Talking Under Water Epsiode 52: Flood Mitigation as a One Water Issue

May 31, 2022
In this month’s episode, the hosts highlight a recent DoD memo regarding the burning of PFAS, touch on Build America Buy America, share news regarding grant funding to SRFs and share an interview on flood mitigation.

In this month’s episode of Talking Under Water the hosts highlight the recent DoD memo that temporarily halted the burning of PFAS as a disposal method and touch on the complexities of Build America Buy America. Additionally, they discuss new grant funding to the State Revolving Funds from the US EPA. Finally, they share an interview with Jesse Mains, the stormwater management division chief for the City of Alexandria and Brian Rahal, the division’s senior civil engineer. Co-host Katie Johns spoke with them about how Alexndria is managing flood mitigation work, how flooding affects wastewater and drinking water and green infrastructure solutions to flood mitigation.

Show Notes:

Timestamps:

  • Cold Open | 0:00

  • Host introduction & episode summary | 1:06

  • U.S. Department of Defense temporary PFAS burning halt | 1:49

  • Build America, Buy America | 2:55

  • EPA announces issuance of State Revolving Fund money | 4:06

  • Interview introduction | 6:29

  • Water work in Alexandria, Virginia | 7:50

  • Collaborating with entities and communicating to the public | 9:50

  • Program allowing use of public funds on private property | 14:04

  • Eligible practices and flood mitigation devices for that program | 16:52

  • How the program has been going | 19:49

  • How flood mitigation can use a one water mindset | 21:05

  • Common flood mitigation solutions | 24:37

  • Storm intensity increasing and the challenges it creates | 27:56

  • Final thoughts | 32:40

  • Big Announcement: Joining Endeavor Business Media | 33:51

  • Housekeeping | 35:48

Events:

  • AWWA ACE22 | June 12-15 | San Antonio, Texas

About the Podcast

Talking Under Water is the premier podcast for the water industry, including municipal and industrial water and wastewater, residential water treatment, storm water management and erosion control. It is produced in coordination between Water & Wastes Digest (WWD), Water Quality Products (WQP) and Storm Water Solutions (SWS). The podcast covers topics under the One Water movement including the municipal and industrial water and wastewater, point of use, point of entry, residential, storm water and erosion control markets. Talking Under Water highlights news, trends, new technologies, industry discussions and on-site interviews with experts for WWD, WQP and SWS. New episodes of the podcast are released on the third Friday of every month. Logo Images: Anatoly Tiplyashin / Romolo Tavani / stock.adobe.com.

Contact the Talking Under Water podcast editors by emailing [email protected] or engaging with them on Twitter @TUWpodcast. Join the conversation by commenting or using the hashtag #talkingunderwaterpod on social media.

About the Author

Bob Crossen

Bob Crossen is the editorial director for the Endeavor Business Media Water Group, which publishes WaterWorld, Wastewater Digest and Stormwater Solutions. Crossen graduated from Illinois State University in Dec. 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in German and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. He worked for Campbell Publications, a weekly newspaper company in rural Illinois outside St. Louis for four years as a reporter and regional editor. 

About the Author

Katie Johns

Katie Johns, editor-in-chief of Storm Water Solutions and Water Quality Products, graduated from the University of Missouri in 2016 with a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Johns joined the Storm Water Solutions team in September 2019. Johns also helps plan the annual StormCon conference and co-hosts the Talking Under Water podcast. Prior to entering the B2B industry, she worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in Sarasota, Florida, and a magazine assistant editor in the Chicago suburbs. She can be reached at [email protected]