468 Born into Water Treatment: Tom Brandvold on AWT’s Origin Story and a Life in the Industry
Scaling UP! H2O
Tom Brandvold, CWT, has lived industrial water treatment from the inside out. In this conversation, he traces that path from sweeping floors and running sample bottles as a kid to leading Premier Water and Energy Technology and serving as a former president of . The result is not just a career story. It is a useful look at how credibility, collaboration, and standards are built over time in this industry. How Association of Water Technologies (AWT) was formed One of the most valuable parts of this discussion is Tom’s explanation of how Association of Water Technologies (AWT) began. The...
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467 From PhD to Pump Rooms: Jake Elliott on Wastewater, Efficiency, and Saying “Yes” Wisely
Scaling UP! H2O
What happens when a water chemist leaves the lab and heads to the pump room? knows firsthand. A former PhD researcher who studied resource recovery from trade‑waste customers, Jake now manages accounts at in Melbourne, working with cooling towers, boilers, chemical dosing rigs and wastewater treatment systems. He joins host Trace Blackmore to discuss how rigorous research, regulatory compliance and process automation translate into practical field work for industrial water treatment professionals. From PhD Research to Industrial Practice Jake’s academic background informs the way he...
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466 Stories, Math, and “Never Again” Moments: Inside AWT Technical Training with Dan Merritt (Part 2)
Scaling UP! H2O
AWT’s in‑person technical training is a keystone for developing competent water treaters. Yet classroom knowledge only matters when it survives the drive home and emerges later in the field. In this second conversation with —National Sales Manager at and head of AWT’s education committee—Trace Blackmore uncovers how stories, math, and memorable mistakes turn theory into intuition. Why training keeps evolving Dan explains that the rewrites courses every year. Instructors refine content, delivery and demonstrations, not for novelty’s sake, but because...
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465 From Classroom to Cooling Towers: Teaching Water Treatment with Dan Merritt (Part 1)
Scaling UP! H2O
Industrial water training only works when the knowledge transfers. That means the material lands with the audience, survives the drive home, and shows up later in the field when decisions get made. , Sales Manager at , brings a rare perspective to that problem. He started as a teacher (chemistry, calculus, physics), entered industrial water treatment on February 5, 2002, and later became part of the AWT training team. This conversation follows the path from classroom instruction to boiler rooms and cooling towers, then uses that journey to examine what makes technical training...
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464 Corrosion Coupons, Brand Building, and Having Fun at Trade Shows with Will Ritter
Scaling UP! H2O
"Don't be afraid to say I don’t know. - Will Ritter” Corrosion is expensive, relentless, and easy to underestimate—until a “lasagna battery” turns aluminum foil green and reminds you what electrochemistry can do in the real world. This conversation reframes corrosion coupons as what they actually are: a repeatable field test that can sharpen your decisions—if you treat the process with consistency. Respect the coupon, protect the data Trace breaks down why coupons became non-negotiable in his systems: they turn guesswork into usable...
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463 Mapping the Future of Water Innovation with Paul O’Callaghan
Scaling UP! H2O
“If you say something over and over often and enough, it becomes true because perception is reality.” 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. As Founder and CEO of, 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...
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462 From Lab Chemist to Field Mentor: Water, Culture, and Representation
Scaling UP! H2O
Industrial water work rewards people who can move between precision and practicality. brings both. She started as a lab chemist, then transitioned into field service with , where much of her work supports healthcare facilities and high-accountability programs. Lab habits that protect your tools and your data 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 on...
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461 Corrosion, Lead, and Algae: New Tools for Old Water Problems
Scaling UP! H2O
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. (CEO) and (chemist/Chief Science Officer) of 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. System-wide corrosion control starts with chemistry...
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460 Building Boiler Talent: Fundamentals, Online Training, and Better Partnerships with Eric Johnson
Scaling UP! H2O
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. The talent gap behind the boiler room door , Founder and CEO of , explains why boiler expertise is becoming harder to replace. He points to the shrinking pipeline of boiler-trained technicians—historically strengthened by Navy steam...
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459 From Wastewater to Resource: Water Reuse with Dr. Veronika Zhiteneva
Scaling UP! H2O
Industrial water professionals are increasingly pulled into conversations about scarcity, resilience, and “where the next gallon comes from.” , CEO and Co-founder of 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. Moving reuse forward when the technology already exists Waterloop Solutions was founded to accelerate implementation: clarifying end-use quality, identifying post-treatment needs on the back end of...
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Industrial Water Week 2025: Careers Friday brings the celebration back to first principles—mentors, disciplined training, and field diagnostics that go beyond the screen. Trace reflects on the people who invested in his craft, recognizes guest contributors across the week, and issues a practical challenge to invest in one new professional before the day ends.
Foundations that Compound
A candid mentorship story anchors today’s episode. Trace recalls how early-career intimidation turned into decades of teaching fundamentals and math at AWT—proof that asking better questions grows better practitioners. Careers Friday becomes a prompt to text the person who built your foundation—and to be that person for someone else.
Fieldcraft Over Flash: A Detective H2O Lesson
The Detective H2O case distills high-value diagnostics for cooling systems: TTPC biocide can mask PTSA and fool controllers into overfeeding inhibitor; missing blowdown lockout during biocide feed wastes product; and stabilized bromine can become over-stabilized in long-HTI systems—driving ORP spikes, corrosion risk, and poor microbial control. Technology is essential, but interpretation is the craft.
Community Voices and a Career Pledge
Careers Friday features greetings from industry professionals and closes with Water You Know, a reminder that water often carries purchased energy (heat, cooling, pressure, flow, pre-treatment) that leaders must account for. The day ends with a clear ask: celebrate your mentors, share your origin story with #IWW25 and #ScalingUpH2O, and pledge to help one newcomer discover industrial water treatment.
Durable careers are built on shared knowledge, thoughtful diagnostics, and intentional mentorship. Use today to do all three.
Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!
Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!
Timestamps
02:20 — Opening: Industrial Water Week recap (Pretreatment, Boiler, Cooling, Wastewater) leading into Careers Friday.
03:15 — Community recognition: Scaling Up Nation “20,000+ members” and daily celebration via #IWW25 and #ScalingUpH2O.
05:20 — Careers Friday actions: take photos with equipment, mentors, or customers; share to celebrate the craft.
05:29 — Team traditions: the Industrial Water Week cake (including the infamous “water cake” anecdote).
09:16 — Mentorship story: meeting Bruce Ketrick Sr. and Jay Farmery; intimidation becomes investment.
13:12 — Writing the Fundamentals program with Mark Lewis to build durable entry-level foundations.
14:18 — Personal note: when Trace’s father passed, how Bruce showed up—mentorship beyond the classroom.
16:15 — Careers greetings begin (Lee Bainbrigge, SMS Environmental): be open-minded, keep learning, focus on customer assurance.
18:07 — Episode reference: Lee’s prior appearance (Ep. 370) for Legionella perspectives.
18:21 — Careers greeting (Kalpna Solanki): environmental operator roles as purposeful, global, and essential.
21:39 — Detective H2O — The Case of Knowing It All begins.
38:21 — CWT pathway: free prep resource and 100-question practice exam walkthrough .
42:46 — Water You Know with James McDonald
44:38 — Gratitude for James McDonald’s ongoing community impact.
45:04 — Careers Friday challenge: thank your mentors; post your origin story with #IWW25 and #ScalingUpH2O.
46:15 — Final pledge: help one person discover industrial water treatment this week.
Connect with Mike Taraszki
Phone: 510.368.4549
Email: michael.taraszki@wsp.com
Website: www.wsp.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaeltaraszki/
Connect with Kalpna Solanki
Phone: 778.688.9196
Email: kalpnasolanki1980@gmail.com
Water Environment Federation (WEF)
LinkedIn: in/kalpnasolanki
Connect with Lee Bainbrigge
Email: l.bainbrigge@sms-environmental.co.uk
Website: https://sms-environmental.co.uk/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lbainbrigge/
linkedin.com/company/sms-environmental-ltd/
Connect with James Courtney
Phone: +1 443 878 2407
Email: james@csctech2o.com
Website: https://www.csctech2o.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-courtney-cwt-leed-ap-379a6877/
Connect with Laith Charles
Phone: 941-301-1309
Email: laith@ewatermark.net
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMuigehZdcquaY14QtGm
Connect with Mark Lewis
Phone: 704.322.5406
Email: MLewis@SELaboratories.com
Website: https://www.selaboratories.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/mark-lewis-01a3b56
Connect with James McDonald
Email: james51471@gmail.com
Website: chemaqua.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mcdonald-pe/
Links Mentioned
AWT (Association of Water Technologies)
Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses
034 The Other One With Mark Lewis, CWT
062 The One with the Pulsafeeder Guy
112 The One Where Trace Is Interviewed By Mark Lewis
141 The One About Neglected Accounts
149 The One About Some of the Lesser-Used Technologies
224 The One About The Internet Of Things (IoT) Augmented Industrial Water Treatment
355 Backflow Prevention: Safeguarding Water Quality
362 Navigating 97-005: Insights and Impacts on Potable Water
370 Unlocking Legionella Solutions: Perspectives on Regulations and Best Practices
394 Visibility and Value: Enhancing Sustainability in Water Treatment
404 Eight Tips for Business Management: Part 1 – Essential Strategies
406 Eight Tips for Business Management: Part 2 – Essential Strategies
Water You Know with James McDonald
Question: What forms of purchased energy may be present in water?
