In our latest episode of the 21st Century Water Podcast, we had the privilege of engaging with Shivaji Deshmukh, General Manager of the Inland Empire Utilities Agency. Shivaji, a veteran in the field with over two decades of experience in sustainable water solutions, sheds light on the evolution and challenges of Southern California's water systems, emphasizing the importance of innovative practices in water management. We kicked off the conversation with Shivaji sharing his top three significant professional experiences: the development of the groundwater replenishment system in Orange County ..read more

In this episode of the 21st Century Water podcast, we delve into the visionary leadership and innovative mindset of Roger Bailey, the General Manager of the Central Contra Costa Sanitary District. With a distinguished career that has spanned across the United States, Bailey shares his extensive experience and the transformative journey in the water industry, from his early days in Antigua and various roles in the U.S. to his current position, where he oversees water services for half a million residents in the East San Francisco Bay Area. Bailey emphasizes the importance of learning, implement ..read more

We dive into a conversation with Kevin Ward, the General Manager of the Trinity River Authority Kevin oversees a vast operation that includes water treatment and wastewater facilities, serving a wide area and managing a significant budget. His journey from a temporary role in the water business to leading one of the top utilities in the country is a testament to his dedication and adaptability. Kevin's career began out of necessity, leading him to the Texas Water Development Board and eventually to the Trinity River Authority. His work has significantly impacted water and wastewater management ..read more

We dive into the heart of water infrastructure challenges and innovations in our latest podcast episode. Our guest, Troy Hayes, brings over two decades of experience from the City of Phoenix, where he oversees a vast utilities operation. His journey from engineering to operations highlights pivotal shifts towards managing one of the largest utilities in the U.S., emphasizing the generational legacy and the evolution of water systems from his father's time to now. Troy's narrative underscores the critical balance between maintaining existing infrastructure and innovating for future demands. He ..read more

Juan Carlos Guerrero, Public Utilities Director at the City of San Diego, shares his journey from starting as a wastewater treatment plant operator to becoming a utility CEO. He discusses the pivotal moments in his career and the challenges and opportunities in the water industry. Juan also talks about the size and scope of the City of San Diego's public utilities, including its water and wastewater systems. He highlights the importance of optimizing operations and managing assets, and discusses the utility's plans for the future, including investments in infrastructure and technology. The uti ..read more

Today, Aquasight's Mahesh Lunani welcomes Andrew Lee, CEO of Seattle Public Utilities.   He currently manages about 1,400 employees, and has previously worked in Bellevue, San Franscisco, and various consulting firms. First and foremost to Andrew is a desire to serve people. Yes, in Seattle they service large corporations like Microsoft and Amazon, but Andrew takes pride in serving the most vulnerable and underserved communities. This means more than infrastructure - it also means wealth building and jobs.   Today's guest works at the intersection of service, faith, and engineering a ..read more

Michael Mucha, the Chief Engineer and Director for the Madison Metropolitan Sewage District (MMSD), has bi-coastal experience as both an educator and administrator.  Prior to his current role in Wisconson, he's worked in both Olympia, Washington, and Reading, Pennslyvania.  This structural engineer by degree explains how a job as a civil engineer completely changed his career trajectory. Michael discusses the challenges faced by MMSD, including maintaining public confidence, an affordability dichotomy, and decarbonization. He also identifies efficiency opportunities for MMSD, includi ..read more

As GM of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Marty Adams is in a very unique position in the water world.  Not only does he oversee a combined department of water and power, he's doing it for the second largest city in the country, along with all the climate challenges faced by the state of California.   Having worked at LADWP for 39 years, Marty has seen the department through many difficult events in Los Angeles' history - from the LA riots to the 1994 earthquake and more.  He frames those challenging moments as learning opportunities, seeing how the entity could ad ..read more

NEW Water in Green Bay, Wisconsin, may be a mid-sized utility.  But during our interview with executive director Tom Sigmund today, you'll hear about the remarkable things they are doing to prepare for the future. NEW Water covers 15 municipalities and over 240,000 residents. Over the next 20 years, they will implement a $470 million dollar capital improvement plan. Like many utilities, Tom sees their top three challenges as this capital improvement plan, retaining quality employees, and replacing infrastructure. They recently made changes on the solids handling side, and their next focus ..read more

Today, Mahesh Lunani talks to Kamuron Gurol, Director of the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, Washington State (including Seattle). Prior to taking on this role, Kamuron was a Corridor Development Director at a 116-mile rail system connecting greater Seattle area.  Kamuron was also the City Manager at City of Burien, a community of 50,000 with hundreds of businesses. In his current role, Gurol oversees 5 treatment plants, 400 miles of interceptor pipes, 48 pump stations, 39 CSO outfalls, and 25 regulator stations- an asset base worth billions. In a wide ranging conversation we t ..read more