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Words on Water

Words on Water

A podcast featuring conversations with influential and interesting people from the water sector and news from the Water Environment Federation.

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  • 21 episodes
  • Avg 28 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • September 21 · 12 min

    279: WEFTEC 2026 Kicks Off With Jammin'4Water

    Looking for a great way to rock into WEFTEC 2026! WEF's Jammin'4Water is the place to be Saturday, September 26th, in New Orleans. Take a listen to WEF's Alexie Kindrick and J4W organizers Lorene Bruns and Brian Liotta on how to join the fun in New Orleans.

  • September 15 · 49 min

    #278: Insider Look at WEFTEC 2026 Operations Challenge

    Join Operations Challenge Community Chair, Kim Furry and WEF Staff Member, Jessica Rozek, as they break down everything you need to know about Operations Challenge at WEFTEC 2026. Learn how the competition works, get a preview of this year's schedule, hear about new initiatives and events, and find out which teams to keep an eye on as they compete for top honors.

  • August 25 · 1 hr 16 min

    #277: Challenge Accepted Podcast | RMWEA Rocky Mountain Rivalry 2026

    The Rocky Mountain Rivalry brought together 12 elite Operations Challenge teams from across the country for one of the toughest qualifying competitions of the year. In this episode, competitors and volunteers share their experiences, challenges, and highlights from the 2026 event in Brighton, Colorado, as teams prepare for WEFTEC.

  • July 22 · 1 hr 25 min

    #276: The IFAT Munich World Water Skills Competition

    In this episode, we head to IFAT Munich, the world’s largest environmental trade fair, where World Water Skills brings operators from around the globe together for an international skills competition inspired by WEF’s Operations Challenge. Since 2016, teams representing WEF and the Operations Challenge community have competed on this global stage. We’ll explore how World Water Skills compares to Operations Challenge, what it takes for two-person teams to prepare, the professional benefits of competing, and how the WEF teams finished in the standings.

  • June 16 · 12 min

    #275: RSP Engineers Introduces AI Software Platform to the Water Sector

    RSP Engineers is improving how to manage and operate infrastructure—everything from water and wastewater systems to utilities and public sector projects. Listen to Rudolfo Sucre, President of RSP Engineers and RSP AI Technologies, discuss an AI platform called Atlas, which brings together data from maps, regulations, engineering systems, and operations into one place.

  • June 1 · 14 min

    #274: Rethinking Innovation in Water: Why Solving Tomorrow's Challenges Take More Than Technology

    The 2nd Annual WEF/WateReuse Industrial Water Solutions Conference kicks off June 8-10th in Chicago. Business and utility leaders will come together to collaborate on the latest in the Circular Water Economy. Listen to our discussion with Heather Cheslek, Associate Vice President and Global Industrial Water Solution Leader at Black & Veatch, and Nyima Dansira, Senior Project Manager, specializing in industrial water systems.

  • April 27 · 1 hr 13 min

    #271: 2026 Operations Challenge Kick-Off

    The 2026 Operations Challenge qualifying season officially kicked off at the South Carolina Environmental Conference (SCEC), co-hosted by the Water Environment Association of South Carolina and the South Carolina Section of the American Water Works Association. Held in March, the competition brought together 15 Operations Challenge teams from nine states and the District of Columbia—making it the largest South Carolina Operations Challenge in history. From the debut of the new safety event to the high-energy pipe cut relay, this episode features firsthand insights from the competing teams, along with SCEC Operations Challenge Event Coordinator Seth Duncan, as they reflect on the challenges, highlights, and overall success of the event.

  • April 3 · 1 hr 1 min

    #270: Challenge Accepted: The OC Forum Podcast

    Operations Challenge at WEFTEC 2025 wrapped up with a historic Division I sweep by teams from the Rocky Mountain Water Environment Association (RMWEA). In this episode of Challenge Accepted: The OC Forum, members of RMWEA’s Elevated Ops, Sewerside Squad, and Double Duty—joined by former competitor and mentor Orren West—reflect on the competition. They dive into how they prepared, what defines a winner’s mindset, and how collaboration across teams and utilities helps elevate performance throughout the wastewater profession.

  • April 2 · 11 min

    #269: Aqualis Electronic Stormwater Record Retention Program

    What's the best way to avoid stormwater compliance violations? Instead of relying on traditional hard-copy binders, Aqualis offers an electronic system to keep organized, well-maintained records. Listen to our conversation with Lisa Cratty, Director of Compliance with Aqualis, on the challenges and solutions for keeping up with regulatory requirements

  • March 17 · 11 min

    #268: The David Jenkins $ 10,000 Operator Scholarship Award

    Krishna Pagilla is the Chair of the David Jenkins Operator Scholarship. A former student and a Jenkins family friend, Dr. Pagilla talks about the life of Dr. Jenkins and why this $10,000 Operator Scholarship Award is a legacy of love.

  • March 10 · 55 min

    # 267: Introducing the Ops Challenge Podcast, Challenge Accepted

    Challenge Accepted: The OC Forum is a new podcast from the Water Environment Federation’s Words on Water, dedicated to all things Operations Challenge. Hosted by Operations Challenge legends, Steve Motley and Donnie Cagle, the show features conversations with the people who shape the competition—past, present, and future. Today, we dive into the new Safety Event debuting at WEFTEC 2026!

  • January 21 · 7 min

    #265: WEF's Utility Spotlight Series

    WEF is launching a new webcast series focused on recruiting more people to the water sector. Senior Director of Workforce Development, Laura Herman, gives us a preview of the first episode, "Leveraging Technology & AI in Workforce Operations".

  • January 21 · 16 min

    #266: WEF Summit on Financing the Future of the U.S. Water Sector

    How can utilities access the funding they need? That's the central question WEF aims to help answer at the upcoming Summit on Financing the Future of the Water Sector. Listen as we talk to Justin Mattingly, WEF's Senior Advisor for Resource Recovery, about the conference and how strategies for securing water infrastructure development will take center stage.

  • #263
    Sep 15, 2025 · 8 min

    #263: Balancing AI Growth with Sustainable Practices

    As AI data centers expand, finding ways to save water is becoming increasingly crucial. Listen to our conversation with Rodolfo Sucre, Principal of RSP Engineers, about how balancing AI growth with sustainable practices is the key to managing the challenge.

  • Jul 22, 2025 · 13 min

    #261: Engaging Young Professionals in the Water Industry

    The water sector urgently needs more people. Listen to our conversation with Chief Development Officer, Erin Grenz, with AQUALIS, a nationwide premier provider of sustainable water engineering and management for stormwater, wastewater and water quality testing, on how the company is recruiting young professionals to the water sector.

  • Jul 1, 2025 · 16 min

    #260: How Veolia is Unlocking the Power of Water Reuse in Municipal and Industrial Practices

    A WEF Strategic Goal is to lead the transformation to the Circular Water Economy. Veolia is embracing the challenge of water reuse as it addresses the critical issue of water scarcity. Listen as we talk with Karine Rougé, Chief Executive Officer of Municipal Water Services and Karin Hamel, President and CEO of the Sustainable Industries & Buildings Division.

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes