At the Orange County Water District, research drives reliability in recycling. Megan Plumlee explains how her team focuses on two core challenges of potable reuse — perfecting the treatment technologies that purify water and advancing the monitoring systems that guarantee its quality. By partnering with startups, universities, and engineering firms,…
The critical intersection of artificial intelligence and water management was in focus at WEFTEC 2025 with the launch of the Water-AI Nexus Center of Excellence, a new collaboration bringing together leaders from technology, research, and utilities. Its overarching focus is on two priorities: 💧 Water for AI — ensuring AI…
When wastewater solids contain PFAS, land application can release these chemicals back into the environment — potentially reaching soil, wildlife, and even drinking water. Peter Grevatt of The Water Research Foundation says the challenge now is to step back and ask bigger questions: if not land application, then where should…
When it comes to water reuse, Orange County doesn’t just lead—it teaches. Mehul Patel of the Orange County Water District says transparency has been key to their global impact. From opening data and operating details to guiding new projects, OCWD freely shares the lessons learned from the world’s largest advanced…
Sometimes the most powerful innovations start with a simple idea—and a splash of color. In the 1980s, engineers at the Irvine Ranch Water District needed a way to distinguish recycled water from drinking water. Blue, green, and red were already taken—so they picked purple. That choice, sparked partly by a…
Orange County shows how water recycling moves from idea to impact—linking history, science, and workforce to make reuse mainstream. At Irvine Ranch Water District, Paul Cook explains how a simple visual breakthrough—the now-iconic purple pipe—was created in the 1980s to clearly mark recycled water and build public trust, a standard…
Along the banks of the Rio Grande in Laredo, Texas, a 40-acre stretch of land tells a story of resilience — and renewal. Once overrun by invasive plants and scarred by destructive borderland management practices, this riparian zone is now being restored through science and community action. Martin Castro, Watershed…
PFAS destruction may soon get a major energy-saving upgrade — using the same technology that heats your lunch. Researchers supported by The Water Research Foundation have discovered that microwaves can regenerate activated carbon and destroy PFAS at a fraction of the energy needed for incineration. The team is now exploring…
Annabelle Rayson’s journey into water science began on the shores of Lake Huron and has grown into an award-winning pursuit of global impact. A student at Harvard University and winner of the 2022 Stockholm Junior Water Prize, Annabelle shares how her childhood curiosity about the Great Lakes evolved into groundbreaking…
SUEZ is opening its playbook of 160 years of water engineering and operational expertise — not to compete, but to collaborate. Abigail Antolovich of SUEZ explains how the company is licensing its process technologies to local partners and integrators, allowing them to combine global innovation with regional know-how. As part…
It looks like someone spilled green paint across Baltimore’s Inner Harbor — but this eerie glow isn’t pollution. It’s a pistachio tide, caused by sulfur-loving bacteria rising from the harbor’s depths as warm days and cold nights flip the water column. When sunlight hits the surface, ultraviolet light reacts with…
For more than a decade, SUEZ has helped over 100 U.S. utilities use digital technology to design smarter water networks and operate treatment plants more efficiently. Now, the company is going a step further—bringing its proven treatment technologies, intellectual property, and global expertise directly to North America. Joshua Cantone of…
SUEZ is aiming to ignite innovation in North America by bringing its 160 years of global water expertise and thousands of patented treatment technologies to utilities across the continent. In this conversation from WEFTEC, Joshua Cantone and Abigail Antolovich of SUEZ share how the company is focused on empowering utilities…
Shimadzu is one of the leading manufacturers of analytical instruments in the world. Throughout its 150-year history, Shimadzu has been at the forefront of helping laboratories solve current and emerging analytical needs. This customer-focused philosophy is why Shimadzu is a leader in solutions for the analysis of PFAS. Shimadzu offers…
The biggest source of PFAS chemicals entering wastewater treatment plants isn’t industry — it’s what’s coming from our homes and offices. Peter Grevatt, CEO of The Water Research Foundation, explains that when you combine concentration and volume, domestic wastewater accounts for the greatest overall PFAS mass reaching treatment facilities. That…
How do we measure, treat, and track PFAS across the water cycle? The Water Research Foundation is investing millions in more than 20 studies to find out — examining how these persistent chemicals move through drinking water, wastewater, and the environment. It’s a major step toward the science-based solutions needed…
PFAS remains one of water’s toughest and most urgent challenges — a class of thousands of persistent compounds still only partly understood but deeply embedded in modern life and the environment. In this episode, Peter Grevatt, CEO of The Water Research Foundation, discusses the state of PAS research, including how…
Not long ago, most San Diegans weren’t ready to drink recycled water. Today, the story couldn’t be more different. Through years of education, transparency, and outreach, Pure Water San Diego has transformed public perception — from just one-third support in the early 2000s to 76% approval in 2024, says Doug…
At the very end of California’s massive water delivery system, San Diego faces a simple truth — the water it depends on could run dry. That’s why Doug Campbell of the City of San Diego says the region is turning to recycled water as a locally controlled, sustainable solution. By…
The biggest infrastructure project in San Diego’s history is redefining what’s possible with water. Pure Water San Diego will divert 32 million gallons of wastewater a day from the Point Loma treatment plant and turn it into purified drinking water — producing up to 83 million gallons daily once fully…
When it comes to water, our laws often fall short — not because of neglect, but because they’re built on compromise. Luke Wilson says that every law is a negotiation, and too often, the environment loses in that deal. As Deputy Director of the Center for Water Security and Cooperation,…
What started as a bold experiment in the 1950s turned into one of California’s most inspiring examples of water reuse. Santee Lakes in San Diego transformed treated wastewater into a thriving community asset — 200 acres of preserved land that now welcomes 800,000 visitors a year for fishing, camping, and…
San Diego is proving that the future of water is recycled. This episode visits Santee Lakes—one of California’s earliest examples of water reuse—with Kyle Swanson of Padre Dam Municipal Water District, who explains how a 1960s experiment turned wastewater into a beloved community asset and a model for the world.…
Water challenges aren’t just global — they’re happening in under-resourced communities across the U.S. too. For Brooke Poppe the solution starts with local partnerships and pro bono engineering. As a Program Engineer with Engineers Without Borders USA, Poppe manages the Community Engineering Corps, connecting communities with technical expertise they wouldn’t…