waterloop

Last century’s approach to water management was based on controlling nature, a fragmented infrastructure system, and general sense there was plenty of water. But the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century have spurred a transition to a water management approach revolving around circularity, scarcity, and nature itself. The past, present, and future are discussed in this episode with Newsha Ajami, the Director of Urban Water Policy at Water in the West at Stanford University and a Senior Research Scholar at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. Newsha explains that she is optimistic because of the rise of nature-based infrastructure, more integration and innovation in water systems, and increased public awareness and behavior change. waterloop is made possible in part by grants from Spring Point Partners and the Walton Family Foundation. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at https://flumewater.com​​​​​​ waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at https://www.highsierrashowerheads.com​

A lack of information on groundwater has historically posed challenges for management. Now emerging tools are expanding and organizing the data available for decision-making, as discussed in this episode with Ben Kerr of Foundry Spatial, Melissa Rohde of The Nature Conservancy, and Tom Gleeson of the University of Victoria. They talk about using technology for groundwater management in Canada and California, how the interaction of surface water and groundwater factors into information gathering, and the benefits of visually appealing interfaces for data. waterloop is made possible in part by grants from Spring Point Partners and the Walton Family Foundation. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at flumewater.com​​​​ waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at highsierrashowerheads.com​​​​

Residents of Toledo, Ohio deal with water challenges ranging from pollution in Lake Erie to lead pipes for drinking water to increasing utility bills. Toledo’s communities of color and low-income have historically lacked information and input in water issues such as these. But now that’s changing through community outreach as discussed in this episode with Alexis Smith, Community Program and Technology Associate for Freshwater Future, Alicia Smith, Director of Community Programming and Associate Director of Policy for Freshwater Future, and Ramon Perez, a Community Organizer for the Junction Coalition. They talk about work to educate and engage Toledo residents, the vision for water equity and environmental justice, and how the situation in Toledo is reflective of other cities around the Great Lakes region. waterloop is made possible in part by grants from Spring Point Partners and the Walton Family Foundation. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at https://flumewater.com​​​​ waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at https://www.highsierrashowerheads.com​​​​

Budgets are struggling to keep up with the scale and scope of water projects that need funding in communities across the U.S. At the same time, it is extremely difficult for public agencies to take risks on solutions that could address water challenges in more affordable and effective ways. In this episode Eric Letsinger, CEO of Quantified Ventures, discusses the rise of environmental impact bonds, an innovative financing tool that provides capital from investors for new approaches and bases the return on outcomes. Eric talks about a variety of uses of environmental impact bonds, including for green infrastructure in Washington, D.C.; flood mitigation in Hampton Roads, Virginia; water quality from agriculture in the Midwest; and restoration of coastal wetlands in Louisiana. waterloop is made possible in part by grants from Spring Point Partners and the Walton Family Foundation. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at flumewater.com​​ waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at highsierrashowerheads.com​​

The Colorado River is managed under the “Law of the River,” a complex series of agreements, laws, legal decisions, and regulations that originated with the 1922 Colorado River Compact. There are important lessons and successes from the past 100 years to remember as the basin faces urgent water challenges driven by climate change and population growth and stakeholders work on renegotiation of river policy. This episode features a retrospective on the Law of the River with Amy Haas, Executive Director of the Upper Colorado River Commission, and Chris Harris, Executive Director of the Colorado River Board of California. They discuss key moments from the past century and what those changes to river law meant for management. Amy and Chris also share examples of progress such as putting collaboration ahead of litigation, forging a partnership with Mexico, and managing water quality. waterloop is made possible in part by grants from Spring Point Partners and the Walton Family Foundation. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at https://flumewater.com​​ waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at https://www.highsierrashowerheads.com​​

Oysters are an iconic and important part of Louisiana’s coastal ecosystem, culture, and economy. But in addition to harvest pressure, the oysters are under stress from increased freshwater, either from heavy rainfall fueled by climate change or diversions of water from the Mississippi River. In this episode Morgan Kelly, an Associate Professor of Biology at Louisiana State University, discusses the health and prevalence of oysters, how they are stressed by freshwater, and ways to relieve that pressure through management of river diversions, use of hatcheries, and selective breeding. waterloop is made possible in part by grants from Spring Point Partners and the Walton Family Foundation. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at https://flumewater.com​ waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at https://www.highsierrashowerheads.com​

Historically bulkheads, seawalls, and other hardened structures were used along the Carolina coast to protect from the forces of erosion, waves, and storms. But there is a rise in the use of living shorelines, a stabilization technique that uses natural materials like rocks, oyster reefs, and plants. Living shorelines are better for water quality, property protection, and fish habitat. This episode features a discussion with Carter Smith, a marine scientist at Duke University, Lexia Weaver, a coastal scientist with the North Carolina Coastal Federation, and Daniel Govoni, a policy analyst for the NC Department of Environmental Quality. They explain the many benefits of living shorelines, incentivizing property owners to install them, and policy changes to support their use. waterloop is made possible in part by grants from Spring Point Partners and the Walton Family Foundation. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at flumewater.com waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at highsierrashowerheads.com

A common market-based approach to environmental conservation is stream mitigation banking, which allows an entity to degrade or destroy a stream while developing property in exchange for restoration of a stream someplace else. A new book Streams of Revenue explores the history of this practice and is authored by Martin Doyle, a professor at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, and Rebecca Lave, a professor and Chair of the Department of Geography at Indiana University. In this episode they discuss the difficulty and lack of success of stream mitigation banking and explain why they believe it needs to be reformed to achieve better environmental outcomes. waterloop is made possible in part by grants from Spring Point Partners and the Walton Family Foundation. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at flumewater.com waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at highsierrashowerheads.com

The higher temperatures and reduced precipitation in the Colorado River Basin are no longer viewed as a short-term drought, but as a longer-term aridification caused by climate change. The alarming strain on the region’s water resources is being met with a more holistic approach to management, a deeper sense of collaboration, and a variety of innovative efforts all aimed at a sustainable future. In this episode Ted Kowalski, Colorado River Initiative Lead and Senior Program Officer at the Walton Family Foundation, discusses the status of water agreements, how farmers and ranchers are leading the way on conservation, the rising role of indigenous communities, and why he calls water a human right. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at https://flumewater.com waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at https://www.highsierrashowerheads.com

As the drinking water crisis unfolded in Flint, it became clear that removing all of the lead pipes to people’s homes would be a daunting challenge. Among the reasons - a lack of records on locations, competing approaches for the order, and a community that was distrustful and in many ways disconnected. But more than five years later most lead pipes are out of the ground. In this episode reflections on the experience and lessons learned are shared by Ben Pauli, Assistant Professor at Kettering University, Jared Webb, Chief Data Scientist at BlueConduit, and Mona Munroe-Yousif, Executive Director of the Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint. On the technical side, the use of data, machine learning, and predictive analytics proved to be highly effective for locating lead lines. On the human side, community outreach was vital, including engagement with diverse groups, gathering a range of input, and forging new partnerships. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at https://flumewater.com waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at https://www.highsierrashowerheads.com

Conversation and collaboration are key ingredients in accelerating change in water management across Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania, where aging infrastructure, mining and fracking, and emerging pollutants like PFAS are part of the water challenges. In this episode Alison De Luise, Senior Advisor at the Water Center at Penn, and Karl Russek, Director of Applied Research at The Water Center at Penn, talk about their work in the region to understand water challenges and the priorities of a wide spectrum of stakeholders. They also discuss launching a network of organizations, establishing a leadership incubator, and helping small towns find financial and technical assistance. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at https://flumewater.com waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at https://www.highsierrashowerheads.com

The spectacular California coast is incredibly diverse, from the mega-urban areas of Southern California and the Bay Area to the rugged rural areas of the Central Coast and Northern California. The water challenges are equally diverse, with climate change, stormwater, agriculture, the energy industry, and more as problems. In this episode Sean Bothwell, Executive Director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, discusses a variety of solutions, including regulations to account for the impact of sea level rise on infrastructure, marine protected areas to support underwater ecosystems, and a Blue Business Council to bring powerful voices to water advocacy. waterloop is sponsored by the Flume smart water monitor, the perfect device to track your home's water use in real-time from your smart phone and be alerted to excessive use or leaks. Save 10 percent with promo code waterloop at www.flumewater.com waterloop is sponsored by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code Loop20 for 20 percent off at www.highsierrashowerheads.com

Greg Characklis is Director of the Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems at the University of North Carolina. In this episode Greg explains the financial risk to society from variability in the environment, including rainfall, water levels, and temperature, as well as extreme weather events. He discusses the increased attention on the risk from lenders, investors, insurance companies, and credit agencies, and how a variety of traditional and innovative tools can be used to manage financial risk. Greg talks about situations of financial risk in water around the country including the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and Central Valley in California. The waterloop podcast is brought to you by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code waterloop for 20 percent off at www.highsierrashowerheads.com

Greg Characklis is Director of the Center on Financial Risk in Environmental Systems at the University of North Carolina. In this episode Greg explains the financial risk to society from variability in the environment, including rainfall, water levels, and temperature, as well as extreme weather events. He discusses the increased attention on the risk from lenders, investors, insurance companies, and credit agencies, and how a variety of traditional and innovative tools can be used to manage financial risk. Greg talks about situations of financial risk in water around the country including the Great Lakes, Mississippi River, and Central Valley in California. The waterloop podcast is brought to you by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code waterloop for 20 percent off at www.highsierrashowerheads.com

Philip Berke is the Director of the Center for Resilient Communities and the Environment at the University of North Carolina. In this episode Philip explains the pressing need for communities to focus on planning to become more resilient to climate change. He discusses a variety of approaches, from hardening of infrastructure to managed retreats, that communities are taking in places like Virginia, New Hampshire, and Texas. Philip also talks about efforts to evaluate and expand resilience planning such as the Resilience Scorecard and programs of the National Academies of Science, Urban Institute, and National Science Foundation. The waterloop podcast is brought to you by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code waterloop for 20 percent off at www.highsierrashowerheads.com/

Kathryn Lucero is Community Environmental Management Specialist at Communities Unlimited. In this episode Kathryn talks about colonias, the Spanish word for neighborhood, which is used in reference to residential areas along the U.S.-Mexico border that often have substandard housing and lack basic infrastructure such as water. She discusses how efforts of the past 20 years have brought drinking water to a large percentage of colonias, including where she works in Texas. Kathryn explains the benefits for people physically, socially, and economically when they have water services in colonias. See all podcast at www.waterloop.org The waterloop podcast is brought to you by High Sierra Showerheads, the smart and stylish way to save water, energy, and money while enjoying a powerful shower. Use promo code waterloop for 20 percent off at www.highsierrashowerheads.com/