TT057 – Examining Well Water Standards, Sampling, and Research in Minnesota's Dakota County
Release Date: 02/26/2025
TT077 – Discussing the History and Impact of the National Ground Water Monitoring Network (Part 2)
Tap Talk
This week on Tap Talk we finish our two-part series with Bob Schreiber! In this episode, Bob (a water resources engineer at and long-time member) continues to discuss the development and importance of the with Steve and Jennifer. They also discuss the links between Bob's advocacy work for both groundwater and bladder cancer awareness, as well as the importance of well testing and the need for greater understanding of the impacts of groundwater contaminants on health outcomes. Visit to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.
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TT076 – Discussing the History and Impact of the National Ground Water Monitoring Network (Part 1)
Tap Talk
Our newest Tap Talk episode is a two-parter! Today, we welcome Bob Schreiber, a water resources engineer at and long-time member, to the show to discuss the development and importance of the . Be sure to tune back in next week for Part 2 with Bob! Visit to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.
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TT075 – Raising Your Hand: The Value of Industry Involvement
Tap Talk
For Tap Talk's landmark 75th episode, we welcomed on Hunter Adams, the Water Source & Purification Superintendent for the City of Wichita Falls, Texas. With Jennifer & Steve, Hunter discusses the importance of getting involved with the water industry and giving back to the water community. Hunter also explains the story behind the series of "What Operators Need to Know" articles he writes and edits for the American Water Works Association's magazine. Visit to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.
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TT074 – Mitigating Legionella Risks in Water Systems: Lessons from a Microbiologist
Tap Talk
Today, we welcome Katie Maegli of to Tap Talk! WQI is a private water testing lab in southern Wisconsin, where Katie serves as the lab's microbiologist with specializations in buildings' water systems and Legionella management. This conversation dives deep into Legionella; from where the bacteria is commonly found, the regulatory guidelines that help reduce Legionella risk, the actions individuals can take to avoid legionella growth in their wells, health impacts from Pontiac fever and Legionnaires' disease, and the complexities of accurate testing of Legionella. Visit to learn more...
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TT073 – Behind the Scenes of Water and Environment Reporting
Tap Talk
Tap Talk Season 7 is here! Today, we bring you a conversation with Michael Phillis, a water & environment reporter for the Associated Press. Michael tells Jennifer & Steve about how he got into environmental reporting, the importance and range of stories about water, and the experience of reporting the recent long-form investigation "" with his colleague . This story centers the well contamination crisis in Stella, Wisconsin, a town of ~600 people in northern Wisconsin, where some well water tests have found PFAS concentration levels of 375 times the federal limit for drinking water...
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TT072 – Build Trust Before a Crisis: Communication Basics for Water Systems (Part 2)
Tap Talk
Today, we finish Tap Talk Season 6 with the second part of our conversation with Mike McGill of ! 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 to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.
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TT071 – Build Trust Before a Crisis: Communication Basics for Water Systems
Tap Talk
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 , 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...
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TT070 – Diving Into Biofilms With Water Quality Investigations (Part 2)
Tap Talk
In the second episode of our series featuring Andrew Jacque and Emily Hefty-Dieckhoff from , we continue exploring the world of biofilms and other common water quality issues in household water systems. Make sure you've caught 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 to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.
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TT069 – Diving Into Biofilms With Water Quality Investigations (Part 1)
Tap Talk
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 . 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 to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.
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TT068 – How the Be Well Informed Tool Educates Well Owners
Tap Talk
In Tap Talk's 68th episode, Steve and Jennifer chat with Kurt Rakouskas — a project manager at the — about the organization's cross-disciplinary work and its stewardship of the . 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 to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode.
info_outlineThis week we are pleased to welcome another deeply knowledgeable guest from the state of Minnesota: Vanessa Demuth, a geologist and well inspector from Dakota County, Minnesota's Environmental Resources Department. Dakota County is one of a set of Minnesota counties that has stricter standards for well water pollutants than the state. Vanessa tells Steve and Jennifer how these stricter standards benefit the well owners of Dakota County, other well care tactics the county undertakes, unique pollutants, and more!
Visit drinkingwaterpodcast.org to learn more and find the full show notes for this episode!