Would you drink treated wastewater, aka sewage? It might sound gross, but when we hit the streets of Washington, D.C., the answers surprised us. In the latest episode of Water Street Questions, host Travis Loop asked people outside the Reservoir Center: Would you drink treated wastewater? Most smiled and said…
When DEI momentum fades, Beth Roach of the Nottoway Indian Tribe and Sierra Club leans into something stronger: relationships. She says lasting change for clean water and justice depends on deep partnerships—across organization, generations, and cultures. This is not a moment; it’s a movement rooted in ancestral resilience. Episode at…
Once written off as dead, the James River is now teeming with life—thanks to one of the most powerful environmental laws in U.S. history. The return of bald eagles, blue herons, and even the elusive sturgeon shows how the Clean Water Act sparked one of America's greatest ecological comebacks. Beth…
💧H2O INTRO 🤝 Meet Olivia Lopatofsky of Lycoming County Water & Sewer Authority Small towns across Pennsylvania are struggling with complex stormwater regulations—and too often, they’re left to figure it out alone. But in Lycoming County, Olivia Lopatofsky is helping change that. As a project engineer and stormwater administrator, she’s…
Reviving Ancestral Waters In Modern Times: Beth Roach On Indigenous Advocacy For Clean Water A legacy of pollution and neglect once left the James River and surrounding waterways in ecological crisis. But decades of federal protections and grassroots advocacy have shown that nature can heal—if given the chance. In this…
Los Angeles is digging deep to fix its stormwater problem — literally. In the San Fernando Valley, a landscape once ideal for soaking up rain is now paved over, sending precious water straight to the ocean. But through its Green Streets initiative, LA is punching hundreds of dry wells into…
Stormwater management solution sends water through soils to recharge groundwater. Picture this: a 100-foot-deep gravel-filled shaft that sends stormwater straight back into the ground. It’s called a dry well, and it’s helping communities recharge groundwater right beneath their feet—efficiently, cleanly, and sustainably. Gregor Patsch of Oldcastle Infrastructure explains how it…
Soil type matters in stormwater management. Deep infiltration systems like dry wells are designed to bypass clay and silt and reach the sandy, gravelly layers where water can truly soak in. It's not just smarter infrastructure—it’s a return to the natural water cycle. Insight from Gregor Patsch of Oldcastle Infrastructure.…
💧 H2O Intro 🔬 Meet Blen Jimma of WSSC Water Every year, more than 260,000 water main breaks disrupt communities across the U.S. and Canada—putting public health and budgets at risk. At WSSC Water in Maryland, Blen Jimma is tackling the problem head-on with a forensic engineering program that digs…
Stormwater management is evolving fast. After decades of simply moving water away, the new goal is keeping it local, treating it like the resource it is. The future isn’t just about slowing and filtering runoff — it’s about storing and reusing every drop. “Maybe we shouldn’t release it at all,”…
Stormwater management solutions that are effective, space-conscious, and sustainable are increasingly important for cities. One increasingly popular solution is deep infiltration, a practice that moves stormwater into native soils far below the surface, to avoid harmful runoff and recharge groundwater. In this episode, Gregor Patsch of Oldcastle Infrastructure explains how…
Lobbying Congress for water is actully straightfoward. Speak up—and do it smart. Mae Stevens of Banner Public Affairs urges advocates to get involved through trusted organizations like U.S. Water Alliance and RCAP that can guide strategic, well-timed engagement in Washington. "You have to make your voice heard." Episode at https://www.waterloop.org/outlook-on-federal-water-policy-in-a-divided-dc/…
What happens when a new administration inherits a water rule under fire? In the case of PFAS and lead pipe regulations, the lawsuits don’t pause—they pass hands. Mae Stevens of Banner Public Affairs breaks down why incoming leaders must quickly decide whether to defend water protections in court, even as…
A new wave of infrastructure investment is building in Congress—and water is at the center of it. Both Democrats and Republicans are preparing to move forward on a major bipartisan reauthorization bill, signaling rare unity in Washington around the need for clean, reliable water. “They realize this is something that’s…
While D.C. remains sharply divided, there’s one thing both parties still agree on—water infrastructure. Unlike issues rocked by political swings, federal water policy is steady, sustained, and quietly advancing. That’s because water infrastructure isn’t red or blue—it’s just essential. Mae Stevens of Banner Public Affairs explains why bipartisan support continues…
As a new administration and Congress settle into Washington, questions loom about how federal water policy will take shape amid broader political turbulence. Fortunately, water remains a rare bipartisan issue, providing a pathway for continued investment and action around critical infrastructure and public health. In this conversation from the Reservoir…
What do people think is the biggest water problem in America today? Scarcity, pollution, and access to clean water topped the list when we asked on Water Street outside the Reservoir Center in Washington, D.C. Several people raised concerns about groundwater depletion in the Southwest, while others pointed to water…
Advancing desalination technology isn't just about coastal megacities — it's about unlocking clean water for remote communities, island nations, and even U.S. regions with salty groundwater. Lauren Greenlee of XPRIZE shares how innovations from the $119M Water Scarcity competition could transform water access across the world, including tapping into America's…
Today, over 70% of desalination capacity serves wealthy nations — but high costs, fragile membranes, and brine pollution are part of what blocks more widespread global access to clean water via the technology. XPRIZE is aiming to change that. Lauren Greenlee explains how the $119 million XPRIZE Water Scarcity competition…
💧 H2O Intro 🤝 Meet Ayanna Jolivet Mccloud of Bayou City Waterkeeper In Houston, floodwaters don’t impact all communities equally. As Executive Director of Bayou City Waterkeeper, Ayanna is protecting overlooked neighborhoods—many communities of color—by championing natural infrastructure like Sims Bayou, a rare waterway free of concrete that helps mitigate…
Imagine using $10 million to unlock a $1 trillion industry. That’s the power of incentivized innovation. XPRIZE is proving that philanthropy can do more than give — it can spark entire ecosystems and create new industries by leveraging prizes to drive massive investment and impact. Lauren Greenlee of XPRIZE says…
Desalination is a proven technology—but it’s still too costly, energy-intensive, and inaccessible for the communities that need it most. To change that, XPRIZE launched a $119 million global competition to drive breakthroughs in seawater desalination and deliver scalable, sustainable solutions. Lauren Greenlee, Executive Vice President of Food+Water+Waste at XPRIZE, shares…
From songs and stories to paddles and place—environmental education with the Coharie Tribe is immersive, joyful, and rooted in culture. Visitors tour the tribal center, learn about history, and then journey onto the river with Coharie guides who share deep knowledge of their ancestral waters. It's outdoor learning like no…
Drinking water infrastructure is critical—and largely out of sight. In this episode of 💧H2O Minute News ⏰, Manny Teodoro of the University of Wisconsin wants to change that with the Wisconsin Water Works Excellence Project, a first-of-its-kind statewide effort to grade all 572 regulated water utilities. Using detailed public data,…