464 Corrosion Coupons, Brand Building, and Having Fun at Trade Shows with Will Ritter
Release Date: 02/20/2026
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"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 corrosion-rate intelligence. Will Ritter of MetaSpec (formerly Pacific Sensor) explains the fundamentals—pre-weighed coupons, exposure time, cleaning, and calculating corrosion rate in MPY (mils per year). The point isn’t that the coupon is your pipe; it’s that the coupon becomes a reliable, relative gauge over time when variables are controlled.
The “five things” that make results repeatable
Will outlines practical failure points that quietly ruin comparisons quarter to quarter: alloy selection (and staying consistent), surface area (and what happens when hardware covers the coupon), surface finish (including why scratches and pits matter), weight accuracy (and why kitchen/postage scales don’t belong in the workflow), and protective VCI packaging that prevents premature corrosion in storage and transit.
Brand building, trade shows, and getting comfortable saying “I don’t know”
Will shares his path from Pacific Sensor to MetaSpec and what it looks like to merge brands intentionally heading into 2026. The discussion also moves into trade show presence and digital marketing, plus a simple confidence framework: get comfortable saying “I don’t know, but I can find out,” and build communication reps—he points to Toastmasters as a low-stakes way to do that.
Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!
Timestamps
02:20 — Trace sets the stage: why corrosion coupons matter as diagnostic data
04:05 — What a coupon is (size, pre-weighed precision) and why tiny changes matter
06:14 — Trace’s “four things” water treaters manage (and what microbial control is not)
07:07 — The “lasagna battery”: anode/cathode/electrolyte/path in a real-life example
08:50 — Defining corrosion (ISO 8044 and NACE definitions referenced)
09:50 — Corrosion cost perspective: “2.5 trillion” and “3.5% of global GDP” (as cited)
10:53 – Words of Water with James
12:38 – Events for Water Professionals
14:56 — Will Ritter introduction and why the podcast helped him understand the industry
18:30 — How Will got into coupons: Pacific Sensor, mentors, and early AWT exposure
24:36 — Trade show mindset: don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”
27:50 — Toastmasters as a practical system for better speaking and confidence
31:25 — Pacific Sensor → MetaSpec; co-branding and planned transition “starting in 2026”
34:06 — Coupon basics and MPY explained in clear operational terms
36:51 — The big misunderstanding: coupons as a relative gauge (not “the pipe”)
40:06 — The “five key characteristics” behind usable coupon data
58:10 — Best-practice takeaway: treat coupons like a lab test brought into the field
01:06:35 — Close: why Trace “owes a lot” to that “little slip of metal”
Quotes
“Use the coupon as a relative gauge of the corrosivity of the system.” - Will Ritter
“Surface finish is critical… a change in surface finish is going to impact corrosion results.” - Will
“Treat your coupons… like you are taking a laboratory test and bringing it into the field.”
“It’s not a piece of metal. It’s very special. Treat it as such.”
“Digital marketing is free… small businesses need to take advantage of free resources.”
Connect with Will Ritter
Phone: (713) 882- 1427
Email: williamrritter@gmail.com
Website: Pacific Sensor - Buy Corrosion Coupons and Test Specimens
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamryanritter/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-sensor/about/
Guest Resources Mentioned
Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway (Audiobook)
Steel Isn't Hard (To Learn) by Shane Turcott (Paperback)
Pacific Sensor Corrosion Coupon Installation Guide
Water Treatment Flyer- Pacific Sensor
Metaspec Capabilities Presentation
ASTM-G1-25 Standard Practice for Preparing, Cleaning, and Evaluating Corrosion Test Specimens
TP25-18 The Impact of Metal Surface Roughness on Corrosion Monitoring Water Treatment
Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned
AWT (Association of Water Technologies)
Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses
304 Pinks and Blues: Corrosion Coupons
075 The One that’s All About Corrosion Coupons
AWT Guidelines on Corrosion Coupons
Corrosion cost perspective: “2.5 trillion” and “3.5% of global GDP”
Words of Water with James McDonald
Today's definition is any of the elements found in Group VIIA, also known as Group 17, of the Periodic Table, including fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and iodine, characterized by the ability to disinfect water.
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.
