Episodes

California's water future could be shaped by a $20 billion gamble with the controversial Delta Tunnel.This episode dives deep into the high-stakes project with Camille von Kaenel, California Environment Reporter for Politico.She unravels the complex plan to transport water from Northern to Southern California, detailing its immense cost, the decades-long permitting battles, and the stark divide between its proponents and opponents, , including Governor Gavin Newsom who champions it as a ...

Decades of overpumping groundwater around Houston caused the land to sink by as much as 15 feet, forcing neighborhoods to flood and entire communities to relocate.This episode explores how land subsidence developed, and how science, regulation, and infrastructure are now stopping the ground from sinking.Chrissy Butcher of Baytown Nature Center and Jason Ramage of the U.S. Geological Survey explain how groundwater extraction triggered massive subsidence and how the problem was first disco...

The hard-fought plan to restore salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest has been abruptly derailed, threatening one of the most significant tribal and environmental agreements in decades.In this episode of In The Newsroom, Tony Schick of Oregon Public Broadcasting breaks down how the Trump administration scrapped a landmark deal that would have paved the way for breaching four Snake River dams to save salmon populations.The agreement, developed under the Biden administration with tribes, st...

Billions of dollars are finally flowing into the water industry, but the financial landscape is still far behind energy, climate tech, and other booming sectors.In this episode of In The Newsroom, Travis Loop is joined by Antoine Walter, host of the (don’t) Waste Water podcast, for an insider look at how investment in the water sector is evolving—and where it’s still stuck.They discuss how private equity, venture capital, and institutional investors are cautiously entering water, often d...

Turning lawns into water savings, rewriting city codes, and protecting forests upstream—these are just some of the ways communities are reimagining their water systems with help from the WaterNow Alliance.In this conversation from the Reservoir Center in Washington, D.C., Cynthia Koehler, Executive Director of the organization, shares how their Project Accelerator provides pro bono support to utilities ready to scale distributed, climate-resilient solutions.From helping Golden, Colorado ...

What does a 21st-century water-powered economy look like?In this conversation, Brett Walton of Circle of Blue discusses their new reporting series on the blue economy in the Great Lakes region—where water is being used to drive innovation, jobs, and sustainable growth.The discussion explores how cities like Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Chicago are building a future around water tech, smart infrastructure, and workforce development.Walton breaks down efforts to turn wastewater into wealt...

EPA is moving forward with PFAS drinking water limits but delaying compliance deadlines and withdrawing a controversial hazard index. At the same time, the Trump White House has proposed about a 90% cut to the State Revolving Funds—raising serious concerns about how utilities will afford compliance and critical infrastructure upgrades.In this episode of In The Newsroom, Bob Crossen, Editorial Director of WaterWorld and Wastewater Digest, explains the latest regulatory developments and what t...

A legacy of pollution and neglect once left the James River and surrounding waterways in ecological crisis.But decades of federal protections and grassroots advocacy have shown that nature can heal—if given the chance.In this episode, Beth Roach, Vice Chair of the Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia and National Water Conservation Campaign Manager for the Sierra Club, shares her personal and professional journey in water protection. Beth reflects on the environmental trauma of growing up b...

Stormwater management solutions that are effective, space-conscious, and sustainable are increasingly important for cities. One increasingly popular solution is deep infiltration, a practice that moves stormwater into native soils far below the surface, to avoid harmful runoff and recharge groundwater.In this episode, Gregor Patsch of Oldcastle Infrastructure explains how vertical drywells work, why they’re different from injection wells, and how they’re gaining traction with both local gove...

As a new administration and Congress settle into Washington, questions loom about how federal water policy will take shape amid broader political turbulence. Fortunately, water remains a rare bipartisan issue, providing a pathway for continued investment and action around critical infrastructure and public health.In this conversation from the Reservoir Center, Mae Stevens of Banner Public Affairs explains why water has stayed steady compared to more contentious topics like immigration and de...

Desalination is a proven technology—but it’s still too costly, energy-intensive, and inaccessible for the communities that need it most.To change that, XPRIZE launched a $119 million global competition to drive breakthroughs in seawater desalination and deliver scalable, sustainable solutions. Lauren Greenlee, Executive Vice President of Food+Water+Waste at XPRIZE, shares how the foundation uses incentive-based competitions to tackle massive global challenges—and why water is now a top priorit...

A 2,600-year-old bald cypress tree stands quietly in North Carolina’s Three Sisters Swamp—older than the Roman Empire, untouched by time, and protected by a resurgent tribal community.In this powerful episode, Travis Loop joins members of the Coharie Tribe on a World Water Day paddle through their ancestral waters on the Black River.Guided by Kullen Bell and other tribal leaders, the journey reveals a deep cultural revival grounded in environmental stewardship. The conversation explores ...

Radhika Fox has spent her career at the intersection of people, policy, and infrastructure.In a conversation from the Reservoir Center in Washington, D.C., the former head of EPA's Office of Water shares how she helped lead the largest federal investment in U.S. water infrastructure, advance PFAS regulation, and expand environmental justice efforts.Radhika reflects on her path to leading federal water policy, shaped by experience at the San Francisco PUC and the US Water Alliance. She ex...

Islam offers powerful guidance for enviromental stewardship - and Huda Alkaff has spent 20 years bringing those teachings to life.As Founder of Wisconsin Green Muslims, Huda blends faith, ecology, and community action to advance water equity and climate justice. She shares how Islamic teachings inspire a sustainable lifestyle - from spiritual water practices during Ramadan to practical solutions like distributing water filters in frontline communities.Huda also discusses expanding Green ...

Mayor Marcus Muhammad of Benton Harbor and Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard of Mount Vernon share how federal investments have made a real difference in rebuilding water systems, protecting public health, and boosting local economies.

Nutrient runoff from tile drainage systems on Iowa farms is a significant challenge, affecting local waterways and the Mississippi River.Tile drain water recycling offers an innovative solution by capturing nutrient-rich drainage water, storing it in reservoirs, and reusing it for irrigation. This approach reduces nitrogen runoff while providing farmers with a reliable water source to boost crop yields.In this episode, Chris Hay, an agricultural engineer, explains the science and benefit...

Texas' iconic springs are facing growing pressure from urban development, groundwater pumping, and climate change, threatening the lifeline of both ecosystems and communities. But through sustainable aquifer management, conservation easements, and innovative policies, there is hope for keeping these vital waters flowing.This episode features conversations with Vanessa Puig Williams of the Environmental Defense Fund, Robert Mace of the The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas...

Flooding and water quality degradation are significant challenges in Iowa's agricultural watersheds, driven by intensive farming practices and increasingly extreme weather events. Relay cropping, a regenerative farming practice, offers a solution by keeping soil covered and living roots in the ground year-round to reduce runoff and improve soil health. Plus it provides another source of revenue for farmers.Ross Evelsizer of the Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development, explains how...

Grand Rapids is restoring the namesake rapids of the Grand River, reversing decades of human intervention that removed natural rock formations and altered the river’s flow. The city’s River For All project is removing five low-head dams and reshaping riverbanks to improve habitat, water quality, and public access.Mike Stahl, an engineer with the City of Grand Rapids, shares how the project will reconnect people with the river by adding new access points, educational spaces, and recreation op...

Agriculture in Iowa is vital to feeding the world, but it poses challenges for water quality and flood management due to nutrient runoff and extreme weather.One innovative solution is the restoration of oxbow lakes—former river bends that have become disconnected from streams. These revitalized oxbows filter out nutrients like nitrates, provide habitat for endangered species such as the Topeka shiner, and offer flood storage to reduce downstream impacts.In this episode, Brandon Iddings o...

The presence of 200,000 lead service lines in Cook County, Illinois poses a serious public health threat, especially to young children who are highly vulnerable to the effects of lead exposure.Addressing this issue requires collaboration across more than 130 municipalities and overcoming the complexities of replacing outdated infrastructure. One key initiative is the Lead Care program, which prioritizes removing lead lines at childcare facilities.Caroline Pakenham of Elevate, alongside C...

Amid the devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires, confusion and misinformation have surrounded the role of water resources.This episode clarifies key inaccuracies, highlighting how municipal water systems are designed to support localized firefighting efforts rather than large-scale wildfires fueled by extreme weather conditions.Kathryn Sorenson of Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy and Chad Seidel of Corona Environmental Consulting explore the limitations of current...

At the 2024 WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas, waterloop founder Travis Loop shared key insights from his travels across the United States, documenting innovative water projects. He identified a number of commonalities that define sustainable solutions.A return to nature is a recurring theme, with projects like Louisiana’s $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion reconnecting the Mississippi River to its floodplains, restoring wetlands, and reducing erosion. Equally impactful...

Since launching in 2014, the Clean Water Partnership in Prince George’s County, Maryland has provided a blueprint on how the government and a company can work together to simultaneously tackle environmental challenges and achieve community and business development.In this episode, Roland Jones of CIS and Jim Lyons of Prince George’s County discuss how this groundbreaking community-based public-private partnership has implemented extensive green infrastructure while ensuring 80 percent of the...