For Tap Talk's 89th episode, we were pleased to welcome on Gary Hawkins, a water resource management specialist at University of Georgia Extension! In this role, Gary spends a lot of his time conducting outreach and education programs for the citizens of Georgia to teach them more about their septic systems, private wells, and other water resources. In this episode, he dives deep with Steve and Jennifer on how he has built creative and engaging methods of delivering needed onsite wastewater education.

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This episode welcomes back Dr. Amie Shei of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, joined by Jenna Day of RCAP Solutions, to share what's happened since we first discussed their private well project in TT041. They explain how sampling hundreds of wells grew into a statewide coalition, a funded MassDEP study, and a bill that would require private well testing when a property is sold.

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This week we continue talking with Heather Stevenson, the Director of Workforce Development for the Kentucky Rural Water Association. Last week, we discussed the development of Kentucky's rural water apprenticeship program. Here in Part 2, Heather, Steve, and Jennifer continue to discuss the current direction of the program, the use of VR as a training tool, the importance of on-the-job training, the necessity of building relationships in the water industry, and more.

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This week for TT086, our guest is Heather Stevenson, the Director of Workforce Development for the Kentucky Rural Water Association. Kentucky is one of the 35 states that participates in the National Rural Water Association's apprenticeship program, and Heather has overseen the building of Kentucky's program and the development of many successful apprentice graduates since 2019. In Part 1 of our conversation with her, Heather, Steve, and Jennifer discuss the requirements and basics of KRWA's program, its history, the advantages it offers to the industry, success stories from graduates, and more.

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Welcome to Tap Talk Season 8! To kick off this new season, we welcome Courtney Lee to the show, who is the Director of Workforce Development at The Water Tower. The Water Tower is a nonprofit innovation hub striving to transform the future of water with research, workforce development, and industry collaboration programs. Courtney talks with Steve and Jennifer the unique approaches the organization is using to cultivate the next generation of water professionals.

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Today, we finish up Season 7 of Tap Talk with the final part of our conservation with Anthony DeRosa, the executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA). In this half of the conversation, Anthony discusses the changing approach of states to drinking water compliance and the challenges they face, the shifting culture of innovation and knowledge-sharing across the water sector, and some of the distinct difficulties that small systems deal with.

Don't forget to listen to Part 1 of this episode if you haven't yet. And keep your eyes peeled for Tap Talk Season 8!

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To conclude Season 7 of Tap Talk, we bring you a two-part conversation with Anthony DeRosa, the executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA). In Part 1 of the episode, Anthony tells Steve and Jennifer about the work ASDWA does to support drinking water regulators, the evolution of the organization over the time he has worked there, and his approach to leadership in this changing technological age.

Be sure to check back next week for Part 2 of the episode, which will be the final release of Season 7!

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This week on Tap Talk, we are pleased to welcome to the show a colleague from the Illinois State Water Survey: Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford. Trent explains the weather phenomenon of El Niño to Steve & Jennifer, including the science behind the oscillation's mechanics, the likelihood of this year's El Niño becoming a "Super" El Niño, the expected impacts on regional climates around the world, and what these impacts can mean for water supplies and systems.

Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.