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

Scaling UP! H2O

Scaling UP! H2O

De: scalinguph2o.com
Escúchala gratis

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
  • 466 Stories, Math, and "Never Again" Moments: Inside AWT Technical Training with Dan Merritt (Part 2)

    466 Stories, Math, and "Never Again" Moments: Inside AWT Technical Training with Dan Merritt (Part 2)
    Mar 6 2026
    AWT's in‑person technical training is a keystone for developing competent water treaters. Yet classroom knowledge only matters when it survives the drive home and emerges later in the field. In this second conversation with Dan Merritt, CWT—National Sales Manager at CH2O Inc. and head of AWT's education committee—Trace Blackmore uncovers how stories, math, and memorable mistakes turn theory into intuition. Why training keeps evolving Dan explains that the Association of Water Technologies rewrites courses every year. Instructors refine content, delivery and demonstrations, not for novelty's sake, but because boilers and cooling towers rarely behave like textbook examples. Recognizing that multiple chemical reactions operate simultaneously helps prevent chasing the wrong problem. Updated program design and operations classes now bridge the gap between fundamentals and advanced topics. Specialized modules for sales, membrane/softener maintenance, ASSE 1280 compliance, and a two‑tier wastewater curriculum ensure that attendees can match coursework to their experience and role. Lessons from experience: paperwork, PPE and people Anecdotes ground the theory. Dan recounts losing his Certified Water Technologist status for five years after assuming an office manager filed his recertification paperwork. He re‑sat the exam in 2016 and now tells every candidate: verify your own paperwork. Another incident involved a sulfuric acid injection line that still held pressure; a line blew while he was replacing a fitting, covering his jeans in acid—his apron protected his torso, but he still had six‑inch holes in his pants. "Wear your PPE" is his first piece of advice to new technicians. Beyond safety, Dan highlights that water treatment careers demand communication and management skills. Technical strengths don't automatically translate into leadership; becoming a mentor and training others brings lasting fulfillment. Developing a growth mindset For new practitioners, Dan recommends learning from whoever will teach you and embracing the "nerdy" parts of the job—math, chemistry and calculations translate directly into customer value. After the first year it's easy to plateau, so he urges veterans to intentionally take on new technologies such as wastewater treatment or chlorine dioxide and to share knowledge with younger colleagues. This industry can't be automated or offshored; field troubleshooting will always require hands‑on expertise. Even in sales roles, success comes from offering solutions grounded in a deep technical foundation. Looking ahead The episode closes with a call to prepare for AWT's upcoming training seminars (March 10–13 and November 11–14). Attendees should bring system data and be ready to teach one takeaway to their teams when they return. Scaling Up! H2O encourages listeners to invest in their careers, meet peers and instructors, and approach each technical challenge as an opportunity to raise the bar for the entire industry. Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 01:35 - Trace Blackmore shares a reminder for listeners about the AWT Technical Training on March 10-13 04:12 – Words of Water with James 09:20 - Transition to Interview Recap 11:24 - Second part Interview with Dan Merritt, CWT 12:40 - Losing CWT Certification 20:49 - ASSE 12080 Training 22:49 - Wastewater Training Expansion 38:22 - Sulfuric Acid Incident Quotes "Failure is not the failure. Quitting is the failure." "The water treatment industry is not something that you can do remotely. There is always going to be the need for people to troubleshoot water systems." "Being a mentor is a great way to take that experience that we have and translate it—to give it away to those in our company." "Don't worry about making mistakes. We all make mistakes, and that's how you learn." "I swore up and down that I would never be a salesman. Now I'm the sales manager because I realized that selling solutions grounded in technical knowledge isn't about pushing products—it's about helping people." Connect with Dan Merritt, CWT Email: dmerritt@ch2o.com Website: .https://www.ch2o.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-merritt-cwt-18413819/. Guest Resources Mentioned Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't by Simon Sinek (Paperback) The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions by Geoff Woods, AI Thought Leadership The Accidental Superpower: Ten Years On by Peter Zeihan (Narrator, Author) The Shattering Peace: Old Man's War, Book 7 by John Scalzi (Author), Tavia Gilbert (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher) Education Offerings – AWT Become Certified – AWT Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water Technologies)...
    Más Menos
    57 m
  • 465 From Classroom to Cooling Towers: Teaching Water Treatment with Dan Merritt (Part 1)

    465 From Classroom to Cooling Towers: Teaching Water Treatment with Dan Merritt (Part 1)
    Feb 27 2026
    Industrial water training only works when the knowledge transfers. That means the material lands with the audience, survives the drive home, and shows up later in the field when decisions get made. Dan Merritt, CWT, Sales Manager at CH2O, brings a rare perspective to that problem. He started as a teacher (chemistry, calculus, physics), entered industrial water treatment on February 5, 2002, and later became part of the AWT training team. This conversation follows the path from classroom instruction to boiler rooms and cooling towers, then uses that journey to examine what makes technical training "stick" for working professionals. From educator to water treater, then back to educator Dan shares how leaving graduate study, teaching high school and community college, and stepping into service work shaped his approach to explaining technical concepts. The throughline is simple: the instructor owns the clarity. When someone in the room does not understand, the response is not frustration. The response is translation. Bridging the knowledge gap without dumbing it down Trace and Dan describe a common failure mode in technical instruction: experts answering correctly, but not helpfully. They frame the goal as closing the gap between what the instructor knows and what the audience can realistically absorb in the moment, especially for attendees building competence over time. Stories and demonstrations as tools for retention The episode highlights why AWT trainers lean on stories and physical demonstrations, from an Archimedes fountain to static electricity experiments. Dan explains how the "light bulb moment" is the reward of teaching, and why trainers adapt when a method fails (including what humidity can do to a demo in a room full of people). Keeping the CWT exam in proper context The conversation also draws a firm boundary: training supports growth, but it does not replace the CWT experience requirement and recommendations. Dan and Trace emphasize accurate language around the credential and reinforce what the training can and cannot do. Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! Timestamps 01:38 — Setup for a two-part series to help listeners prepare for AWT Technical Training 02:24 — AWT Technical Training logistics: March 10–13 in Frisco, Texas (near Dallas) 03:10 — Trace shares why AWT Technical Training matters personally (mentorship, community, support) 05:51 — "Desert Pete" story: why instructors "fill the bottle" by giving back through training 11:53 — Words of Water with James McDonald: definition + answer ("flow rate") 14:13 — Events mentioned for water professionals 18:42 — Trace introduces the guest: Dan Merritt (CH2O) and their history through AWT 19:39 — Dan's background: 24 years in water treatment; former teacher (chemistry, calculus, physics). 22:44 — Dan's entry into water treatment: Industrial Water Engineering ride-alongs + first field impressions 26:49 — Move to Pacific Northwest + start at CH2O (service tech) and why that timing mattered 31:40 — How Dan and Trace connected through AWT training; Dan begins teaching (service tech reporting). 34:17 — Dan's AWT involvement expands: education committee + Intro to Water Treatment online course task force 35:31 — Dan asked to teach the chemistry class; Trace frames "know your audience" and confidence gap 36:50 — Teaching tools and learning from misses: demos (Archimedes fountain, static electricity + humidity issue) 37:49 — The key teaching principle: "you're the instructor; it's your job to explain it clearly" (adult learners) 41:31 — Bridging the knowledge gap: why brilliance can miss the audience, and why training must translate 44:48 — Why a math/calculations class helps: making the "bang, there's your answer" steps teachable 50:19 — Troubleshooting reality: many forces in boilers/cooling towers; deeper understanding improves diagnosis 52:00 — Field story lesson: softener cleaning foam incident (why stories stick and prevent repeat mistakes) 56:19 — CWT clarification: training helps, but it cannot replace required experience and recommendations 58:31 — CWT wording matters: it's an "exam," not a "test" (Trace mentions Angela Pike's correction) Quotes "It's your job to explain the material in a way that we can understand it." "It's our responsibility to take this information, to package it in a way so you, not me, you can understand it." "Math is the only known axiom that we have. And it kind of quiets the chaos." "And again, it's not a test. Do not say that it's a test. It is an exam." Connect with Dan Merritt, CWT Email: dmerritt@ch2o.com Website: .https://www.ch2o.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-merritt-cwt-18413819/ CH2O, inc.: Overview | LinkedIn Guest Resources Mentioned Education Offerings – AWT ...
    Más Menos
    1 h y 4 m
  • 464 Corrosion Coupons, Brand Building, and Having Fun at Trade Shows with Will Ritter

    464 Corrosion Coupons, Brand Building, and Having Fun at Trade Shows with Will Ritter
    Feb 20 2026
    "Don't be afraid to say I don't know. - Will Ritter" Corrosion is expensive, relentless, and easy to underestimate—until a "lasagna battery" turns aluminum foil green and reminds you what electrochemistry can do in the real world. This conversation reframes corrosion coupons as what they actually are: a repeatable field test that can sharpen your decisions—if you treat the process with consistency. Respect the coupon, protect the data Trace breaks down why coupons became non-negotiable in his systems: they turn guesswork into usable corrosion-rate intelligence. Will Ritter of MetaSpec (formerly Pacific Sensor) explains the fundamentals—pre-weighed coupons, exposure time, cleaning, and calculating corrosion rate in MPY (mils per year). The point isn't that the coupon is your pipe; it's that the coupon becomes a reliable, relative gauge over time when variables are controlled. The "five things" that make results repeatable Will outlines practical failure points that quietly ruin comparisons quarter to quarter: alloy selection (and staying consistent), surface area (and what happens when hardware covers the coupon), surface finish (including why scratches and pits matter), weight accuracy (and why kitchen/postage scales don't belong in the workflow), and protective VCI packaging that prevents premature corrosion in storage and transit. Brand building, trade shows, and getting comfortable saying "I don't know" Will shares his path from Pacific Sensor to MetaSpec and what it looks like to merge brands intentionally heading into 2026. The discussion also moves into trade show presence and digital marketing, plus a simple confidence framework: get comfortable saying "I don't know, but I can find out," and build communication reps—he points to Toastmasters as a low-stakes way to do that. 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 stage: why corrosion coupons matter as diagnostic data 04:05 — What a coupon is (size, pre-weighed precision) and why tiny changes matter 06:14 — Trace's "four things" water treaters manage (and what microbial control is not) 07:07 — The "lasagna battery": anode/cathode/electrolyte/path in a real-life example 08:50 — Defining corrosion (ISO 8044 and NACE definitions referenced) 09:50 — Corrosion cost perspective: "2.5 trillion" and "3.5% of global GDP" (as cited) 10:53 – Words of Water with James 12:38 – Events for Water Professionals 14:56 — Will Ritter introduction and why the podcast helped him understand the industry 18:30 — How Will got into coupons: Pacific Sensor, mentors, and early AWT exposure 24:36 — Trade show mindset: don't be afraid to say "I don't know" 27:50 — Toastmasters as a practical system for better speaking and confidence 31:25 — Pacific Sensor → MetaSpec; co-branding and planned transition "starting in 2026" 34:06 — Coupon basics and MPY explained in clear operational terms 36:51 — The big misunderstanding: coupons as a relative gauge (not "the pipe") 40:06 — The "five key characteristics" behind usable coupon data 58:10 — Best-practice takeaway: treat coupons like a lab test brought into the field 01:06:35 — Close: why Trace "owes a lot" to that "little slip of metal" Quotes "Use the coupon as a relative gauge of the corrosivity of the system." - Will Ritter "Surface finish is critical… a change in surface finish is going to impact corrosion results." - Will "Treat your coupons… like you are taking a laboratory test and bringing it into the field." "It's not a piece of metal. It's very special. Treat it as such." "Digital marketing is free… small businesses need to take advantage of free resources." Connect with Will Ritter Phone: (713) 882- 1427 Email: williamrritter@gmail.com Website: Pacific Sensor - Buy Corrosion Coupons and Test Specimens LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamryanritter/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-sensor/about/ Guest Resources Mentioned Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway (Audiobook) Steel Isn't Hard (To Learn) by Shane Turcott (Paperback) The Goal: 40th Anniversary Edition: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M Goldratt (Author), Jeff Cox (Author) Toastmasters International Pacific Sensor Corrosion Coupon Installation Guide Water Treatment Flyer- Pacific Sensor Metaspec Capabilities Presentation NACE SP0775-2023 Preparation, Installation, Analysis, and Interpretation of Corrosion Coupons in Hydrocarbon Operations ASTM-G1-25 Standard Practice for Preparing, Cleaning, and Evaluating Corrosion Test Specimens TP25-18 The Impact of Metal Surface Roughness on Corrosion Monitoring Water Treatment Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned AWT (Association of Water ...
    Más Menos
    1 h y 12 m
Todavía no hay opiniones