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The podcast where we scale up on knowledge so we don't scale up our systems. Find out why working in Industrial Water Treatment is the best job in the world. Hear industry experts share their knowledge and stories. Learn about technologies, methods, and career journeys. Join podcast host Trace Blackmore, former AWT President, LEED, and CWT.
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- 4 days ago1h 7m
506 The Blueprint of Water: Understanding the Why with Connor Hanrahan, Part 2
Water treatment expertise matters most when a convincing answer conflicts with field conditions. Connor Hanrahan, Technical Director of Industrial Water Engineering and author of The Blueprint of Water, returns with Trace Blackmore, CWT, to examine how AI, technical writing, and accountability shape professional judgment. Evaluate AI against the actual system Connor describes a customer's AI-generated recommendation that discussed calcium targets for a cooling tower operating on soft water. The advice did not fit the system, leaving him to explain the mismatch. Trace shares a separate formulation exercise in which a polished AI response failed his checks on ingredient compatibility and order of addition. However, both describe useful applications: generating ideas, overcoming a blank page, and screening service reports for issues that deserve attention. Their distinction is practical: use those outputs as material to evaluate, then apply your own knowledge of the system before making recommendations. Write to explain, and teach to understand Technical communication requires more than correct grammar. Customers need explanations they can understand, and both speakers describe AI edits that stripped their writing of its individual voice. Connor also explains why his book emphasizes conceptual understanding rather than instructions for every possible situation. Trace connects that challenge to setting boundaries for AWT's Fundamentals and Applications training. He recommends preparing questions before technical training and teaching colleagues something afterward, extending the value beyond the person attending. Give important work a next step Ikigai gives Connor a way to connect what he enjoys, what he does well, what earns a living, and what the world needs. Memento mori adds urgency by reminding listeners that their time is limited. Accountability turns those reflections into action. Connor describes telling people about his book; Trace's closing recap explains how Rising Tide Mastermind members tracked his commitment to writing chapters. The emphasis stays on completing the next piece of work and asking for help when needed. Make water savings visible Connor describes IWE's water-saving goal and work involving overflowing cooling towers, leaking closed loops, condensate losses, and cycles of concentration. He explains that customers verify the savings associated with projects. Lost condensate also carries heat, connecting water losses to fuel savings. That example brings the conversation back to customer communication: explain what is happening, why it matters, and how the work addresses the customer's actual problem.<span data-ccp-props
- 1 weeks ago1h 14m
505 The Blueprint of Water: Understanding the Why with Connor Hanrahan, Part 1
Why does water behave the way it does, and how do you explain that clearly to someone else? Connor Hanrahan, Technical Director of Industrial Water Engineering and author of The Blueprint of Water, joins Trace Blackmore, CWT, to connect technical understanding with teaching, professional development, and the work of writing a book. Become a student of your daily work Trace opens by challenging familiar service and delivery routines: What are the numbers telling you, and could the process be safer or more efficient? Connor traces his own learning from graduate desalination research to a first steel-plant visit and his growing teaching role with AWT. Teach the reasoning behind the procedure Dosages and setpoints provide instructions, but Connor wants water treaters to understand the chemistry behind them. He describes simplifying technical ideas into basic building blocks, using a whiteboard when an explanation falls short, and drawing on his improv background to respond to the audience. For trainers and technical managers, the emphasis is on helping people understand an idea well enough to explain it themselves. Keep CWT knowledge active in the field At IWE, monthly chemistry and equipment seminars help keep knowledge fresh, while a 12-week preparation process supports future CWT candidates. Connor emphasizes asking underlying questions and applying knowledge beyond familiar service-report routines. Trace also shares his expectations for broader recognition of the credential. He presents future customer and regulatory recognition as an outlook, rather than an established requirement. Turn purpose into accountable action The conversation then moves to memento mori, bucket lists, and the value of treating time intentionally. Trace describes connecting three-year goals with shorter planning periods. Connor credits his Rising Tide Mastermind peers with helping his book become real. Eric Dotson's question helped spark the project, while Dave Fitzgerald's invitation to contribute quarterly articles to The North Connection created deadlines, accountability, and experience publishing his ideas. Understand the book and the work behind it Connor explains how The Blueprint of Water connects the water molecule with heat, pH, scaling, corrosion, and microbiology. It includes problem sets and engineering notes for applying concepts; he explicitly distinguishes it from a CWT exam guide. He also describes the demands of writing, including marathon sessions and setting aside writing time before inspiration arrives. Trace shares how defining an audience's starting knowledge and desired outcome helped him develop his own material. The companion website extends the learning through questions, system calculators, and the water treatment game Route. The thread throughout is professional responsibility: keep asking questions, explain your reasoning, and make learning a deliberate part of your work. Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related
- 2 weeks ago52 min
504 Intelligent Water Management: Catching Leaks Before the Next Bill with David Benaiges
Intelligent water management starts with a question a utility bill cannot answer: what is happening inside the building right now? David Benaiges, Vice President of Intelligent Water Solutions at Watts Water Technologies, joins Trace Blackmore, CWT, to explain how flow, leak, temperature, and pressure data can help teams investigate abnormal usage and prioritize their response. Look Beyond the Monthly Bill A higher bill can signal a problem without identifying its cause. David explains why ongoing flow monitoring provides a more useful view of changing water-use patterns, including underground leaks that may remain out of sight. Trace supplies a practical example: a failed cooling tower makeup valve caused an overflow at a client's site. Because the controller was monitoring the system, his team caught the problem the same day. Match the Monitoring to the Risk David describes an approach that can expand from the main meter to individual building areas and specific equipment. Main-meter flow data establishes a broad usage profile; additional meters and leak sensors provide more detail near kitchens, washing machines, ice makers, or other areas of concern. The appropriate combination depends on the building's risk and the value of exposed equipment. He also explains how automatic shutoff or a manually activated remote valve can add another layer of protection when someone cannot reach the site quickly. Turn Sensor Data into Priorities AI can help distinguish unusual consumption from recurring patterns, such as a regular event that increases demand. However, David emphasizes the continuing role of people who understand water systems in interpreting anomalies and helping facilities teams decide where to investigate. Temperature readings across domestic hot water systems and pressure measurements extend that visibility beyond consumption. These measurements can help teams assess whether systems are operating as designed and investigate issues such as incorrect mixing. Evaluate Security and Insurance Alongside Performance For connected systems, David describes Nexa's network architecture and access controls for functions such as changing a mixing-station setpoint. His explanation gives building teams specific questions to raise about monitoring, control, and system access. Insuranc
- 3 weeks ago54 min
503 Pinks and Blues: Beyond Industrial Water Week 2026
Industrial Water Week 2026 has ended, and Trace Blackmore, CWT, challenges listeners to carry its focus on learning and mentorship into the rest of the year. This Pinks and Blues episode combines reflections on IWW26 and the AWT convention with listener questions about AI and professional development. Give continued learning a place on your calendar Trace proposes a specific challenge: choose one of Industrial Water Week's five focus areas and schedule 30 minutes to improve your understanding. Those areas are pretreatment, boilers, cooling, wastewater, and careers. He suggests reading an article, watching a training video, revisiting an earlier podcast, or walking an account with fresh eyes. He also encourages listeners to consider someone they could mentor, a question to ask a mentor, or a process to improve. Build on the relationships behind the industry Looking back at the AWT convention in Oklahoma City, Trace recounts listeners saying the podcast motivated them to pursue the Certified Water Technologist designation or reconsider leaving the industry. He describes the Scaling UP! H2O magic button as a way to start conversations with other attendees. He also recalls Mark Lewis sharing the spotlight during his award recognition. That gesture allowed Tom Brandvold to present Trace's earlier award to him in person. Use AI while continuing to develop your expertise Answering questions prompted by Episode 492, Trace recommends AI for routine data gathering and study aids built from information the user knows is correct. His experiences with incorrect blending instructions reinforce his recommendation to verify technical answers. For service reports, he suggests using AI to improve the wording of factual notes about completed work, including probe calibration, cleaning, and pump priming. Each report should still describe that particular visit. For employers, Trace recommends deciding which platforms to use, reviewing settings, training employees, and documenting acceptable use. He also suggests seeking knowledgeable help when developing an AI policy. Choose a learning path that fits your next step Trace shares his educational journey, including earning his GED and MBA and currently pursuing a doctorate in business administration. He explains why the flexibility of online learning suited him. He also previews AWT technical training announced for November 11–14, 2026, in Frisco, Texas. He describes concurrent options including fundamentals and applications, program design and operations, water treatment and advanced water treatment, ASSE 12080, and
- Oct 9, 202643 min
502 Industrial Water Week 2026: Careers Friday
Experienced water treaters carry knowledge that the next generation needs. For Careers Friday, Trace Blackmore, CWT asks them to pass it on. The Industrial Water Week 2026 finale connects industrial water treatment careers with mentorship, practical training, and curiosity. Pass on the reasoning behind the work Trace describes a mentor as someone you can call when a system presents a problem you cannot explain. Learning from another professional's challenges, mistakes, and experience helped him solve problems and later mentor others. He also addresses professionals preparing to retire. Their water treatment legacy can continue through a colleague who learns from their experience. Three routes into a water career Brian Liotta of USALCO recounts a career that began in water treatment chemical manufacturing and expanded into commercial work and distribution. Jemma Tennant, chair of the Water Management Society and an SMS Environmental employee, shares how effluent-plant work and a conversation with Sir David Attenborough inspired her career. Meanwhile, Dr. David Krause of HC3 describes entering the field through public health responses to waterborne disease. His message includes industrial hygiene resources and training in health and safety, confined-space entry, and combustible dust. Detective H2O: The Case of Adolescent Curiosity Detective H2O introduces two high school students to pretreatment, boiler water, data center cooling, and batch wastewater treatment. James McDonald brings the series to listeners, while Trace credits Mark Lewis with writing today's case. The tour connects ion exchange and softener regeneration with boiler protection, then explains deaeration, sulfite, and neutralizing amines. At the data center, corrosion coupons, bacteria dipslides, conductivity, operating trends, and chiller approach support a complete testing program. The wastewater stop adds jar testing, coagulant and flocculant selection, clarification, and filter-press dewatering. The lesson links discharge requirements with the cost of hauling wet sludge. Guest voices, peer support, and a next step Trace thanks Pyxis Lab, the official sponsor of Industrial Water Week 2026, and reveals the guest voices behind all five Detective H2O cases. He also describes the Rising Tide Mastermind as a place for regular peer support, accountability, and shared knowledge. His closing request gives listeners a practical next step: thank someone who helped build their knowledge, seek a mentor, or mentor another water professional. Keep that exchange active so the industry's experience continues to reach the next generation. Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamp 01:10 — Trace opens Careers Friday and thanks Pyxis Lab for supporting Industrial Water Week 2026. 04:40 — Trace recognizes the community's photos, stories, and mystery-voice guesses as ways to celebrate the profession. 07:40 — Trace connects career development with mentors who share experience and help newcomers understand unfamiliar systems. 10:00 — Trace asks professionals nearing retirement to mentor someone so their water treatment knowledge continues. 11:00 — Brian Liotta shares his route from chemical manufacturing into commercial work and distribution, illustrating the industry's career range. 12:10 — Jemma Tennant describes her effluent-plant beginnings and encourages women to consider careers in water. 13:00 — Dr. David Krause connects public health work with water treatment and emphasizes training that helps professionals work safely. 16:10 — The Case of Adolescent Curiosity begins a student tour designed to make industrial water treatment visible as a career. 21:10 — The pretreatment stop explains ion exchange, hardness removal, and the importance of softener regeneration and monitoring. 23:30 — The boiler-room visit connects dissolved oxygen, deaeration, sulfite, and condensate treatment with corrosion control. 25:00 — The data center visit links cooling-water performance with heat transfer, reliability, and a co
- Oct 8, 202632 min
501 Industrial Water Week 2026: Wastewater Thursday
A wastewater inspection appeared to expose a failed treatment program—until Trace checked where the sample had been collected. For Industrial Water Week 2026: Wastewater Thursday, Trace Blackmore, CWT, connects correct sampling, water reuse, and careful troubleshooting with the decisions water treaters make every day. Check the sample location before drawing conclusions In an early-career account, a plant operator faced a threatened shutdown after an inspector's sample produced out-of-spec results. Trace reviewed logs, spoke with the engineer, and tested two locations. The inspector had sampled before treatment rather than at the correct downstream location. Trace then showed the customer both results and asked the inspector where he had sampled. That curious, factual approach corrected the misunderstanding without blame. The customer also recognized the need to escort unfamiliar inspectors so they could collect samples from the right place. Recover water, nutrients, and energy Returning guest Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva of Waterloop Solutions describes wastewater plants as future resource recovery plants, reclaiming water, nutrients, and energy. Kalpna Solanki, president and CEO of GAMECHANGERS Inc., shares reuse examples from British Columbia: treated effluent for snowmaking, biosolids composted with sawdust, and reclaimed water for toilet flushing and rooftop irrigation at the Vancouver Convention Center West. Together, their greetings shift attention toward what treatment can recover and where reclaimed water can serve another purpose. Investigate the disappearing hardness In the fictional Detective H2O story, The Case of the Disappearing Act, an operator measures 2–3 ppm total hardness leaving a softener, yet the feedwater tests soft. After checking condensate return, repeating the analyses, and walking the process, the detective finds that the feedwater sample point sits downstream of EDTA injection. The case explains how chelant can complex calcium and magnesium before the hardness test, leaving a blue indication even when hardness has passed the softener. The resolution is to investigate the softener's leakage and turn the operator's observations into training and procedures. Share the work behind Wastewater Thursday Trace invites listeners to photograph their favorite wastewater equipment safely, wear appropriat
- Oct 7, 202643 min
500 Industrial Water Week 2026: Cooling Wednesday
Cooling Wednesday brings a practical reminder: correcting a treatment problem requires understanding what caused it. For Industrial Water Week 2026, Trace Blackmore, CWT, celebrates Episode 500 with lessons on cooling tower foam, biocide feed verification, Legionella risk, and unexplained chilled water loss. Start with the feed history When a cooling tower produces enough foam to spread across the property and trigger low water shutdowns, Trace begins with the biocide feed logs. He compares the chemical remaining in the tank with calculated consumption and finds evidence of earlier underfeeding, even though the pump operates correctly during his inspection. Trace connects the foaming to accumulated biofilm and explains why a biological treatment program needs a clean system to maintain. The case highlights the value of checking historical chemical delivery alongside current equipment operation. Find what interrupted treatment After the tower is cleaned and the biocide program is restored, the problem returns. A plant engineer discovers that a contractor has unplugged the biocide pump from the controller output and connected a power tool instead. The team labels both the pump plug and its connection at the controller, then adds a notice identifying the connection as something other than a general outlet. Their response addresses the cause and gives other people working around the equipment a clearer instruction. Connect cooling data with risk management Returning guests Jake (Jacob) Deak, Christine McHugh, and Matt Freije share Cooling Wednesday greetings. Jake discusses tracer monitoring technology, while Christine describes using water temperature, circulation, pH, makeup water, and environmental data to inform Legionella risk reduction. Matt recalls a cooling tower worker's experience with Legionnaires' disease and emphasizes water management, maintenance, treatment, and testing. Their contributions connect cooling performance with the people working around these systems. Investigate where the water is going In the fictional Detective H2O: The Case of the Blues, a hospital's chilled water loop loses pressure and requires increasing makeup water, yet inspections reveal no visible leak. The investigation finds an ice machine connected to the chilled water loop instead of domestic cold water. The story emp
- Oct 6, 202633 min
499 Industrial Water Week 2026: Boiler Tuesday
Boiler Tuesday is a reminder that industrial water treatment exists to protect heat transfer efficiency. For day two of Industrial Water Week 2026, Trace Blackmore, CWT, connects feedwater preparation, condensate quality, and treatment distribution to the everyday decisions that keep steam systems working. Feedwater quality sets the stage Trace starts with a practical measure of boiler performance: how much heat from the flame reaches the steam? Feedwater conditions directly affect that work. He links inadequate feedwater heating with higher chemical demand, increased conductivity, and additional blowdown. For deaerators, he also emphasizes pressure. Together, these points reinforce the need to review feedwater conditions when evaluating treatment performance. Follow contamination through the condensate system Jake Elliott of HydroFlow recalls declining boiler alkalinity that eventually led to a plant room full of foam. A failed valve had allowed process material into the condensate return and feedwater tank, consuming alkalinity and forming soap. Meanwhile, Trace shares a separate case involving oil contamination, boiler surging, priming, and deteriorating steam quality. The investigation traced the oil to a leak in a process condensate line. Recovery required isolating the affected return, cleaning the boiler, and withholding contaminated condensate while the plant corrected the equipment and process problem. Both stories show why troubleshooting must include the process equipment connected to the condensate system. Confirm that amine protection reaches distant equipment James McDonald's scripted Detective H2O story, The Case of Not Going the Distance, examines a different condensate problem. Readings near the boiler house look acceptable, while distant sections show lower pH and corrosion. The case explains amine distribution ratio as the relationship between amine in the vapor phase and amine in the liquid phase. It compares how morpholine, diethylaminoethanol, and cyclohexylamine travel through the system. The detective reviews the blend and identifies satellite feed locations near long steam branches. Then he checks condensate pH at the same sampling locations after the changes. Early coupon observations support continued monitoring through a full exposure cycle. Strengthen the fundamentals and celebrate the work Frank Lecrone of AquaPhoenix Scientific shares a hardness testing mixup that reinforces the value of checking test instructions and using the correct titrant. Eric Johnson of Boilearn emphasizes learning boiler fundamentals and considers how future AI tools could help professionals interpret system data. James Courtney of CSC Technologies close
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About Scaling UP! H2O
The podcast where we scale up on knowledge so we don't scale up our systems. Find out why working in Industrial Water Treatment is the best job in the world. Hear industry experts share their knowledge and stories. Learn about technologies, methods, and career journeys. Join podcast host Trace Blackmore, former AWT President, LEED, and CWT.
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