The water sector is facing a generational shift—one that demands not just new talent, but bold, forward-thinking leadership. That’s been the mission of the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment's Water Innovation Leadership Program: to equip emerging utility leaders with the tools to navigate today’s complex challenges while preparing…
Tracking sinking ground takes deep science—and deeper tools. At Lake Houston, the U.S. Geological Survey monitors land subsidence using a suite of precision instruments. A deep benchmark pipe, anchored 1,940 feet underground, serves as a stable reference point to detect even the slightest land movement above. “We measure how the…
The land sank, the floods came—and the homes had to go. In this Houston neighborhood, repetitive flooding made worse by land subsidence forced a hard decision: remove the homes. “We worked with FEMA, the city, and the county to buy out these properties and relocate residents to safer ground,” says…
Turning raw sewage into pure water in just 12 hours? The Orange County Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) makes it a reality! As the world's largest indirect potable reuse facility, the GWRS purifies up to 130 million gallons of water daily through a rigorous three-step process: microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and advanced…
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,…
Houston increased its water plant capacity fivefold to meet demand. To secure water for the next 50 years and reduce dependence on groundwater, Houston expanded its Northeast Water Purification Plant from 80 to 400 million gallons per day. The project added 320 million gallons of new capacity to serve eight…
How do you overhaul sewer infrastructure without digging up roads, disrupting neighborhoods, or breaking the bank? Adib Altallal is the Water & Sewer Utilities Engineer for the City of Tukwila, where he manages all capital improvement projects. Facing tight budgets and political pressure around rate increases, Adib turned to a…
Regulation stopped Houston’s sinking ground—and it’s working again. Some areas near the Houston Ship Channel had sunk nearly 10 feet due to groundwater overuse. But since the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District began regulating groundwater withdrawals in the late 1970s, water levels have rebounded and subsidence rates have dropped to nearly zero.…
Science revealed why Houston was sinking. As groundwater demand surged starting in the 1930s, U.S. Geological Survey scientists built a network to monitor water levels across the Houston region. “We saw rapid declines through the 1970s — the peak of withdrawals,” says Jason Ramage of the USGS. That long-term data…
Homes started sinking—and no one knew why. In 1950s Houston, residents of the Brownwood neighborhood were baffled when property surveys no longer matched and homes had mysteriously dropped multiple feet. “They didn’t realize it was subsidence,” says Christina Butcher, who grew up in the neighborhood. Subsidence is the slow sinking…
Purple pipes started in California—and now they’re everywhere to mark recycled water. In the 1980s, Irvine Ranch Water District pioneered the use of purple pipe to safely distribute recycled water and clearly distinguish it from drinking water and sewer lines. The color has become a global symbol of water reuse,…
What keeps water rates affordable? Meticulous, long-term planning. Yaolin Fennell is a principal civil engineer for the City of Rockville, where strategic upgrades to water and sewer systems are carefully mapped out—before things break. By setting annual rehabilitation goals, modeling risks, and prioritizing fixes, her team avoids sudden rate spikes…
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…
Pumping groundwater can make the land sink — here’s why. When too much water is pulled from underground aquifers made of sand, silt, and clay, those layers lose pressure and begin to compact. This process, called land subsidence, causes the surface above to sink, sometimes irreversibly. Subsidence can damage roads,…
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…
David Michel of the Center for Strategic and International Studies: Water is no longer just a vital resource—it’s a growing flashpoint for global conflict. From Mexico to Iran, farmers are seizing infrastructure to protect their fields. Downstream nations along the Nile and Indus threaten war to stop upstream dams. And…
Beer is 90% water—and brewing uses even more behind the scenes. That’s why Stone Brewing, located in drought-prone Southern California, has made water sustainability core to its operations. They reuse cooling water, treat wastewater on-site with a reclamation system, and even capture steam to reduce hot water demand during cleaning—cutting…
The unsung frontline of water: utility collections crews. Eric Velasquez manages collections and distribution in Altamonte Springs, where the silver tsunami is hitting hardest. As older workers retire, utilities struggle to hire and retain the next generation for these essential underground jobs—maintaining pipes, clearing sewer backups, and keeping systems running…
Explaining water reuse can be one of the biggest barriers to public support — but Carollo Engineers has created a simple, creative solution: The ABCs of Water Reuse. The resource uses an A-to-Z format to break down 26 key concepts, turning technical terms into clear language and artistic illustrations that…
Membranes are one of the hottest technologies in water — but the innovation curve may be flattening. Antoine Walter of the (Don’t) Waste Water podcast says membranes combine high-tech appeal with a SaaS-like business model: once the hardware is installed, utilities replace membranes regularly, generating steady revenue. But while new…
Welcome to the future of San Diego’s drinking water. This is the construction site for the massive Pure Water project, which will recycle 83 million gallons of wastewater into drinking water every day by 2035. Pure Water San Diego will supply half of the city's drinking water, securing a resilient…
Despite billions in investment and global urgency, desalination is reaching its thermodynamic limits—there’s only so much energy you can save when separating salt from water. While engineers continue to chase innovations, future gains may be incremental, not transformational, says Antoine Walter of the (don’t) Waste Water podcast. It’s a reality…
Nearly 50% of Americans don’t trust their tap water. Jonathan Medeiros of Veolia North America is working to change that. As Assistant Chief Operator for the Chatham Water Department, Jonathan helps ensure water is safe, reliable—and trusted. His team is building community confidence through plant tours, interactive newsletters, and regular…
The water industry as a business sector is at a turning point — but many still don’t even realize it exists. Inside the sector, major change has accelerated over the past three to five years, yet from the outside, it's still just a "confetti on the map," says Antoine Walter…