Scaling UP! H2O Podcast Por scalinguph2o.com arte de portada

Scaling UP! H2O

Scaling UP! H2O

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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 every Friday for a new episode.© 2018 All Rights Reserved, Blackmore Enterprises, Inc. Economía
Episodios
  • 462 From Lab Chemist to Field Mentor: Water, Culture, and Representation

    462 From Lab Chemist to Field Mentor: Water, Culture, and Representation
    Feb 6 2026
    Industrial water work rewards people who can move between precision and practicality. Katie Holliday brings both. She started as a lab chemist, then transitioned into field service with Apex Water and Process, where much of her work supports healthcare facilities and high-accountability programs. Lab habits that protect your tools and your data Katie describes the first surprise of field work: a central plant is "very dirty," and the job demands good technique without chasing lab-level perfection. She shares a couple of simple practices that prevent expensive problems. Use proper lab wipes on glassware instead of shirts or paper towels, which can scratch surfaces and compromise readings. Keep pH probes wet with the correct storage solution, because once they dry out, they often stop working. Healthcare water: SPD work and Legionella prevention About 90% of Katie's accounts are healthcare. She defines SPD as the sterile processing department and explains why expectations shift compared to boilers and cooling towers. SPD work is cleaner, more controlled, and typically includes additional components such as endotoxin filtration and UV. It also involves more testing and stricter standards that tie directly to patient safety. Alongside SPD, she emphasizes Legionella prevention as a constant priority, from cooling towers (including secondary disinfection) to domestic water, because facilities want to reduce risk to patients. Water chemistry reality check: Phoenix versus "everywhere else" Katie explains how Arizona water changes the operating window. She notes high hardness and high chlorides, which can limit cycles of concentration and force conservative targets compared with places like Atlanta, where Trace describes running much higher cycles. The takeaway for experienced pros is familiar: operating limits are local, and "what good looks like" depends on the incoming water and the constraints that matter most at that site. Mentorship, representation, and field readiness systems Katie shares what it meant to be the first woman account manager hire in a long-running operation, and her advice is practical: recruit intentionally, then train people in the field, not from the sidelines. She credits her mentor, Bernie Peacock, for accelerating her learning curve, and she now passes that on by responding fast, following through, and providing steady backup to newer teammates. She also describes how she built mechanical confidence, using manuals, YouTube, phone video, and a OneNote playbook that captures account contacts, access details, sampling points, and "where things are" notes for clean coverage when someone else is on-site. Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 02:14 - Trace Blackmore shares "first day" intimidation and learning curve in water treatment 08:55 - Words of Water with James McDonald 12:30 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals 14:48 - Interview begins: Katie Holliday introduced (Apex Water and Process) 15:55 – Lab to Field transition and technique 20:27 – Representation and Mentorship 26:42 – Culture and Water Stewardship 33:31 – Healthcare work, SPD, and Legionella 35:56 – Mentoring and "give it back" 39:22 – Mechanical Confidence, Tools, and Documentation Systems Quotes and Key Takeaways "What do I not know that I don't know?" "Everyone needs a Bernie Peacock" "Field accuracy doesn't require lab perfection, but it does require clean technique." "The most effective mentoring is responsive and practical." "Documentation scales your value" Connect with Katie Holliday Email: k.nativeamericanbeadwork@gmail.com Website https://teamapex.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-holliday-9b6977246/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/apex-water-process/ Guest Resources Mentioned The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey AAMI ST108 Compliance in Sterile Processing High hardness in Phoenix ASSE 12080 Legionella Water Safety certification Navajo Nation water access Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water Technologies) Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea The Rising Tide Mastermind Fearless Pricing: Ignite Your Team, Own Your Value, and Command What You Deserve by Casey Brown Words of Water with James McDonald Today's definition is the upward flow of water through a resin bed to clean, expand, and reclassify the bed. Can you guess the word? 2026 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.
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    55 m
  • 461 Corrosion, Lead, and Algae: New Tools for Old Water Problems

    461 Corrosion, Lead, and Algae: New Tools for Old Water Problems
    Jan 30 2026
    Corrosion rarely announces itself as a "big water problem." It shows up as leaching at the tap, residual loss in the field, premature equipment replacement, and the slow, expensive erosion of decision-quality. Pat Rosenstiel (CEO) and Wolf Merker (chemist/Chief Science Officer) of Great Water Tech lay out a system-wide view of corrosion control—starting with what changed in Flint from a technical standpoint and moving into why many utilities still struggle to meet expectations when standards and risk assumptions shift. System-wide corrosion control starts with chemistry and consequences A source-water change can shift corrosivity fast. If corrosion control does not adjust proactively, the downstream effects show in metal release and public exposure. Wolf stresses the distinction between the technical problem and the political challenges, then points to corrosion control as a solvable technical matter when it is treated as a system condition—not a single asset issue. Why "phosphate-only" isn't the end of the story Trace frames what most operators recognize: many municipalities use phosphate inhibitors to form a tenacious film and reduce corrosion. Wolf argues phosphates are "a little bit of old news" in practice and explains the approach Great Water Tech discusses with their German partners—using phosphates and silicates together in the right amounts to create a tighter separation between water and metal. Barriers, biology, and the disinfection tradeoff Wolf breaks corrosion drivers into three sources: chemical, biological, and electrochemical (dissimilar metal corrosion). He also ties corrosion to cascading operational decisions—especially disinfectant strategy. If residual loss pushes a system from chlorine to chloramine, Wolf warns that corrosivity can increase dramatically, and that corrosion can amplify the formation of disinfection byproducts as chlorine reacts with what is in the water. What industrial water treaters should listen for Pat connects the same barrier logic to industrial priorities—CapEx, OpEx, and lifecycle extension in closed systems (cooling towers, closed chilled loops, boilers). Wolf clarifies that closed systems require different product "flavors," while keeping the core concept consistent: the combined silicate/phosphate approach remains the best path he is aware of. Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 02:20 - Trace sets the tone for the episode: decision-quality improves when you "rethink the way that you think you know things," especially around tests and procedures 08:20 - Words of Water with James McDonald 11:00 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals 18:22 - Interview with Pat Rosenstiel, CEO of Great Water Tech & Wolf Merker, Chief Science Officer of Great Water Tech 23:00 - Flint technical breakdown 27:30 - Corrosion control options 32:20 - Scale vs. Corrosion 43:40 – Algae Control Pivot Connect with Pat Rosenstiel Website: Great Water Tech | Water Treatment Solutions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-rosenstiel-a148952/ Great Water Tech LLC: Overview | LinkedIn Connect with Wolf Merker Website: Great Water Tech | Water Treatment Solutions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolf-merker-a1b95284/ Great Water Tech LLC: Overview | LinkedIn Guest Resources Mentioned NSF/ANSI/CAN 60 — Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals: Health Effect NSF — Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals Certification (NSF/ANSI/CAN 60) (how certification works) ANSI Webstore listing (official standard access/purchase) EPA — Lead and Copper Rule (regulation hub) EPA — Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) (final rule page) EPA fact sheet — Tap Monitoring Requirements (LCRI) (sampling protocol changes) Great Water Tech Folmar (Great Water Tech) — corrosion inhibitor (phosphate + silicate blend) Algae Armor (Great Water Tech) — nutrient-binding tool for ponds/lakes EPA Distribution System Toolbox — Pigging fact sheet (PDF) (removing biofilm/scale/sediment from mains) U.S. Bureau of Reclamation report page (chlorine vs chloramine impacts incl. corrosion/leaching discussion) AWWA Opflow article (main cleaning techniques incl. pigging): AWWA's utility-facing perspective on cleaning options Silicate corrosion inhibitors Historical context for silicate–phosphate combinations Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water Technologies) AWT Technical Training (March 2026) Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea The Rising Tide Mastermind Ep 422 Inside the Association of Water Technologies with John Caloritis Hach Water Analysis Handbook Words of Water with James McDonald Today's definition is the smallest functional ...
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    55 m
  • 460 Building Boiler Talent: Fundamentals, Online Training, and Better Partnerships with Eric Johnson

    460 Building Boiler Talent: Fundamentals, Online Training, and Better Partnerships with Eric Johnson
    Jan 23 2026
    Boilers can feel intimidating the first time you step into a boiler room—the heat, the noise, the pressure gauge, and the weight of knowing that mistakes can be costly. Trace Blackmore opens with a reminder that boilers deserve respect, not fear—and that learning fundamentals is how you replace mystique with clarity. The talent gap behind the boiler room door Eric Johnson, Founder and CEO of Boilearn, explains why boiler expertise is becoming harder to replace. He points to the shrinking pipeline of boiler-trained technicians—historically strengthened by Navy steam training—and why companies can't rely on "tribal knowledge" and informal shadowing alone to develop the next generation. Training that scales past the 2–3 day class Eric shares what pushed him to build Boilearn: technicians and operators need structured, repeatable competency systems—not just scattered classes and a "shotgun approach" to on-the-job training. He lays out why fundamentals can be taught effectively online when it's done well, and why travel-heavy training models often spend a large share of the budget on logistics instead of learning. Troubleshooting that starts with fundamentals Troubleshooting is where boiler work can feel like a mystery—until you understand fundamentals and sequence of operations. Eric explains how technicians can isolate problems faster by knowing what should be moving (or not moving), testing one theory at a time, and using electrical diagrams as a practical roadmap when formal sequence documentation isn't available. Better partnerships between boiler techs and water treaters The conversation closes with practical steps that reduce friction and finger-pointing: take photos during inspections, package observations clearly in service reports, communicate directly when possible, and over-communicate inspection schedules so the water treater can prepare the program before the boiler is opened. Listen to the full conversation above. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 02:20 - Trace Blackmore sets the stage on boiler fear vs. Respect, learning boilers from a Navy-Trained mentor 09:20 - Words of Water with James 10:50 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals 14:20 - Interview with Eric Johnson of Boilearn 16:30 – Eric's Path: HVAC school – Boiler Service Tech – Founder 19:10 – What Boilearn Does 22:10 – The lost "lifeline" problem 33:20 – Electrical Troubleshooting 44:20 – Coordinating Boiler Openings and Inspections Quotes "I've learned that boilers are something you definitely need to respect, but definitely not fear." "There's a career behind boilers. There's a career behind water treatment and not enough people talk about it." Connect with Eric Johnson Email: eric.johnson@boilearn.com Website: Boilearn I The Foundation of Boiler Training LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericjohnson2020/ Boilearn: Overview | LinkedIn Guest Resources Mentioned Boilearn Boilearn mission and origins Boiler operator roles and skills Common steam‑boiler problems Safe boiler operation guide Boiler start‑up and maintenance Safer operation manual Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water Technologies) AWT Technical Training Seminars Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses Submit a Show Idea Words of Water with James McDonald Today's definition is water lost from a cooling tower as liquid droplets are entrained in the exhaust air. 2026 Events for Water Professionals Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.
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    1 h y 3 m
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