Make Water Work Podcast

In this episode of the Catalyst Collab, hosts Isaac Pellerin and Chelsea Boozer (Rogue Water Lab) sit down with Ameerah Palacios, APR, Director of Engagement for STV's National Water practice. Ameerah has spent more than two decades helping utilities and public agencies build trust, navigate crisis, and turn complex infrastructure work into real community connection — and she pulls back the curtain on what actually separates authentic engagement from checking a compliance box.In this episode, we cover:• The real difference between compliance-driven outreach and authentic community engagement• Inside the "Underwater" crisis simulation Ameerah built for Catalyst 2025 — and what it revealed about how utilities respond under pressure• Why transparency means being honest even when you don't have all the answers yet• Lessons from working in communities navigating deep, long-term water challenges, including Jackson, Mississippi• Why she says "failing infrastructure," not "aging infrastructure" — and how word choice shapes public trust• Message frequency, saturation, and why utilities have to keep reminding people of progress on decades-long programs like lead service line replacement• How to leave a community "better than you found it" beyond the technical scope of a projectIf you work in utility communications, public engagement, or infrastructure leadership, this conversation will change how you think about trust, transparency, and what it really means to listen.🔗 Connect with Ameerah: linkedin.com/in/ameerah🔗 Learn more about STV: stvinc.comThis episode is part of the Catalyst Collab, a special series featuring speakers and guides connected to Catalyst — the immersive water communications event happening August 31–September 3, 2026, in San Diego. Learn more and register at https://roguewaterlab.org/events/catalyst-2026/.👍 If this conversation resonated, like, subscribe, and drop a comment — what's one thing you'd rethink about how your organization communicates with its community?#WaterIndustry #PublicTrust #CrisisCommunications #WaterUtilities #CommunityEngagement #Infrastructure #StrategicCommunications #MakeWaterWork #CatalystCollab #Catalyst2026

No one wants a water main. They want clean water. No one needs a highway. They need to get their kids to school safely.In this episode of the Make Water Work Catalyst Collab, Isaac Pellerin and Chelsea Boozer (Executive Director, Rogue Water Lab) sit down with Dr. Shalini Vajjhala, Executive Director of PRE Collective, to talk about the messy, unglamorous early stage of infrastructure work that most projects skip, and why skipping it is exactly how communities end up with a bigger pump instead of a better outcome.In this episode, we cover:• How working in Cairo, Mumbai, and Rio de Janeiro during architecture school first showed Shalini that water touches everything, even when it's not the headline• What "predevelopment" actually means, and why it gets treated like a soft cost instead of the thing that determines whether a project succeeds• The Hoboken story: how reframing a flood resilience ask turned a $5 million pump request into a $100 million community park• Why asking "what would it take for you to support this?" gets further than presenting a finished plan• A masterclass in plain language, including how Shalini explained carbon sequestration to her grandmother using a coal stove and a bucket of smoke• Why trust is built through underpromising, overdelivering, and simply telling people the truth about how long things will take• What's ahead at Catalyst San Diego, August 31–September 3, 2026, where Shalini will be guiding a sessionIf you work in water infrastructure, community engagement, or utility leadership, this conversation will change how you think about the first conversation you have on your next project.Connect with Shalini Vajjhala: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalinivajjhala/Learn more about PRE Collective: precollective.orgLearn more about Catalyst 2026: catalysth2o.orgLike, subscribe, and drop a comment: what's your water story?#MakeWaterWork #Catalyst2026 #WaterInfrastructure #CommunityEngagement #ClimateResilience #WaterIndustry #PublicTrust #Predevelopment

Most professionals operate at 50 to 70 percent of their communication capacity, and they don't even know it.In this episode of the Make Water Work Catalyst Collab, Isaac Pellerin and Chelsea Boozer (Executive Director, Rogue Water Lab) sit down with Dr. Bernard Armada, Associate Professor of Communication Studies at the University of St. Thomas, to unpack why improv, storytelling, and vulnerability might do more for public trust than any fact sheet ever could. Bernie guided a session at Catalyst 2025 in Milwaukee that's still one of the most talked-about moments from the event, and he's back to explain the theory behind the experience.In this episode, we cover:• Why most communicators only use a fraction of their full range, from facial expression to language choice, and what "unlocking" the rest looks like• What happened when 150 water professionals were asked to make goofy faces at Milwaukee City Hall, and why it worked• How professional jargon quietly mutes the parts of communication that actually build trust• The research behind how public memory gets shaped, whose stories get featured, and whose get left out• Why utilities lose the narrative when a single water main break outweighs decades of quiet, reliable service• How Bernie uses humor, listening, and a "dinner party" mindset to keep any room engaged• Why authenticity and vulnerability are the one thing AI-generated content can't replace• A first-hand account of Catalyst 2025 in Milwaukee, and what's ahead for Catalyst San Diego, August 31–September 3, 2026If you work in water communications, public engagement, or utility leadership, this conversation will change how you think about the next room you have to win over.Connect with Bernard Armada: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-armada-91a8a07/ Learn more about Catalyst 2026: catalysth2o.orgLike, subscribe, and drop a comment: what's your water story?#MakeWaterWork #WaterCommunications #Catalyst2026 #PublicTrust #WaterIndustry #Improv #StrategicCommunications

Water is the environmental issue Americans care about most, so why does it still struggle to break through the news cycle?In this episode of the Make Water Work / Catalyst Collab, Isaac Pellerin and Chelsea Boozer (Executive Director, Rogue Water Lab) sit down with Sarah Bucci, Director of Strategic Communications at The Water Hub, to unpack why water coverage gets stuck in silos, jargon, and crisis-only headlines, and what it actually takes to tell a story that sticks.In this episode, we cover:• Why public apathy isn't the problem, water consistently polls as the environmental issue people care about most• How siloed categories (drinking water, stormwater, wastewater) disconnect from how people actually experience water• Findings from the Water Hub's 2025 media scan, including a 25% drop in climate-change mentions in water supply coverage• Why trust and relationships are a core communications function, not a soft add-on• Behind the scenes of the Water Hub's Water Infrastructure campaign, illustrations, animation, and influencer partnerships that turned funding announcements into a bigger story• Why data center water use is opening unexpected doors for public conversation• A first-hand account of Catalyst 2025 in Milwaukee, and what's ahead for Catalyst San Diego, August 31–September 3, 2026If you work in water communications, utility affairs, or public engagement, this conversation will change how you think about the stories you're not telling yet.Connect with Sarah Bucci: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-bucci-15146820/Learn more about the Water Hub: waterhub.orgLearn more about Catalyst 2026: catalysth2o.orgLike, subscribe, and drop a comment: what's your water story?#MakeWaterWork #WaterCommunications #Catalyst2026 #WaterHub #PublicTrust #WaterIndustry #StrategicCommunications

Most water networks feel like a tight-knit community. The data says otherwise.
In this episode of the Make Water Work Catalyst Collab, host Isaac Pellerin sits down with George Schuler — co-founder of Connecting for Change, systems strategist, and Catalyst 2026 guide — to explore what's actually happening inside the water sector's most critical relationships, networks, and institutions. George has spent nearly three decades mapping how influence, trust, and coordination move through complex systems. What he's found should change how every water professional thinks about collaboration.
 
In this episode:
• Why the formal structure and the lived structure of most water organizations have quietly drifted apart — and what that gap costs us
• How George built a board game with The Nature Conservancy to force the conversations that data alone could never start
• What a network analysis of the 2023 UN Water Conference revealed about how fragile the global water network actually is
• The institutional incentives that quietly prevent nonprofits, utilities, and funders from truly collaborating — even when they want to
• Why "relational infrastructure" is the missing investment in the water sector
• The Delaware River Basin story: what happens when the people who hold the trust relationships retire
• How Gmail's early growth is a blueprint for building bridges in the water movement
 
Attend Catalyst 2026 — San Diego, August 31–September 3
Reserve your seat at catalysth2o.org
George is one of the guides at Catalyst, the immersive experience for water communicators hosted by Rogue Water Lab.
 
Connect with George Schuler:
Website: georgeschuler.me
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/georgeschuler
 
Connect with Make Water Work:
Subscribe, leave a review, and follow along for new episodes in the Catalyst Collab series every week leading up to the conference.
 
#MakeWaterWork #CatalystCollab #WaterSector #WaterCommunication #NetworkAnalysis #PublicTrust #Catalyst2026 #WaterLeadership #ConnectingForChange #WaterInfrastructure #SystemsThinking

In this episode of the Make Water Work & Catalyst Collab, Isaac sits down with Lily Lopez, Director of External Affairs and Sustainability at Walnut Valley Water District and founder of Latinas in Water, a growing professional community built to connect and empower Latina women across the water sector. Lily is also a co-host of Catalyst 2026, where Walnut Valley Water District joins as a presenting partner.In this episode, we cover:• How Lily went from a PR firm in downtown LA to a director-level role in water — without the traditional background• Why curiosity is the one quality that separates communicators who thrive in the water sector• The founding story of Latinas in Water — what gap she noticed, and why she built it with longevity in mind• What Catalyst has meant to Lily's career, her team, and the communicators she brings with her each year• How the 2026 theme of "showing up" connects to the larger challenge of earning a seat at the executive table• What Lily hopes every attendee walks away from Catalyst 2026 feelingCatalyst 2026 takes place August 31–September 3 in San Diego at the Westgate Hotel. Learn more and reserve your spot at catalysth2o.org.🔗 Connect with Lily Lopez: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-lopez-h2o/🔗 Learn more about Catalyst 2026: catalysth2o.org#MakeWaterWork #CatalystCollab #WaterIndustry #WaterCommunications #LatinaLeadership #WaterSector

Most water conferences are built to inform. Catalyst was built to make you feel something.In this first episode of the Catalyst Collab, a new mini-series exploring what makes water communication work, host Isaac Pellerin sits down with Chelsea Boozer (Executive Director, Rogue Water Lab) and Greg Wukasch (External Affairs Manager, San Antonio Water System) to unpack the experience design behind Catalyst, the immersive event reshaping how the water sector approaches public trust.In this episode, we cover:What Catalyst actually is, and why "content and context" matters as much as the material itselfThe four pillars of public trust: transparency, relationships, showing up, and earning advocates• Why strategic communication deserves to be treated as an asset, just like a pump or lift station• The "soul moment" of Catalyst, and why vulnerability is part of the curriculum• What to expect at Catalyst San Diego, August 31–September 3, 2026• Why sponsors and attendees alike walk away calling it a movement, not a conferenceIf you work in water communications, government affairs, or utility leadership, this conversation will change how you think about your next event, and maybe your next community meeting too.👍 Like this episode if it gave you a new way to think about communication as a craft🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode of Make Water Work💬 Drop a comment: what's one moment where a communication strategy built (or broke) trust with your community?Learn more about Catalyst and register: https://catalysth2o.orgConnect with our guests:Chelsea Boozer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-boozer/Greg Wukasch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-wukasch-b9739623/Connect with Isaac Pellerin and 120Water: https://www.linkedin.com/company/120water#MakeWaterWork #WaterIndustry #WaterCommunications #PublicTrust #Catalyst #WaterUtilities #120Water #WaterLeadership

The water sector is one of the most operationally resilient industries on the planet. Systems delivering clean water 24/7 under aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, and increasing regulatory pressure — and for the most part, they work.So why doesn't anyone know that?Travis Kennedy has had a front-row seat to this industry for over 20 years — not as an operator or regulator, but as Chief Industry Officer, Water & Environmental Markets @ WATER ONLINE, the water and wastewater industry's go-to digital media platform reaching more than one million unique visitors annually. He's interviewed hundreds of engineers, operators, regulators, and solution providers. In this conversation, Isaac flips the mic.What we cover:• How Travis found his way into water in 2003 — and why he's never left• What Water Online was talking about in 1995 vs. today (and what's actually changed)• Why AI won't replace the field workforce — and the auto mechanic analogy that explains it perfectly• The three-stage buyer's journey that every water solution provider needs to understand• Why "doing the work well" is no longer enough on its own — and what has to come with it• Communication, trust, and why those two things are the foundation of everything in this marketConnect with Travis:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-k-0424768/Water Online: wateronline.comThe Water Online Show: wateronline.com/solution/water-talk-a-water-online-podcast

One data center operator hired over 100 people just to solve their water problem. Another operator of equal size hired two.That gap tells you everything about where this industry is right now.Data centers are the hottest topic in water. And over the past several months, we've collected five perspectives from guests who are thinking about this differently — from community planners to state regulators to investors to infrastructure economists. In this special compilation episode, host Isaac Pellerin brings those voices together for the first time.Here's what's covered:• Why water reuse is one of the most practical responses to data center growth — and why climate makes it more urgent• How to design the stakeholder table before a data center breaks ground — and why economic development and water need to talk much earlier• Why not all data centers are created equal — and what that means for utilities negotiating leverage• The difference between direct and indirect water use — and why both matter for communities and utilities evaluating a new facility• Where standardization stands right now — and why 92% of last year's incremental GDP growth makes the answer criticalFive voices. Five angles. One of the most important conversations the water sector is having right now.Learn more about 120Water: https://120water.comFeatured voices:Bruno Pigott| Water Reuse AssociationMichelle Stockness | FreshwaterAnthony DeRosa | Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA)Damian Georgino | DentonsPeter Yolles | Echo River Capital#MakeWaterWork #DataCenters #WaterIndustry #DrinkingWater #WaterInfrastructure #WaterTech #AIandWater #WaterPolicy #Sustainability #WaterInnovation

This week's episode is a special on-location field report from the SWAN Conference — the Smart Water Networks Forum — held in Tampa, Florida. SWAN is a global annual event bringing together utility leaders, engineers, practitioners, and innovators to push the conversation on how the water sector adopts new technology.I had the chance to facilitate a two-hour roundtable with Anthony DeRosa of ASDWA, exploring one of the most important and underexplored tensions in the sector right now: how does regulation fit into digital transformation?Here's what we covered:Why the water sector's regulatory framework was built for a different eraHow governance lags are leaving utilities to modernize at their own riskThe funding misalignment that's blocking solution adoptionWhy solving the most common problem — not the hardest one — is the key to scaling innovationWhat it means to design tools for field workers, not just desk workersWhy deployment funding without sustainability is a dead endIf you work at a utility, an engineering firm, or anywhere in the water sector, these conversations matter. The decisions being made now about how we govern, fund, and adopt technology will shape the next decade of water infrastructure.