463 Mapping the Future of Water Innovation with Paul O’Callaghan
Release Date: 02/13/2026
475 Inside the Boiler: Inspection, Failure Analysis, and Photography with Cheryl Heiser
Scaling UP! H2O
A boiler failure can create pressure quickly: production is down, emotions are high, and the water treater may be the first person blamed. of . joins Trace Blackmore, CWT, to walk through a more disciplined way to evaluate boiler issues by looking beyond chemistry alone. Why Boiler Failures Need a Broader Lens Cheryl brings field experience from the OEM boiler side, conventional water treatment, and purified tannin boiler treatment. Her perspective is rooted in the idea that no two boilers are the same. Design, operating conditions, fuel, history, circulation, steam...
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474 Questions from the Scaling UP! Nation about Trace
Scaling UP! H2O
Every career in industrial water treatment is shaped by decisions, mentors, credentials, systems, and the willingness to keep learning. In this special mailbag-style episode, Trace Blackmore, CWT, answers questions from the Scaling UP! Nation about how he entered water treatment, why he started the podcast, what professional credentials have meant to him, and what he is still working to improve. This conversation gives water professionals a practical look at the habits behind a long career in the industry: getting involved early, documenting customer conversations, building strong...
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473 From Oil to Water: How the Water Midstream Sector Was Born with John Durand
Scaling UP! H2O
Industrial water professionals often think about water in terms of treatment, compliance, reuse, and operational risk. John Durand brings a different but closely connected view: water as infrastructure, water as a managed resource, and water as a strategic part of energy development. , one of the early pioneers of the water midstream sector and CEO of Magnificent Desolation, LLC, joins Trace Blackmore to explain how produced water moved from a disposal challenge to a large-scale infrastructure opportunity. From Disposal Model to Managed Resource John describes how...
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472 Finding and Fixing the Invisible: Chris MacDonald on Pressure Pipe Inspection and Rehab
Scaling UP! H2O
"Document everything." Spring startup season exposes more than operational stress. It also reveals what happened months earlier when systems were laid up poorly, maintenance steps were skipped, or warning signs were documented but not acted on. In this episode, Trace Blackmore connects that reality to a broader infrastructure problem: hidden damage inside pressure piping systems that operators often cannot see until a leak, rupture, or budget crisis forces action. Why hidden pressure pipe problems are so expensive , CEO and President of , explains why pressure pipe...
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471 Biofilms, Biocides, and TTPC: A Deep Dive with Dr. Jeff Kramer
Scaling UP! H2O
Biofilm is not a fringe issue in cooling systems. As Dr. Jeff Kramer explains, it is a given. That matters because biofilm affects heat transfer, contributes to corrosion, and can serve as a reservoir for Legionella in treated systems. In this conversation, Trace Blackmore and Dr. Kramer examine what experienced water treaters should be looking for when choosing and evaluating a microbiological control program. Biofilm as an operating problem Dr. Jeff defines biofilm as a community of microorganisms attached to a surface and held together by an external polymeric matrix. From there,...
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470 Wastewater Enthusiast: Training the Next Generation Online
Scaling UP! H2O
has built a following by doing something wastewater operators have needed for a long time: making practical technical education easier to access. In Episode 470, he explains why that matters, how he built , and what the industry still gets wrong about training, certification, and knowledge transfer. From test prep to true understanding A major thread in this conversation is the gap between passing an exam and actually understanding plant operations. Shawn reflects on his own early experience with certification prep, where classes helped him recognize test questions but did not always help him...
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469 ABMA: The Oldest Association Meets Today’s Challenges
Scaling UP! H2O
Boiler performance rarely depends on a single decision. It depends on design, controls, maintenance, workforce capability, and, as this conversation makes clear, the quality of water treatment. and explain how is addressing those realities by connecting manufacturers, representatives, suppliers, and field stakeholders around education and practical guidance. Why ABMA still matters in a changing boiler market ABMA has been in place since 1888, but this discussion is not about preserving old structures for their own sake. Scott and Shaunica describe an association that has expanded beyond...
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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...
info_outline“If you say something over and over often and enough, it becomes true because perception is reality.”
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.
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, and why “innovation” often breaks down simply because utilities, investors, and founders are using the same word to mean different things.
Capital, fit, and the language gap 
Paul unpacks what it takes to align an investor’s expectations with a technology’s true pathway to scale. He contrasts different “types” of innovation and why matching the right investor, entrepreneur, market, and timeline matters as much as the technology itself. The conversation also highlights why solving a problem someone has today is often a safer starting point than betting everything on a problem that might arrive tomorrow.
Regulations as a driver and a risk
Regulation matters in water and wastewater, but Paul cautions against building an entire business on the hope that rules will create a market on schedule. He walks through timing risk, enforcement uncertainty, and why tracking policy momentum matters as much as tracking the text of the regulation itself. He also notes a shift toward more “aspirational” regulation focused on reuse, regeneration, and systems-level outcomes.
Storytelling that changes adoption
From Brave Blue World to Our Blue World, Paul shares what he learned about making water personal and compelling without reducing it to doom-and-gloom narratives. The stories he tells connect to a core professional challenge: technologies enable outcomes, but adoption accelerates when people can see and want the “better” future those outcomes create.
Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!
Timestamps
02:33 - Trace’s message on finding “your next love” through learning
09:25 - Words of Water with James McDonald
11:25 - AWT connection and the importance of being challenged by community
13:06 - Industrial Water Week dates for “this year” (Oct 5–9)
14:02 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals
19:15 - Interview with Founder & CEO of BlueTech Research, author of The Dynamics of Water Innovation, Executive Producer of Brave Blue World and Our Blue World
22:20 - Pivot moment into water as a career (Malaysia, Edinburgh course, “living machines”)
25:15 - What BlueTech Research does (reducing uncertainty, helping capital work efficiently)
27:50 - How startups connect with BlueTech and why storytelling matters
30:09 - Matching investors, entrepreneurs, and markets (alignment and “different languages”)
33:00 - The role of regulations (timing risk and market realities)
35:15 - How BlueTech keeps up (themes, emerging areas, and using AI for tracking legislation)
36:30 - Paul’s book: The Dynamics of Water Innovation (why he wrote it and who it’s for)
40:49 - Documentary storytelling origin and Discovery Channel experience
44:22 - How celebrities got involved and why the outreach worked
45:30 - Why they made a second film and the goal of making water personal
48:03 - Viewer feedback, education impact, and grassroots screening stories
50:08 - “Water 2050” video game inspired by the films
51:21 - Additional ripple effects and “halo” projects (curriculum, photography competition, water walks)
53:06 - Where water innovation is going (desirability, storytelling, and “leaving water”)
56:07- Advice for people with ideas (talk to people, generosity of the sector, ikigai, long-term view)
58:08 - Ostara / Crystal Green story (finding the operator’s “today problem”)
59:54 - One point Paul wants to leave: “It’s a journey, enjoy it.”
Quotes
“We do our best to help people put capital to work more efficiently to solve water challenges.”
“Try and find a problem that someone has today, ideally.”
Connect with Paul O’Callaghan 
Email: paul.ocallaghan@bluetechresearch.com
Website: BlueTech Research – Actionable Water Technology Market Intelligence
braveblueworldstudios | Instagram | Linktree
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/o2environmental/
Guest Resources Mentioned
Watch Brave Blue World: Racing to Solve Our Water Crisis | Netflix
Braveblueworldstudios | Instagram | Linktree
“Wastewater Technology Fact Sheet: The Living Machine” – U.S. EPA
“Brave Blue World” film – Science on Screen synopsis
“Our Blue World: A Water Odyssey” – IMDb overview
“Water Reuse for Industrial Applications Resources” – U.S. EPA
“ANSI/AAMI ST108:2023—Water for the Processing of Medical Devices” – ANSI Blog
“Key EPA Actions to Address PFAS” – U.S. EPA
“The Philosophy of Ikigai: 3 Examples About Finding Purpose” – PositivePsychology.com
Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters Paperback by Brian Klaas
Rivers of Power: How a Natural Force Raised Kingdoms, Destroyed Civilizations, and Shapes Our World Paperback by Laurence C. Smith
Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned
AWT (Association of Water Technologies)
Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses
415 Green Building Updates: What You Need to Know
004 It’s Not Easy Being Green!
032.5 The One That Takes You to AWT’s 2018 Technical Training]
280 The One About Retaining Top Talent
368 Adapting to the New Workforce: Attracting Top Talent
413 Charting the Future: Mastering the Art of Strategic Planning
Words of Water with James McDonald
Today's definition is a single, reactive molecule, usually an organic compound, having the ability to join with a number of similarly defined molecules to form a polymer.
2026 Events for Water Professionals
Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we’ve listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.
