Does your wastewater or water system have aging equipment? Looking for a way to continue operating safely and prepare for the future? Nick Willis with Wichita State University EFC, invites us to consider a few things as we evaluate the criticality, the risk, and probability of failure when it comes to systems with older equipment!Additional Resources:EFCN Blog Series | Turning Data into Action Part 1: Beyond the inventory – What Asset Management Planning Really MeansEFCN Blog Series | Turning Data into Action Part 2: Start Small – Building an Asset Management Plan that Works for YouEFCN Blog Series | Turning Data into Action Part 3: Turning Sense into Dollars – Using Asset Management for Financial Decisions

Think you know how wastewater funding works? You might be surprised. In this episode, we’re playing Fact or Fiction and taking a closer look at some of the assumptions that can make funding seem more complicated than it is. From how the Clean Water State Revolving Fund actually works to what happens when a community has a project but isn’t sure where to turn... We’re separating some common misconceptions from what systems really need to know.Additional Resources:EFCN Funding TablesEFCN Animation | SRF Funding Process: How To Get Funding For Your UtilityEFCN Blog | Funding Pipeline: How to Apply for Infrastructure Funding⁠EFCN Blog | What Funding Is Available for Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects?

This episode focuses on the technologies used to treat PFAS. Dr. Li discusses the science behind granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and nanofiltration, comparing their performance, operational requirements, and cost considerations. The conversation also explores PFAS disposal after treatment, emerging remediation approaches, and key factors small water systems should consider when planning for PFAS treatment.Listen to Parts 1 and 2 of the PFAS Podcast Series Here:PFAS Series, Part 1PFAS Series, Part 2Additional Resources:EFCN Blog | PFAS Monitoring: What Small Systems Need to KnowEFCN Blog | A Guide for Water Operators Preparing for PFAs Sampling and RegulationsEFCN Animation | The PFAS Problem

In this episode, join Dawn, AJ, and Mike of the Southwest Environmental Finance Center (SW EFC) to discuss the main types of wastewater treatment plants including their benefits, downsides, and best use cases for each plant type. The three main types of WWTPs discussed are:Lagoons - Facultative Lagoons- Aerated Lagoons- Anaerobic Lagoons- Polishing Ponds- Evaporative LagoonsFixed-Film Plants - Trickling Filters- Rotating Biological Contactors (RBCs)Suspended Growth Plants- Activated SludgeAt the heart of each of these plant types is the kind of biological treatment used. Whether you are totally new to wastewater treatment or a seasoned operator or plant manager considering upgrades to your plant given evolving regulations and discharge permit requirements this episode is for you! Additional Resources:EFCN Podcast | Small Wastewater Systems: How Lagoons Treat WastewaterEFCN Blog | Seasonal Challenges, Smart Solutions: Summer Operation of Wastewater Lagoons 

We know you are passionate about water, but is there something else you love to do? If so, how can you tap into that to reach your community? Meet Marissa! She invites us to think "outside the tank" and make connections with everyone!Additional Information: Oscoda Citizens For Clean Water | Pirates and Mermaids FestivalEFCN Blog | Understanding Public Notice Requirements and Communicating Water Issues to Your CommunityEFCN Blog | Building Community Support for Wastewater Projects

Small systems do not need to be caught off guard when it comes to new regulations! Listen in on this conversation where the whole process is explained and what small systems can do to stay in the knowAdditional Information:EPA | National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)EFCN Blog | Big Picture: EPA Regulations and NPDES Permits

Learn about the myriad considerations for green schoolyard design from a landscape architect's perspective. Adam De Foor-White, PLA, ASLA shares his insights and experience for those who may be considering a green schoolyard for their school. This podcast is a companion to our three-part webinar series Green Schoolyards as a Stormwater and Community Resilience Strategy, which covers funding strategies and considerations for green schoolyards.Watch the Environmental Finance Center Network’s, “Green Schoolyards as a Stormwater and Community Resilience Strategy,” webinar series moderated by Greenprint Partners here: Part 1: Green Schoolyards as Stormwater & Community Resilience Strategy Part 2: Lessons from MilwaukeePart 3: Lessons from Chicagoland 

Every time it rains, water washing off roads and highways carries pollutants into nearby streams, rivers, and estuaries. One of the most concerning pollutants is 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ), a chemical byproduct of a common tire rubber additive that is among the most toxic substances known to aquatic life. This podcast introduces 6PPDQ to planners and technical staff who may be encountering it for the first time and shows what communities can do about it. Speakers from Washington State DOT, Herrera Inc, and Stewardship Partners will share lessons learned from using green stormwater infrastructure as a solution and discuss how municipalities, transportation agencies, and nonprofits can work together to deploy solutions, engage their communities, and access funding.Speakers:Tony Bush, Stormwater Branch Manager, Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Dylan Ahearn, Principal Scientist, Herrera Inc Soumi Gaddameedi, Grants & Development Manager, Stewardship PartnersKatie Harris, Greenprint Partners (moderator) Additional Resources:EFCN Webinar | Cleaning Our Waterways: Green Infrastructure Solutions for 6PPDQEFCN Blog | When It Rains, It Runs Off: What Every Community Should Know About 6PPDQWSDOT | Stormwater Retrofit Prioritization Web Map Stewardship Partners | Adopt A Downspout

In this episode, Eva Schwendimann from the SW EFC discusses the basics of sewer smoke testing in sanitary sewer systems with Mike Rivera. Mike is a Water and Wastewater Utility Specialist at the SW EFC and has a background of working with Water and Wastewater in New Mexico systems for over 20 years. This episode walks listeners through why and how a smoke test is conducted, the equipment needed, best case weather conditions for testing, and how to collect and manage data from a smoke test.  Episode Chapters: Podcast Intro - 0:00:00Mike’s experience with smoke testing - 0:01:22 Summary of smoke test procedure - 0:04:25What can a smoke test detect? - 0:05:02 What is Infiltration and Inflow? - 0:05:22 Equipment needed - 0:08:32 Step by step procedure - 0:09:38 How effective is smoke testing?- 0:12:18 Best weather conditions  - 0:13:14 How to collect and manage data - 0:14:08Podcast Outro -  0:18:57Links to additional resources:  NPDES: Stormwater Best Management Practice, Preventing Stormwater Contamination from Sanitary Sewage Sewer Smoke Testing | Fulcrum EFCN Blog | The Impacts of Changing Precipitation Patterns on Wastewater and Stormwater Systems

Learn why cybersecurity matters for every water and wastewater utility and how leaders can take simple, proactive steps to safeguard their operations and the communities they serve.Additional Resources:Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)EFCN | Request Assistance with Cybersecurity or Request a Cybersecurity Training