and washing machine water without the traditional use of membranes or filters for household reuse. Ten years on, they went from idea to innovation sensation, winning CES’s Best of the Best award in 2020.
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The Water Sessions podcast series was made possible by the following generous sponsors:
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