Latest / Make Water Work Podcast / Heather Collins: Leading AWWA, Trust, and the Human Side of Water | Make Water Work 047

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Heather Collins: Leading AWWA, Trust, and the Human Side of Water | Make Water Work 047 · Make Water Work Podcast

0:00
Welcome to the Make Water Work podcast,
0:03
where we dive into the people, ideas,
0:05
and innovations shaping the future of
0:08
water. We bring you insights from
0:11
hundreds of incredible conversations
0:13
we've had over the past 9 years with
0:15
inspiring and energizing leaders with
0:18
entrepreneurs, community champions, and
0:20
innovators who are making water work for
0:23
everyone. Whether you're a water
0:24
professional, a curious innovator, or
0:27
simply passionate about our most
0:28
precious resource, this podcast is for
0:31
you. Let's get started.
0:41
Hello everyone and thank you so much for
0:43
joining the Make Water Work podcast.
0:46
This podcast is one that celebrates the
0:48
people innovating and serving in the
0:51
water industry. And today I'm really
0:53
excited about our guest. We're joined by
0:55
Heather Collins, who's the director of
0:57
water treatment operations for the
0:59
Metropolitan Water District of Southern
1:02
California, and is the most recent
1:04
immediate past president of the American
1:06
Waterworks Association, which she just
1:09
wrapped up at ACE um 2026 in Washington
1:14
DC. Heather, welcome to the Make
1:16
Waterwork Podcast.
1:18
>> Thank you for having me. It's good to be
1:20
here today.
1:21
>> Yeah. Um, I've really enjoyed the uh I
1:24
feel like over the past year or so,
1:27
we've gotten to know each other um a bit
1:29
more through um through a handful of
1:31
events and um dinners with mutual
1:34
friends. And um it's really exciting to
1:37
um hear what your story has been. And so
1:40
I'm excited to have you share that with
1:43
with our listeners. Um, so we've never
1:46
met someone who didn't have a story in
1:49
about how water found them. Um, and so
1:52
Heather, I'd love for you to tell us
1:53
your story of how did water find you?
1:57
>> Certainly. It's, you know, it's funny.
1:58
It's many people have people that know
2:01
people in water and that's how they
2:02
found water.
2:04
>> I was the unconventional sort. Um, I
2:08
wasn't even looking for water when water
2:10
found me because I was actually looking
2:12
for internships in space, um, space and
2:16
aerospace and different things that
2:18
were, you know, we're still looking for
2:20
water on in in space and different
2:22
planets. And
2:23
>> I was, uh, in aerospace engineering in
2:26
college, looking for a career in that
2:30
pathway. I always loved space and
2:33
airplanes and fighter jets and all that
2:35
kind of other stuff. So
2:38
>> what little kid, you know, watching the
2:40
space shuttles, you know, during that
2:41
era grow up didn't want to. So
2:45
>> when I couldn't find an internship
2:47
during college, I mean, it was
2:50
>> I I would looked everywhere. I looked
2:51
all the time and there was nothing. It
2:53
was hard enough even to find a school
2:54
that you did aerospace uh curriculum in.
2:58
>> Yeah. Um, I kind of started to look, I
3:00
turned to actually my mother because my
3:02
mother had worked in different public
3:04
agency sectors in her career and she had
3:08
some friends and she said, "Okay, I'm
3:10
going to set you up with this person.
3:11
You're going to go down and meet them."
3:13
And sorry, I'm going to date myself.
3:14
They handed me a clipboard.
3:16
>> Nice.
3:16
>> Hand me a clipboard where all of the
3:19
different cities and special districts
3:21
and so forth would put their job. They'd
3:24
send all their job announcements to one
3:25
another. And so, flipping through there.
3:28
found an announcement for a water
3:30
district that my that was by my mom's
3:32
house
3:33
>> and it was sort of one of these things
3:35
that I applied and got that job and had
3:38
exposure. It was a water system down in
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South Orange County.
3:42
>> Had a lot of different aspects to that.
3:44
They did water, waste water, recycled
3:46
water and so got exposed to that whole
3:50
pond and
3:52
>> yeah of work. And so it was sort of
3:54
really interesting cuz then I would go
3:56
back to school in class and talk to my
3:58
friends and they uh many of them were in
4:02
civil engineering and environmental
4:04
engineering and so I was bouncing
4:06
stories off of them as to what I was
4:08
learning at work
4:10
>> and then was applying to you know what
4:12
they were doing and there's synergies of
4:14
course in engineering with common uh
4:17
curriculum
4:18
>> but I kind of realized at that point in
4:20
the middle of my college career I go
4:22
okay pathway forward forward. Doesn't
4:24
look like space is kind of becoming a
4:28
a wellunded program at all. It was
4:29
actually kind of in the defund area, but
4:33
water is always everywhere and everyone
4:35
needs it all purposes.
4:38
>> So, I switched my major and started down
4:41
the pathway of, you know, working in
4:43
water. And what was interesting is, you
4:46
know, there's a lineage in water where,
4:49
you know, this is a this was a South
4:51
County water district that had imported
4:54
water from a wholesaler um who in
4:57
Southern California is Metropolitan.
5:00
>> Yeah.
5:00
>> And so I I was able to then parlay to a
5:04
co-op position in the water quality lab
5:06
of Metropolitan as a student. Um but
5:10
then only to be found that there was
5:11
hiring freezes and so forth. So that
5:14
kind of put me into a different pathway
5:16
where I went into the public health
5:19
sector uh side of the business. Yeah.
5:22
And
5:22
>> it was interesting because you're you're
5:23
you're taking that and you're focusing
5:26
on public health and safety and and that
5:29
aspect of things, but it was it was so
5:31
much exposure to water systems, all
5:35
different types of systems, groundwater,
5:37
surface water, those that had, you know,
5:39
their own wells, their own sources, um,
5:42
and everything that went along with
5:44
that. every type of resource planning,
5:46
forecasting, rates, engineering,
5:49
infrastructure, water quality, all of
5:51
that.
5:52
>> And I got to know not only the water
5:54
systems, but then all the service
5:56
providers and everybody else that goes
5:58
along with that. And so
6:00
>> that was an interesting space. Um did a
6:04
lot of different things in development
6:06
of process technology because at times
6:08
there were new constituents that come
6:10
along. Yes, you have regulations and
6:13
laws and rules and all this that are
6:15
developed, but it was an era that
6:17
organic contaminants were sort of known
6:20
and we were trying to figure out how to
6:21
treat those out of the groundwater and
6:23
remove those. Then you had a layering
6:26
effect of new constituents coming in
6:28
because of industrial creep into
6:31
groundwater contamination.
6:33
>> Yeah. So that was a whole thing and um
6:37
working on you know developing those
6:40
process technologies with research arms
6:43
out of uh the department of defense and
6:46
EPA and big oil and you know back to
6:51
kind of aerospace it was these chemicals
6:54
like perchlorate and the you fuel
6:56
propellants that were contaminating the
6:58
aquifers that I kind of wanted to go
6:59
seek out originally. So that's kind of a
7:02
kind of a full circle that I found
7:04
myself kind of working in that arena
7:06
developing the treatment processes and
7:08
working alongside kind of that
7:10
development side and then also a lot
7:12
with recycled water and then coming
7:15
after that point of public health career
7:18
and all that. Then I kind of catapulted
7:20
that back into operations.
7:22
>> Yeah. when I came back to Metropolitan
7:24
about 15 years ago and I work for the
7:27
largest wholesaler in North America if
7:30
not the world and um a lot of things
7:33
that are involved with ensuring the
7:35
economy and the reliability of water in
7:38
a very dynamic region. uh we you know
7:42
everybody has challenges and we've seen
7:44
our share of them from fires, floods,
7:46
earthquakes, everything else. Mhm.
7:48
>> And in in an era where you know we're
7:51
providing that core water treatment uh
7:53
for everybody every day and we have a
7:56
lot of member agencies in demand but at
7:58
the same time um everybody else wants to
8:01
develop their own supplies and have
8:02
reliability on their own but yeah
8:04
>> we we are there as the constant provider
8:06
for the region and we can be counted
8:09
upon uh when there are circumstances as
8:12
fire floods earthquakes and so forth. So
8:14
it's it's an important role and it's
8:17
been very fulfilling and so that
8:19
combination of public health regulatory
8:22
operations is a really good mix because
8:25
it's it's taken me and allowed me to do
8:27
a lot of things in my career. So
8:29
>> pretty exciting to have
8:32
>> never never thought that you know once
8:35
you get into something you kind of start
8:36
peeling the onion back. Yep.
8:39
>> And it's amazing when I talk to people
8:41
how complex water is. And that's kind of
8:44
when we get into other conversations.
8:46
>> Yeah. Yeah. It's kind of fascinating
8:48
like you know, you starting wanting to
8:50
explore the universe outside of of Earth
8:55
and then to discover the universe inside
8:58
of one of the most basic uh fundamental
9:01
components of what makes Earth so
9:04
special. Um, and it's it's weird because
9:07
there's so much I mean it almost feels
9:09
like a splintering of effect as you were
9:12
talking about it of like your your
9:14
career being able to take you across.
9:19
It can be easy as a consumer to think
9:22
water services, water treatment is is a
9:27
simple science and s but there's so many
9:32
um
9:33
so many permutations
9:35
based on where are you getting your
9:38
source, what what are the conditions?
9:40
Like there's a lot there's it's so
9:43
dynamic. Um, and so you're dealing with
9:46
dynamics, a dynamic range every single
9:49
day. And then you did that across
9:52
different sources. Um, and got to have a
9:55
a wide spectrum of experience. Um,
9:59
um, in that.
10:01
>> Yeah. Because you want what's so
10:03
interesting is for
10:06
for decades you people haven't really
10:09
thought the consumers they you know turn
10:12
on the tap for the most part and water
10:15
is clean and safe and provided to
10:18
wherever they're at.
10:19
>> Yeah. We know we still have some
10:21
challenges even here in you know
10:25
advanced countries you know of of you
10:28
know USA and so forth but it's it's it's
10:32
it's one of these things where you you
10:35
feel happy that some people don't have
10:37
to think about it but then it's
10:39
challenging when people do and they they
10:41
kind of wonder what is happening or why
10:44
don't I have it or
10:46
>> not really understanding that okay
10:48
waterfalls from the sky why isn't it
10:50
free? Um but at the same time then in
10:53
this dichotomy of even a few weeks ago
10:56
we have this you know aging
10:58
infrastructure in all of our water
11:00
systems and so forth. And when something
11:02
doesn't go right uh and it becomes a
11:05
visible issue whether it's bubbling up
11:08
from the street or there's a gaping
11:10
sinkhole or water just isn't there.
11:13
That's when the conversations, you know,
11:15
have have cat been catapulted up and are
11:18
in the news. And then you have to, you
11:20
know, you're trying to really educate
11:22
everyone on the complexities of water
11:26
cuz it's not just as simple as people
11:28
think,
11:29
>> they think collect from the sky, you
11:32
know, you know,
11:33
>> it send it out. It's it's it's simple in
11:36
concept, yes, but it it's very much that
11:39
blooming onion and gets complex as you
11:41
peel it back.
11:43
>> Yeah. And you realize that so much of
11:44
the investment is, you know, there's
11:46
that notion of like water is free, but
11:50
to treat it to a quality where we can
11:53
consume it depending on a number that is
11:56
that is the investment of time and
11:58
energy and expertise that it takes to do
12:01
that. And so that that's the service
12:03
component that that we pay for. And it's
12:06
I always feel like it's difficult
12:09
um in so many technologies that we use,
12:13
the goal of the technology is often to
12:15
fade into the background and be
12:18
invisible. Like um you know, when they
12:21
design something like the iPhone,
12:22
they're like, you know, the more that
12:24
this isn't interruptive to someone's
12:26
life, the more it just feels like it's
12:28
part of the fabric of their life. And
12:29
that's kind of the goal of a technology.
12:31
We kind of get that automatically with
12:34
water. It's a technology that
12:35
automatically fits into our life. So,
12:37
we're I feel like a lot of times in the
12:39
water industry, we're trying to find
12:40
ways to interrupt people's patterns and
12:42
be like, "Hey, don't forget this was
12:44
valuable that it you turned this on and
12:47
it water came out and you flushed the
12:49
toilet and it went away and this process
12:51
is is amazing." Um, and it's um it's all
12:56
it's what we value and what we invest in
12:58
and that's why we do it.
13:00
>> Yeah. It's it's it's the most precious
13:03
pre precious resource that we have and
13:04
we have to be good stewards of it though
13:07
too,
13:08
>> right? Um, you know, everything when it
13:11
comes to
13:13
we're in the season of different
13:15
wildfires and extreme heat and there's
13:19
there's repercussions that those climate
13:22
impacts and things that we see in the
13:24
world have upon our source waters and
13:28
our catchment areas. And yes, nature
13:31
regenerates itself at times, but we're
13:34
getting it's it's sort of like the aging
13:36
as the planet ages and so forth, it
13:38
takes longer to heal and to regenerate.
13:41
So these are the
13:42
>> I see I feel that.
13:44
>> Yes, you and I both.
13:46
>> Yes. Um but it's it's you know in the
13:49
aspect of we talked about things aging
13:52
the water infrastructure is aging even
13:55
in the aspects of how the world is
13:58
changing and in the different aspects of
14:02
you know you think of water cycle being
14:05
okay the rain and the snowfalls and you
14:08
know sometimes we have rain water
14:10
content in the snowfall in snowfall it
14:13
is kind of where you want to get a lot
14:15
of that catchment and runoff from, but
14:17
we have changing dynamics. Uh we aren't
14:20
seeing uh the snowfall where it needs to
14:23
be and the rainfall and then it's
14:26
melting faster. And in those areas that
14:29
we would kind of think about, hey,
14:31
they're resource plentiful for us. the
14:34
aspects of forests and lands that are,
14:39
you know, being attacked by invasive
14:41
species and others that are impacting
14:46
what the content of that water is
14:47
carrying, right?
14:48
>> Yeah.
14:49
>> So, that's been changing. So, it's not
14:52
only the industrial revolution and uh
14:57
the things that can happen with
14:58
groundwater contamination, it's also
15:00
happening kind of on our surface waters
15:02
and rivers as well. And so while we've
15:06
tried to put out really good protection
15:08
programs and and make sure that we're,
15:11
you know, doing our preventative
15:12
maintenance on our forest and our roads
15:14
and so forth to minimize organics and
15:17
runoff and so forth, we're, you know,
15:19
all of that together
15:21
is more complex when you're looking at,
15:24
you know, what we have to do for water,
15:26
what we have to monitor and treat and
15:28
remove and so forth. And that's where
15:30
people don't I think the consumer
15:32
doesn't think about that type of thing.
15:35
>> Yeah.
15:36
>> So that's where now you know as I think
15:40
as the news
15:42
in the way that we're all communicating
15:44
and get our news and understand things
15:47
we're becoming a more visible
15:50
industry. Yeah. from the standpoint of
15:54
having to better communicate, having to
15:56
educate and then advocate in a way that
16:00
people understand there needs to be
16:02
renewed investment and continual care um
16:06
and understanding and and it is that
16:08
complex
16:10
subject that
16:12
>> wow this I thought it was so simple and
16:14
yet it's so complex.
16:16
>> Yeah. Yeah. a really good example of
16:18
that. Um, I've mentioned I've had this
16:22
topic comes up a lot um with a lot of
16:24
our guests, but I think when we're
16:26
looking at the rise of things like data
16:29
centers and different communities, like
16:31
we're all having reactions to it. I
16:33
think one of the one of the benefits of
16:35
the conversation is that the public is
16:40
recognizing that um there's a
16:42
correlation between moving water,
16:45
whatever it is, and power and that it's
16:48
heavy. Like there there's this like like
16:51
maybe this maybe I'm being overly
16:53
optimistic, but maybe this like aha
16:55
moment of like, oh, power goes up
16:58
because we need to move water for
17:00
cooling and there's this relationship
17:02
between these things. We need to figure
17:04
out how much we value it and what we
17:06
want it to be in our community. So, like
17:09
I there's a lot of like a lot of the
17:11
headlines are very um very big like
17:15
about about the reaction, but I'm like I
17:18
think underneath the the um underneath
17:21
the headlines is just a good
17:23
conversation happening about people
17:25
saying, "Wait a minute, what what do we
17:27
want? This is a resource. It does take
17:30
energy." Um and I just see a lot more um
17:34
investment in the topic. And so I think
17:36
on some level I'm like that that's
17:38
really good. It's it's really good to
17:40
see that we're thinking about it even
17:43
though we're in a moment where we're
17:44
kind of all over the map on it. Um as as
17:47
we're grappling with with new
17:49
technologies. Um
17:51
yeah.
17:52
>> Well, it's change. It's it's change that
17:55
is viewed as potentially invasive. you
17:57
know, it's in the backyard of places
18:00
that you didn't think that would house,
18:03
you know, these new, you know,
18:05
multi-acre
18:07
>> industries and that it's going to be the
18:11
perception that it's potentially
18:12
competing for the resources like you
18:15
said on power and water for the
18:18
communities that are there. Um,
18:21
>> and you know, it's it's a different type
18:24
of development today because when you
18:27
look back at how how our countries and
18:30
communities kind of settled and how they
18:32
were built around around the lakes and
18:34
around the transportation that you know
18:37
would be able to provide you know the
18:39
power and the water and the resources
18:40
for that our the lives and how we live
18:43
lives and how we're utilizing everything
18:45
today is vastly different. I think one
18:49
thing that is possibly misunderstood is
18:51
that there's still a lot of unique
18:54
aspects and considerations when you look
18:57
at data centers and all that it's being
19:00
used for. But there are states that do
19:04
require, you know, a non- mechanical
19:08
cooling requirement. Um there's
19:11
reinvention and looking at you know
19:14
micronuclear you know different things
19:17
that
19:18
>> we know can be done safely um but maybe
19:21
had been more
19:24
>> on a on a grander scale phased out on a
19:26
larger scale. But there's aspects of
19:30
usage and you know maybe misperceptions
19:34
at times of what the full footprint will
19:36
require
19:38
um because of some of the proprietary
19:40
things that are going on.
19:42
>> Um but but it is something that is
19:44
popping up a lot and we do talk about it
19:47
quite a bit um around the US and of
19:50
course around the world uh as we you
19:53
know rely more on computing power and
19:56
all of that.
19:58
And it's it's kind of one thing I think
20:00
about from even like this week. So the
20:04
the aspect of automation uh we're in a
20:08
world where very you know everything is
20:09
technically savvy. A lot of things are
20:11
in the cloud. A lot of computing power
20:13
and requirements are out there.
20:15
>> But we have to also remember because of
20:18
what we're seeing in the increase and
20:20
persistence of cyber security attacks
20:22
and so forth. We have to remember that
20:24
we have a great capacity to operate
20:27
manually.
20:28
>> Yeah.
20:28
>> And we always have to remember and
20:30
reinforce the manual processes. And
20:33
that's one thing we've been focusing on
20:36
>> uh most recently is, you know, going
20:38
back to basics, you know, and
20:40
>> what's interesting, so Metropolitan, the
20:44
the wholesaler that I work for, we're
20:46
almost in another couple years here
20:48
coming up on our centennial. And what's
20:51
what we always go back to is we are a
20:54
very large wholesaler that serves six
20:57
counties in Southern California. Yes, we
20:59
do have member agencies and then
21:02
retailers that are, you know, serving
21:04
the body of the 19 million people in
21:06
Southern California,
21:08
but it's the it's the profound and smart
21:12
engineering
21:13
from the era of the Great Depression.
21:16
>> Yeah.
21:16
>> That was designed and put in to have
21:20
flexibility to operate. Yes, we do pump
21:23
the water from the Colorado River Alpha
21:26
Blake Havisu through our through our
21:28
structures and so forth and down through
21:30
the state water project, but once it
21:32
gets into our system for the majority
21:34
part of those hundred years, it's been
21:37
gravity fed. We do not a lot aside from
21:40
getting the water to the region.
21:43
>> Yeah. But that has changed you know
21:45
dynamically as you know we want to have
21:47
greater flexibility and capacity for the
21:50
water resources for all of our members.
21:53
Um but it's it's been such a engineering
21:56
feat that we have to constantly remember
21:59
like look how the system was designed
22:01
and look how we can manipulate it
22:03
manually.
22:05
>> Yeah. And you know, at times during
22:07
drought cycles, which we've had many
22:09
more of in the past 20 years, we've been
22:12
able to take water from Lake Habsu off
22:16
the Colorado River and send it all the
22:19
way over to the the areas and
22:22
communities um on the Pacific Ocean
22:25
coast of the agencies that we serve and
22:28
then take water from uh the sources of
22:30
the Colorado and the state and then push
22:32
that all the way down to San Diego and
22:34
the border.
22:36
>> So, you know, the flexibility is just
22:38
it's it's an engineering marvel. And I
22:40
think it's one of that
22:42
>> we always have to remember it's it's
22:45
sort of like in in any emergency
22:46
incident or change,
22:48
>> you always have your
22:50
>> you have your emergency kits, your
22:52
manual processes, you know that you're
22:54
still going to be able to operate
22:57
>> um because of the wherewithal and the
22:59
science and engineering when it comes to
23:01
water. Um that that's what's a powerful
23:04
thing and
23:07
>> in in these eras of you know when you
23:09
have we sit on the San Andreas fault
23:12
>> y
23:13
>> we're really prone and probably overdue
23:15
for earthquakes of a magnitude. We do do
23:20
a lot of emergency planning, scenario
23:22
planning, readiness.
23:24
>> Yeah. um you know placement of where
23:26
things are at equipment wise ability to
23:30
kind of you know operate for a period of
23:33
time um where we can be sustainable for
23:37
the region and I think that that's a
23:39
very unique thing and again in this week
23:43
of you know the cyber security attacks
23:45
across multi-states yeah
23:47
>> in US they have found and you have heard
23:50
through the news reports and so forth
23:52
that they have you know containerized
23:55
the injects and been able to you know
23:58
turn off some automation and go back to
24:00
manual modes of operation.
24:02
>> Yeah.
24:03
>> And that is I think unique in the water
24:06
sector that I think there's probably
24:07
more systems that have that manual
24:10
capacity versus full automation.
24:14
>> Um now automation is great. There's a
24:17
lot of computing power that can give you
24:20
lots of great insight and
24:22
>> you know trending and analysis and
24:25
control and optimization for you know
24:28
energy recovery and pumping and all this
24:30
stuff but at the same time there is
24:32
something to be said about maintaining
24:35
that manual mode and it's similar to um
24:39
you know they always they always say
24:41
well go back to aging again. They always
24:43
say, "Hey, you know, when you get older,
24:46
try standing on your other foot, your
24:48
non-dominant foot."
24:49
>> Yeah.
24:49
>> Try brushing your teeth with your other
24:51
hand to keep, you know, your skill sets,
24:53
you know.
24:53
>> Yes.
24:54
>> You know, sharp.
24:55
>> It's similar kind of in water. You want
24:57
to be able to sit down, for lack of a
25:00
better term, grab your paper and your
25:02
pen and a calculator and start doing
25:04
things
25:05
>> annually and understand, you know, keep
25:07
that skill set fresh
25:09
>> rather than relying on like your app or
25:11
your automated program and so forth just
25:14
to plug in a couple numbers and spit it
25:16
out. You have to remember how to do
25:17
that.
25:18
>> And it's more important across
25:20
generations, too. Um I think I think
25:23
back to you know talking with my
25:26
grandfather and my grandfather was a ham
25:28
operator. Um so he would talk to people
25:31
all over the world and
25:33
>> you know not need a lot of uh power or
25:35
whatnot and he could you know the power
25:37
of
25:38
>> dits and dots you know could you know
25:40
transcend the world communication and so
25:42
it's it's similar for us to remember and
25:45
be prudent with that followup today.
25:48
>> Yeah. Yeah. I love that. And the even
25:51
this this week, I recently
25:55
um was listening to a lot of a lot of
25:58
interviews for um for a musician um
26:01
Glenn Hansard who just passed away um
26:04
which and I really loved his
26:05
songwriting. But one of the things that
26:07
he was talking about, and we we talk
26:10
about this so much in the human
26:12
experience, is just that
26:16
um I love going to concerts even though
26:18
I'm going to hear them play a song and
26:20
it's probably better produced or
26:23
whatever if I just listen to the record,
26:25
but there's there's a the human element
26:28
and the the correlation that I'm making
26:31
um in the moment is just like we're also
26:34
designed for things can be super
26:37
automated and that can be neat. We can
26:39
love it, but
26:41
we also there's a ton of value in
26:44
understanding how something works,
26:46
taking it in in a way that is um where
26:50
you're present with it. Um,
26:52
>> of course you can do that with music and
26:54
a concert, but also
26:55
>> slowing down and understanding, hey, I'm
26:58
responsible for this, so I'm not
26:59
responsible for making sure the sure the
27:02
automation works. Whoa, my east coast
27:04
accent came out right there for a
27:05
second. Sure.
27:06
>> Um, but um, yeah, but also that I
27:11
understand
27:12
if I didn't have this, can I still
27:15
operate it in its most in its most uh
27:18
basic form. Um, and I I I do think that
27:22
that's actually really special about the
27:24
water industry compared to other
27:25
industries is we're we're built to be
27:29
driven for redundancy
27:31
>> in a way that says your human skill set
27:34
is really really important. Um, it's
27:38
that there isn't really a place where
27:41
it's going to be replaced. um it's going
27:44
to be augmented with technology more
27:46
than it is um a replacement of um yeah
27:51
at least I can't I can't see it. Yeah, I
27:53
I can't see. I mean, I do think I was
27:57
watching um I was watching a
27:59
performance, a dance performance where
28:03
an individual, you know, he said, "Hey,
28:04
look, I love to dance and I've danced
28:06
all my life and I, you know, I feel the
28:08
energy and so forth, but he had a dance
28:10
troop with him that were the humanoid
28:13
robots." And I remember seeing things,
28:17
you know, on different news programs and
28:19
clips on there from 10 years ago and
28:21
they were a little clunky, wonky, you
28:23
know, they couldn't move very fluidly
28:26
like a human. But it's interesting now
28:29
that the how technology has improved and
28:32
transcended and it they were literally
28:35
like all in sync together and you
28:38
wouldn't you wouldn't even if they
28:40
weren't looking like robots if they you
28:42
know had like an external scan or so
28:44
forth they would you'd probably not know
28:46
but it was amazing. So, but I think you
28:49
know kind of going back to your point of
28:51
we have human connections and there's
28:54
you know we we need that interaction of
28:57
humanity and that manual mode and I
29:00
think that's what the power of like when
29:03
we get together in person um have
29:06
conversations do exchange of information
29:09
and you start to see you know
29:11
>> sparks and ideas and creativity ongoing
29:14
that that is what I don't think we can
29:16
ever place.
29:17
>> Yeah,
29:18
>> there will be elements of assistance I
29:20
think in that uh humanoid robotic AI
29:24
world, but at the same time,
29:27
>> I think there's still going to be a a
29:30
greater presence of humanity because we
29:33
were talking about this and in the
29:35
workplace development side of things,
29:38
where are things going? And we just
29:40
talked about, you know, schools starting
29:41
again and what are the careers that are,
29:44
you know, uh that that people are
29:46
looking at, the generations are looking
29:48
at today. I hear more and more that
29:51
we're getting away from,
29:53
>> you know, some of the core things and
29:55
they're adding in, you know, uh, classes
29:58
about media and influencing and so
30:00
forth. I mean, and I think like a decade
30:03
or two ago when when our kids were
30:06
growing up, I remember, you know, we
30:08
have two girls and the big thing was
30:11
camps for coding for girls and how
30:14
coding was such a big focus and then you
30:17
look at it now and there's replacements
30:19
for some of that and it's not so much a
30:22
career, you know, ideal anymore.
30:25
>> And so, it's interesting how how that's
30:27
changed so quickly. Yeah. a lot of the
30:30
automations and things that we're seeing
30:32
because of either trying to ensure that
30:34
they're not weaponized in a way against
30:36
us, ensuring that they're, you know,
30:38
controlled and and doing good, but it's
30:42
more of an augmentation. It's not a full
30:44
replacement. Mhm.
30:46
>> Um
30:47
maybe there are you know I think there
30:49
are certain places where
30:52
>> for a routine you know industrial task
30:55
that is you know specific placement or
30:58
something like this that it's a
30:59
repetitive task
31:00
>> perhaps perhaps but you're still going
31:02
to have interaction
31:04
>> and uh for for the human side too we
31:08
were sitting there um and this kind of
31:11
goes back again to the history of our
31:14
system.
31:17
Our our craft folks and those people
31:19
that are physically working on the
31:21
system, they know how to hear and listen
31:25
and see if something is
31:28
>> not sounding right um is a little bit
31:31
off. And yes, while you do have a lot of
31:34
automation tools to help with that
31:35
conditionbased maintenance approach and
31:38
so forth, there's still nothing that can
31:40
replace the human elements of those
31:43
senses. Yes.
31:44
>> So, um that that I think is still really
31:47
important and and being able to
31:49
manipulate into different spaces and so
31:52
forth. You know, I mean, yes, there's
31:54
challenges, but there's we also are
31:56
helped with automation
31:58
>> uh through, you know, ROVs and, you
32:01
know, different inspection tools and so
32:03
forth, which are cool,
32:04
>> but then they help. It's not that
32:07
they're replacing us. They're freeing us
32:09
up
32:10
>> to do the work that we have long wanted
32:14
to spend time on that we haven't time on
32:16
because other things are taking we're
32:18
taking too long or too tedious or so
32:20
forth. So automate the things that are
32:23
less risk and maybe less influencing on
32:27
decisions, but we need to still have
32:29
that.
32:30
>> Yeah. Free you up to be on the high
32:32
value task that requires
32:34
requires
32:36
>> you and something that doesn't record is
32:40
like oh if this could be automated I
32:42
would be able to spend more time um
32:44
focused here. But what's interesting
32:46
with the change in influx of a lot of
32:49
infrastructure rehabilitation projects
32:51
and money, many people are starting to
32:54
get back interested in the sciences and
32:57
the engineering because we are in an era
33:00
that we need to kind of rehabilitate,
33:02
renew, and rebuild a lot of things that
33:04
are core because it's been such a long
33:07
time since the last, you know, major
33:10
influx of of that. And there's also the
33:14
habits of where people are moving and
33:16
where
33:17
>> new communities are growing from uh cost
33:20
basis and so forth. You know, places
33:23
that didn't see um
33:27
they weren't formerly a metropolitan
33:29
area, they're becoming more that that
33:31
growth is going to make them that next
33:33
metropolitan hub center.
33:35
>> Yes.
33:35
>> Uh we're seeing a lot of that. And so
33:37
that's that's the challenge when it
33:40
comes to that infrastructure of
33:42
electrical and roads and water,
33:44
everything else. That's that's
33:46
>> trying to forecast trying to forecast
33:48
needs and be like, do we need to build a
33:50
system that can support a 10%
33:53
year-over-year population growth?
33:55
>> Yeah.
33:56
>> Is that too much? Like that's th those
33:59
those all become um yeah, calculations
34:02
and risk. Um, I do want to spend a
34:05
little bit of time um really uh kind of
34:09
just talking about the past year um what
34:12
it was like be as the as the president
34:16
of the AWA, the American Waterworks
34:18
Association. um would love to to hear a
34:22
little bit of like what you enjoyed
34:23
about that experience and also just like
34:26
walk our audience through
34:29
how the American Waterworks Association
34:32
works and how there's that difference
34:34
between elected roles and um and
34:38
permanent staff.
34:40
>> Sure. Sure. So the American Waterworks
34:43
Association
34:45
is a very large water association and we
34:48
pride ourselves on the education and
34:50
standards that we bring to the water
34:53
sector. Um we as an association there is
34:57
a staff that supports the work we do.
35:00
It's about 140 staff and we have staff
35:04
you know in the Washington DC area that
35:06
is our legislative and advocacy group
35:09
that helps facilitate
35:12
matters of regulatory and rule making
35:15
and interfacing with a lot of the
35:17
agencies to help us facilitate
35:20
um uh the work that we're doing. But on
35:24
the body of the membership, you know,
35:26
the members are the value point where
35:28
through the 43 sections and through the
35:32
overall association,
35:34
there are 50,000 members and there's
35:37
over thousands of active volunteers
35:41
that yes, we might we all have jobs, day
35:45
jobs, but we're volunteering our time to
35:48
work on new standards that are setting,
35:52
you know, the the specificities for how
35:55
to make sure that things are done
35:57
appropriately and manufactured properly
35:59
and used in our system. Uh they are
36:02
developing uh new technologies and ways
36:05
of analytical methods and so forth. So
36:08
there's a lot of things that go
36:09
handinhand with that.
36:10
>> Yeah. And there's what's interesting in
36:13
you know I've been active with AWBA
36:15
literally since I'm going to date myself
36:17
decades going back to when I first had
36:20
the jobs in water
36:22
>> and seeing the publications that went
36:24
around and seeing my co-workers being
36:26
featured writing articles or giving
36:29
ideas and talking about the work they
36:32
were doing that was the technology
36:33
exchange for them to get that out to the
36:36
rest of the industry.
36:37
>> Yeah. to know what we're working on and
36:39
any new issue and we do have a lot of
36:41
competing issues now. Um, you know,
36:44
water is not just a water utility
36:46
anymore. There's there's more that we
36:47
take on. So,
36:48
>> that is where AWB has really been a
36:50
backbone of where do you go to get your
36:53
information? Where do you go to get your
36:54
education and training to ensure that
36:57
the certifications that were required to
36:59
be held by you know regulations and laws
37:02
that you know we have a we have a
37:04
community there and it's that peer
37:06
networking
37:08
and that has the basis of the scientific
37:10
rapport
37:12
>> that is is really powerful. Um it's it's
37:16
also if you um
37:20
to to figure out what's going on in the
37:22
world. uh go back to that cyber security
37:24
example, but you can call, you know,
37:27
people around and get the kind of the
37:29
lay of the land of what they're seeing
37:31
in their area of not only uh North
37:34
America but the world because AWA we're
37:37
an international organization as well
37:40
>> that we have relationships with other
37:42
countries and so we're sharing and what
37:46
I found in the past year of being the
37:50
president of AWA, you know, We're
37:52
working with, you know, 60 plus comp
37:55
countries and the problems are no,
37:58
they're no different.
37:59
>> They're just at a different maybe spot
38:02
in their progression of where they are
38:05
at,
38:06
>> you know, where there are as far as
38:08
okay, is it a is it a a rule or a leg
38:11
legislative issue? Is it something that
38:13
they're able are they finding it in
38:15
their source waters? Are they actively
38:17
treating it?
38:18
>> You know, what is this? what is it like
38:20
around the world? Everything from
38:23
water rates um so all the finance
38:26
options, the engineering solutions and
38:28
we have a lot of things that are
38:29
manufactured all over the world but they
38:32
conform to the AWB standards. We have
38:35
200 standards that we have produced that
38:39
are viewed as that golden um standard of
38:43
you know what we need to be designing to
38:46
and installing to and operating by.
38:49
>> And that gives it a a really good
38:51
synergy for everyone around the world
38:54
that wants to kind of say okay this is
38:57
where we need to align gather to. And
39:00
that was kind of the interesting thing
39:02
as you know as I would go visit our
39:05
sections or go visit our sister
39:08
organizations that we work with in the
39:10
water wastewater sector. We're really
39:13
trying to branch out to other sectors
39:15
because everyone uses water.
39:17
>> Yeah. And while certain private entities
39:20
are more focused on, you know, their
39:24
their profits and losses and so forth,
39:26
they're getting to the point in
39:28
realizing that the the ecological
39:32
environmental sustainability of water is
39:35
becoming more apparent to the younger
39:37
generations that are coming up. And
39:39
that's one other thing that that we've
39:41
been really working on is the workforce
39:43
aspect
39:44
>> of, you know, the different generations
39:47
coming up in water. How do you continue
39:49
to grow that? Well, this is a place that
39:52
they want to do good for the community
39:54
and the country and the world and the
39:56
environment. And so that brings them
39:58
together
39:59
to know that what the work that they're
40:02
doing really has meaning. It has impact
40:04
to the community environment. And so
40:07
that's kind of spreading out into those
40:09
other sectors.
40:11
>> Um,
40:13
one opportunity I had, I went to talk to
40:16
um, the World Bank in DC where many
40:20
countries come into and we share
40:22
technology information.
40:24
>> We were talking about drought and reuse
40:26
and
40:28
>> um, different emergency responses to
40:31
wildfires and and disasters and so
40:33
forth. And it and again,
40:36
>> it's the same problems everywhere.
40:38
>> Yeah.
40:38
>> But it's the collective nature and how
40:40
we're sharing solutions and and bringing
40:43
that news to everyone. Excuse me. That
40:46
really is helpful
40:47
>> and that kind of gave you that
40:50
value and purpose for what you're doing.
40:52
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I I do see that
40:56
that's that's one of the
40:59
um one of the cool things about this
41:02
moment. You'll edit this part.
41:05
>> I will. Yeah.
41:08
>> Um, yeah, I do think that that's one of
41:10
the cool things about this moment is
41:12
that there's a lot of opportunity
41:16
um for
41:18
because the next generation does value
41:23
they're not so singlethreaded. Um, so
41:26
they they value being within the context
41:29
of of the community. I feel like there's
41:31
was maybe this gap of like we're maybe
41:33
returning a little bit um to that and
41:36
understanding like oh we're more
41:37
connected than we than we want. And
41:40
again it's also part of that life cycle
41:41
of like kind of this in the early 2000s
41:44
the rise of social media and all these
41:46
things that promised connection but
41:48
underneath the surface we also feel more
41:50
disconnected if we're only interacting
41:52
digitally. And so we're valuing
41:54
gatherings and then we're valuing being
41:56
part of our community and those kind of
41:57
things. So I as we see that kind of come
42:00
up um it it is just um it makes sense to
42:05
say hey other industries are starting to
42:08
say our workforce and our consumers of
42:11
whatever we're creating are paying
42:14
attention to how we're stewarding the
42:17
resources that we use to um hire produce
42:22
build um reduce reuse and any any of
42:26
those things all of a sudden become
42:28
important. Um, and so I think that's a
42:31
that's a really good impact um for for
42:35
you in this past year to, you know, kind
42:37
of open the aperture of AWA
42:40
to have um to have more connectivity
42:45
across industries um and not just where
42:47
the water industry, water utilities, but
42:50
hey, let's get buyin from others.
42:53
The the interesting thing too, there's a
42:56
year is not a long time to do things
42:59
that you want to do. You can really only
43:00
kind of move the needle a little bit,
43:03
but you start laying the groundwork for
43:06
the other cohorts of your presidential,
43:09
you know, leaders that are kind of in
43:12
your I'll call it the cohort because
43:15
>> you work with the people for several
43:17
years even though you're just the
43:19
president for one year. Yeah, I've been
43:21
the association for over 30. So, you're
43:24
continually building, but one thing
43:26
we've really noticed this year is and
43:29
focus on really trying to strengthen the
43:31
trust in tap water and municipal water
43:35
and so forth. And that's been a very
43:37
challenging thing to do. as a little bit
43:39
we were talking about, you know, the way
43:41
we're all communicating
43:43
is slightly different and in this
43:45
algorithmic world, you know, those that
43:48
are getting the news, you know, in their
43:51
20s may not have the same algorithm or
43:54
mediums and formats that, you know, our
43:56
parents and grandparents are getting.
43:59
They might not intersect. So, we're
44:01
trying to get to the point of, you know,
44:04
finding common ground in the way to talk
44:06
about water that attracts people.
44:09
>> Yeah.
44:10
>> Very clear and not using a lot of
44:13
jargon, but to help them understand and
44:15
educate them and get them interested
44:18
uh because it is such a valuable
44:20
resource. So, that's been something
44:22
that's been worked on. And I find it
44:25
interesting where what we talked about
44:28
water crossing sectors. It's similar in
44:30
crossing mediums because aspects of art,
44:34
music, you know, yes, the written word
44:38
or or different kinds of things that
44:40
we're trying to message on in different
44:41
platforms
44:43
>> to cross-pollinate. Um there was an
44:45
interesting um
44:48
story. I remember uh uh hearing a story
44:51
about a girl that used to travel with
44:53
her father that was taking you know the
44:54
ice cores out of different um you know
44:58
out of the different continents and kind
45:00
of mapping those through the years. and
45:02
she would go along with him while he was
45:04
doing this manual work and she kind of,
45:07
you know, would do drawings and
45:08
watercolors and whatever. And his data
45:11
turned into kind of the mountain ranges
45:13
or the waves and the, you know,
45:16
paintings that she was drawing and so
45:18
forth. And so it was telling it
45:20
>> in a different way.
45:21
>> And it's it's just interesting. And then
45:23
a lot of people have put sort of those
45:25
um harmonics and so forth to music. And
45:29
>> then we're using a lot of people that
45:32
are in that space and in the communities
45:34
that are out there with art and music
45:36
and food and everything else to kind of,
45:38
you know, integrate and tell stories
45:40
about water,
45:41
>> you know, talk about how it, you know,
45:43
taste or, you know, that type of thing.
45:46
It's it's so
45:47
>> it's a it's a very interesting time and
45:49
a cool time because we do have so many
45:52
things that are available to us. Mhm.
45:54
>> It's just it's trying to um
45:58
get more of how we typically have been
46:02
doing our communications and outreach to
46:05
build the trust and and flipping that
46:08
narrative in a way
46:10
>> to be interesting and in short short
46:14
communication style
46:16
>> to allow them to you know maybe continue
46:18
with that you know the vertical real
46:21
engagement.
46:22
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I I love that. I I
46:27
think that's a that's a phenomenal we we
46:30
could easily and we have talk for six or
46:33
seven hours. Um so um yeah, like I I I
46:39
could I could jump off of that and talk
46:41
about like the um yeah, just the
46:45
difference between centralized and
46:47
decentralized when it comes to
46:48
communication. And we're we're so much
46:51
in a era of we need to we need to allow
46:55
some things to become decentralized even
46:58
though it works against some of our like
47:00
we want to centralize everything and
47:02
make sure we're saying it all the same
47:04
way. There's an there's an important
47:06
part of that and there's also a way of
47:09
letting folks embody it to ex to have
47:11
that self-expression on the
47:13
decentralized side that reinforces the
47:16
value um and and reinforces their
47:20
engagement in in what we're trying to
47:22
do. And so it's like figuring out how to
47:23
how to meet it somewhere in the middle.
47:25
And um yeah, I just think um I'm I'm
47:29
just really thankful for for the way
47:31
that you've um led through that
47:35
experience through through this past
47:37
year at um AWA and obviously um as you
47:41
as you continue to um to carve to carve
47:45
your path um within this community. Um I
47:49
really I really do appreciate it. um and
47:52
appreciate the um the friendship that
47:54
we've been able to um develop over this
47:56
past year.
47:57
>> Likewise, Isaac. Likewise.
47:59
>> Yeah.
48:00
>> It's it's encouraging to me to know that
48:03
in in all the people that I've met and
48:05
seen too in this experience.
48:08
I've had a lot of people come to me and
48:10
say, you know, there's there's aspects
48:14
of things that you said that sparked my
48:16
interest and I want to know more about
48:18
water and I want to get more engaged and
48:20
you know, I started my career in one
48:22
way, but now I kind of see pathways and
48:24
potentials here. So there is hope and
48:27
there is enthusiasm and interest, you
48:29
know, for the workforce that's, you
48:31
know, coming up through the ages and so
48:33
forth. So I think it'll persevere and I
48:36
do think that people have this hunger
48:39
and desire to you know be in person and
48:42
have the human experience and elements
48:45
but yeah
48:46
>> in this you know fantastic world and
48:48
time that we're in. So I look at it as a
48:50
lot of opportunity rather than um you
48:53
know something that's to be you know
48:55
fear more feared. We have to be you know
48:57
we have to know where our risk is and we
48:59
have to measure that and containerize
49:01
that. There's a lot of excitement and
49:03
enthusiasm as we move forward.
49:05
>> Yeah. Yeah, there is. Well, thank you so
49:08
much for for joining me for this
49:10
conversation. Um I really do appreciate
49:13
it and um and thank you to everyone who
49:15
who tuned in. This has been such an
49:18
amazing um thing to build to get to have
49:20
conversations with folks across um
49:23
across industries and at all different
49:26
um layers and levels of their career.
49:29
Um, and so, um, thanks for being part of
49:32
the Make Water Work community. And if
49:34
there's anyone that you want to hear
49:36
from, I love, uh, hearing from you to
49:38
know who you believe makes water work.
49:41
And um yeah, we'll see you next