Advertise on podcast: Tap Talk

Today, we finish Tap Talk Season 6 with the second part of our conversation with Mike McGill of WaterPIO! Jennifer, Steve, and Mike discuss the importance of reliable and updated websites for water utilities, the similarities and differences in communicating about lead versus PFAS contamination, how small utilities can best communicate on these subjects, and more. We hope you've enjoyed Season 6, and we'll see you back for Season 7 soon! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

We're concluding Tap Talk Season 6 with another two-part series! Today, we release the first episode of the set: "Build Trust Before a Crisis: Communication Basics for Water Systems." Mike McGill, founder and president of water utility communications & PR firm WaterPIO, joins Jennifer and Steve to discuss the shifting landscape of communicating in the water sector. Between the longstanding issue of lead pipes, the evergrowing threat of PFAS contamination, and looming possibilities of natural disasters and other crises, the task of communicating with the public is harder than ever for utilities to avoid. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

In the second episode of our series featuring Andrew Jacque and Emily Hefty-Dieckhoff from Water Quality Investigations, we continue exploring the world of biofilms and other common water quality issues in household water systems. Make sure you've caught Part 1 first that covers a lot of biofilm basics, and then here in Part 2 hear Andrew, Emily, Steve, and Jennifer further discuss biofilm-induced water quality issues, water chemistry, microbial corrosion, the effectiveness of home treatment, and more advice for homeowners! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

In the first episode of a two-part series, we explore the world of biofilms in drinking water systems with guests Andrew Jacque and Emily Hefty-Dieckhoff of Water Quality Investigations. Andrew and Emily explain to Jennifer and Steve the fundamentals of what biofilms are, where they can be found both in water systems and naturally, and the health issues they can cause. Be sure to return for Part 2, which will delve even further into the complexities of biofilms! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

In Tap Talk's 68th episode, Steve and Jennifer chat with Kurt Rakouskas — a project manager at the Environmental Council of the States — about the organization's cross-disciplinary work and its stewardship of the Be Well Informed tool. This free tool helps well users understand the results of water tests performed on their wells by translating the scientific and technical notation into plain language. This helps make clear if there is a problem indicated by the results, what the risks of any present contaminants are, and what the next steps should be for the well owner.  Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

This week on Tap Talk we are pleased to welcome guest Erin Ling, a senior extension specialist at Virginia Tech University who coordinates the Virginia Household Water Quality Program (VAHWQP). The unique program provides a wealth of services to well owners in Virginia, including affordable testing, educational programming & workshops, water quality data collection & publication, and youth outreach for high school students. In particular, Erin emphasizes the value of the program's data on Virginia's private wells, and discusses with Steve and Jennifer how other states might learn from Virginia's model.  Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

In this episode we're concluding a two-part series exploring PFAS and their impact on private well users. Our conversation with Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson and Jennifer Hoponick Redmon dives further into their research efforts and potential applications. Together these episodes offer important foundational understanding as well as new insight on PFAS exposure via well water. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

In this episode we're kicking off a two-part series exploring PFAS—also known as "forever chemicals"—and their impact on private well users. Jennifer and Steve are joined by Dr. Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson and Jennifer Hoponick Redmon, two leading experts in environmental health and water quality. Together, they break down the science behind PFAS, discuss how these chemicals enter our water supplies, and share new research on exposure risks for private well users. Our conversation explores the challenges, health implications, and ongoing efforts to protect drinking water in rural communities. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

In TT064, we bring you another private well-focused episode. Our guest is Cindy Brookes, a seasoned technical assistance provider at the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, a division of RCAP. In this role, Cindy has assessed over 300 private wells and counseled well owners on how to proceed with their well challenges, and made significant use of the Private Well and Spring Assessment Tool that our team developed in conjunction with RCAP. Cindy tells Jennifer and Steve about the ins and outs of the job, as well as the importance of these assessments in the quest to more widely educate well owners. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

This week on Tap Talk, we are beyond pleased to welcome two of our colleagues on our Water & Public Health team at the Illinois State Water Survey to the show: Sallie Dolan and Erin Huggett, who are the main forces behind running our Private Well Class Help Center and phone hotline. Launched in the spring of 2024, these services have assisted over 65,000 well owners in finding answers to their well questions or solutions for well problems. As Sallie and Erin discuss, our team looks forward to helping many more as the program grows and develops! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

If you've ever been to WEFTEC, you know about Operations Challenge. The annual showcase of the top operations teams in the country is the Olympics of the industry, and it's impossible to miss in WEFTEC's exhibit hall. WEFTEC 2025 is just around the corner, and to mark the return of the world's largest water quality exhibition to Chicago, we welcomed Steve Harrison and Jeff Sober to the podcast. Steve, a WEF senior manager, and Jeff, Director of Water Services at Garver, are both members of the Operations Challenge Community. Their passion for the event makes clear its singular value to the industry! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

To kick off Tap Talk's sixth season, today we bring you a special early episode to mark the 13th annual celebration of SepticSmart Week! Jennifer and Steve welcomed Jim Starbard and Andrew Evans, technical assistance providers at RCAP Solutions, to the show to discuss some of stories of onsite wastewater and septic system challenges they have faced in Massachusetts and around New England. Sometimes, even the most basic septic system guidance — like regularly pumping tanks and not flushing any sort of wipe — can make a huge difference in the health of a system, its users, and the surrounding environment! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode. Tap Talk Season 6 will resume in late September, following SepticSmart Week, which is September 15-19, 2025.

And now for the final episode of Season 5! To wrap up this great season, we have the second installment of our conversation with Glenn Barnes, the director of Water Finance Assistance — a consulting agency that provides finance-focused training and technical assistance to water systems. This episode focuses on the role of technical assistance providers in performing water audits and how to develop useful recommendations for water systems' stakeholders. Thank you for listening with us this season, and we will be back again with Season 6 before you know it! Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.

For the penultimate episode of our fifth season, Glenn Barnes joins us for the first episode of a two-part series. Glenn is the director of Water Finance Assistance, a consulting agency that provides finance-focused training and technical assistance to water systems. Our discussion focused specifically on water auditing at utilities, or the process of identifying and minimizing the loss of non-revenue water — also known as water loss. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode!

In Tap Talk's 58th episode, Dr. Andrew Whelton of Purdue University visits to discuss plumbing and water system safety in buildings. Dr. Whelton is the lead of Purdue's Center for Plumbing Safety, and among many duties, he explores solutions at the intersection of water infrastructure and public health. Listen to learn about how plumbing affects water quality, how the COVID pandemic rocked the water systems of unpopulated buildings, how to keep your office's water system safe, and more. Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode!