Episodes

The water challenges are serious for Navajo Nation, including one in three families lacking running water, impacts of climate change straining the land, and legacy pollution tainting some sources. But a spirit of resilience and leadership from within are steadily leading Navajo Nation toward a more sustainable water future. A focus on solutions instead of obstacles is also key, as discussed in this Pass The Mic episode, which is guest hosted by Emma Robbins, Executive Director of the Navajo Wat...

The water challenges are serious for Navajo Nation, including one in three families lacking running water, impacts of climate change straining the land, and legacy pollution tainting some sources. But a spirit of resilience and leadership from within are steadily leading Navajo Nation toward a more sustainable water future. A focus on solutions instead of obstacles is also key, as discussed in this Pass The Mic episode, which is guest hosted by Emma Robbins, Executive Director of the Navajo Wat...

Five decades ago, Cleveland was infamous for major water problems, including the Cuyahoga River catching on fire and Lake Erie being proclaimed dead. But the challenges attracted attention, resources, businesses, and problem-solvers. 50 years later,

Five decades ago, Cleveland was infamous for major water problems, including the Cuyahoga River catching on fire and Lake Erie being proclaimed dead. But the challenges attracted attention, resources, businesses, and problem-solvers. 50 years later, the city is an epicenter for water innovation and technology, as discussed in this episode by Bryan Stubbs, President and Executive Director of the Cleveland Water Alliance. Bryan talks about the effort to make Erie a smart lake, solutions emerging f...

Five decades ago, Cleveland was infamous for major water problems, including the Cuyahoga River catching on fire and Lake Erie being proclaimed dead. But the challenges attracted attention, resources, businesses, and problem-solvers. 50 years later, the city is an epicenter for water innovation and technology, as discussed in this episode by Bryan Stubbs, President and Executive Director of the Cleveland Water Alliance. Bryan talks about the effort to make Erie a smart lake, solutions emerging f...

In 2014, a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie forced the shutdown of Toledo’s drinking water system, cutting off the vital service for 400,000 people. In the years since, the City of Toledo responded by forging partnerships to monitor conditions in the lake,

In 2014, a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie forced the shutdown of Toledo’s drinking water system, cutting off the vital service for 400,000 people. In the years since, the City of Toledo responded by forging partnerships to monitor conditions in the lake, investing in upgrades to infrastructure and water treatment, and communicating in a transparent and comprehensive manner with the public. The lessons learned and level of preparedness is discussed in this episode with Patekka Bannister, Commissi...

In 2014, a toxic algae bloom in Lake Erie forced the shutdown of Toledo’s drinking water system, cutting off the vital service for 400,000 people. In the years since, the City of Toledo responded by forging partnerships to monitor conditions in the lake, investing in upgrades to infrastructure and water treatment, and communicating in a transparent and comprehensive manner with the public. The lessons learned and level of preparedness is discussed in this episode with Patekka Bannister, Commissi...

Illinois is the state with the most lead service lines for drinking water in the country, estimated to be between 700,000 and 1.4 million, with a large number of those found in Chicago. But in 2021, the efforts of a diverse coalition of stakeholders le...

Illinois is the state with the most lead service lines for drinking water in the country, estimated to be between 700,000 and 1.4 million, with a large number of those found in Chicago. But in 2021, the efforts of a diverse coalition of stakeholders led to passage of landmark legislation that made Illinois one of only two states to require replacement of all lead service lines. An inside look at the Illinois legislation is provided in this Pass The Mic episode, which is guest hosted by Jeremy Or...

Illinois is the state with the most lead service lines for drinking water in the country, estimated to be between 700,000 and 1.4 million, with a large number of those found in Chicago. But in 2021, the efforts of a diverse coalition of stakeholders led to passage of landmark legislation that made Illinois one of only two states to require replacement of all lead service lines. An inside look at the Illinois legislation is provided in this Pass The Mic episode, which is guest hosted by Jeremy Or...

Wilmington, North Carolina is home to the USS North Carolina, a retired World War II battleship that is open as a museum that draws over a quarter of a million visitors each year and serves as a memorial to the North Carolinians who died in the war.

Wilmington, North Carolina is home to the USS North Carolina, a retired World War II battleship that is open as a museum that draws over a quarter of a million visitors each year and serves as a memorial to the North Carolinians who died in the war. But now this special piece of American history faces an unlikely challenge - water. That’s because blue sky flooding, made increasingly frequent by sea level rise, is impacting visitor access to the battleship. The path forward is a Living With Water...

Wilmington, North Carolina is home to the USS North Carolina, a retired World War II battleship that is open as a museum that draws over a quarter of a million visitors each year and serves as a memorial to the North Carolinians who died in the war. But now this special piece of American history faces an unlikely challenge - water. That’s because blue sky flooding, made increasingly frequent by sea level rise, is impacting visitor access to the battleship. The path forward is a Living With Water...

The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world, containing over 20 percent of Earth’s surface freshwater. This makes the Great Lakes an incredibly unique and critical place for water research,

The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world, containing over 20 percent of Earth’s surface freshwater. This makes the Great Lakes an incredibly unique and critical place for water research, including in the areas of invasive species, microplastics, emerging contaminants, and climate change. The opportunities to learn and devise solutions for water challenges is discussed in this episode with Rebecca Klaper, the Vice Dean of the School of Freshwater Sciences at the Universit...

The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater ecosystem in the world, containing over 20 percent of Earth’s surface freshwater. This makes the Great Lakes an incredibly unique and critical place for water research, including in the areas of invasive species, microplastics, emerging contaminants, and climate change. The opportunities to learn and devise solutions for water challenges is discussed in this episode with Rebecca Klaper, the Vice Dean of the School of Freshwater Sciences at the Universit...

Healthy and resilient coastlines depend on action by states to properly manage development and prepare for climate change. While the Surfrider Foundation’s 2021 State of the Beach report found only two-thirds of states performing at poor to adequate le...

Healthy and resilient coastlines depend on action by states to properly manage development and prepare for climate change. While the Surfrider Foundation’s 2021 State of the Beach report found only two-thirds of states performing at poor to adequate levels, nine states did improve their scores from last year. The highest scoring states had strong policies for coastal building setbacks, restrictions on coastal armoring, limits on development in harm’s way, and progressive sea level rise policies,...

Healthy and resilient coastlines depend on action by states to properly manage development and prepare for climate change. While the Surfrider Foundation’s 2021 State of the Beach report found only two-thirds of states performing at poor to adequate levels, nine states did improve their scores from last year. The highest scoring states had strong policies for coastal building setbacks, restrictions on coastal armoring, limits on development in harm’s way, and progressive sea level rise policies,...

Local government officials and staff responsible for water management often have limited resources and must avoid risk, putting them on the constant search for proven solutions that work for their peers. Enter The Atlas,

Local government officials and staff responsible for water management often have limited resources and must avoid risk, putting them on the constant search for proven solutions that work for their peers. Enter The Atlas, an online community where they can browse case studies, follow topics, and crowdsource ideas and advice, as discussed in this episode with Ellory Monks, Co-Founder of The Atlas. Ellory explains that water content has always been extremely popular on the platform and that lead, g...

Local government officials and staff responsible for water management often have limited resources and must avoid risk, putting them on the constant search for proven solutions that work for their peers. Enter The Atlas, an online community where they can browse case studies, follow topics, and crowdsource ideas and advice, as discussed in this episode with Ellory Monks, Co-Founder of The Atlas. Ellory explains that water content has always been extremely popular on the platform and that lead, g...

Over time many property owners in New Orleans have replaced green spaces in favor of concrete and other impervious surfaces in order to gain more parking and reduce yard maintenance. The amount of hard surfaces contributed to serious flooding problems ...