Scaling UP! H2O
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.
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Mapping the Future of Water Innovation with Paul O'Callaghan
<p>"If you say something over and over often and enough, it becomes true because perception is reality." </p> <p></p> <p>Paul O'Callaghan has built a career at the intersection of water science, wastewater realities, and the practical question every operator and executive eventually faces; what actually moves innovation from idea to adoption. </p> <p>As Founder and CEO of BlueTech Research, Paul explains how his team helps decision-makers put capital to work more efficiently in water by reducing uncertainty and separating signal from noise. He describes patterns he's watched repeat across water entrepreneurs, pilots, and product market fit...
From Lab Chemist to Field Mentor: Water, Culture, and Representation
<p>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.</p> <p> </p> <p><b >Lab habits that protect your tools and your data</b> </p> <p>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...
Corrosion, Lead, and Algae: New Tools for Old Water Problems
<p>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. </p> <p> Pat Rosenstiel (CEO) and Wolf Merker (chemist/Chief Science Officer) of <b>Great Water Tech</b> 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. </p> <p><b> System-wide corrosion control starts with chemistry and consequences</b> </p> <p>A...
Building Boiler Talent: Fundamentals, Online Training, and Better Partnerships with Eric Johnson
<p>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. </p> <p><b > The talent gap behind the boiler room door</b> </p> <p>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 comp...
From Wastewater to Resource: Water Reuse with Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva
<p>Industrial water professionals are increasingly pulled into conversations about scarcity, resilience, and "where the next gallon comes from."</p> <p> <b>Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva</b>, CEO and Co-founder of<b> </b><b>Waterloop Solutions</b><b> </b>frames water reuse as an implementation challenge more than a technology gap—and explains where the practical starting points are when the scope feels overwhelming. </p> <p><b> Moving reuse forward when the technology already exists</b> </p> <p>Waterloop Solutions was founded to accelerate implementation: clarifying <b>end-use quality</b>, identifying <b>post-treatment needs</b> on the back end of existing pl...
Hiring Olympics and High-Performance Culture with J.D. Roth
<p>"Stay curious. And you only have one reputation. Guard it with your life."</p> <p><b > Hiring for judgment, not just rehearsed confidence</b> </p> <p>Industrial water treatment is full of decisions made with incomplete data—on sites, with customers, and inside the business. JD Roth (Managing Director and Co-owner of Guardian Chemicals) builds his hiring around that reality. His aim is straightforward: protect the team and the culture by selecting people who can think, collaborate, and lead under pressure.</p> <p>JD frames the organization as a group of people choosing to work toward a common goal: bu...
2026: A New Year with New Intentions
<p> Trace Blackmore opens 2026 with a practical reset: how to plan with urgency, sharpen the fundamentals that make troubleshooting easier, and use the tools around this podcast to keep your development moving all year.</p> <p><b >The 12-Week Year: urgency you can use</b></p> <p>Annual goals often feel "far away" until December forces focus. The 12-week year flips that dynamic by treating each quarter like a year—creating urgency sooner and giving you four chances to reset and improve. Trace walks through the structure: start with a vision (he uses a three-year example), then choose <b >3–5 tactical goal...
The 12 Days of Scaling UP! H2O 2025
<p> A year-end recap is more than a highlight reel—it's a practical reset. In this New Year episode, Trace Blackmore walks through 2025 using a "12 Days of the Scaling Up Nation" format, tying together performance, community growth, listener engagement, and the sponsor support that keeps the podcast and its companion tools available at no cost. </p> <p> <b>Year-end by the numbers</b> </p> <p>Trace explains how he used to track every stat closely—and how that shifted into an unhealthy measure of self-worth—so the team now uses numbers as feedback, not validation. He notes the show released <b>56 b...
Mentors, Mindset, and the CWT: Owning Your Water Career with Nella Fergusson
<p> "So one thing I never do is try to start giving remediation or advice before I truly have understood and diagnosed the problem." </p> <p>Mentorship and certifications don't replace experience—but they can accelerate it when paired with the right mindset and a disciplined approach to learning. Nella Fergusson, CWT (District Manager, Southern California, Garratt-Callahan), lays out what "growing up" in industrial water treatment actually looks like: repeated exposure to real problems, strong diagnostic habits, and a willingness to keep learning long after year one. </p> <p><b> Learning that keeps you employable</b> </p> <p>Water treatment ev...
Water Recycling, Innovation, and Industry Wisdom with Dr. Kelle Zeiher
<p> Industrial cooling is one of the biggest levers industrial facilities can pull on water use—and it's getting harder to ignore as data centers and other high-heat operations grow. Returning guest <b>Dr. Kelle Zeiher</b> (Project Manager at <b>Garratt Callahan</b>) breaks down what water reuse looks like when you move past slogans and into the realities of pretreatment, concentrate management, footprint, and cost. </p> <p><b> Cooling water reuse: the scale of the opportunity</b> </p> <p>Dr. Zeiher reframes "drought" beyond rainfall, emphasizing aquifer recharge and the limits of focusing only on household restrictions. She co...
