Episode 55: Challenges & Trends in Small Systems

In this month’s episode of Talking Under Water co-hosts Bob Crossen and Katie Johns discuss the movement of EPA’s proposal for PFOA and PFOS to be listed as a hazardous substance under CERCLA and a $132 million investment in the national estuary program. The hosts also share an interview with Glenn Barnes, who is the director of Water Finance Assistance and works with numerous small utilities throughout the United States. Crossen and Barnes talked about the challenges facing small systems, how they are trying to adapt to the new normal, and how workforce concerns are nearing a tipping point. Cold open | 0:00 Host Intros | 0:32 Episode summary | 0:43 OMB finishes review of PFAS CERCLA proposal | 1:12 $132M investment for National Estuary Program | 4:08 Introducing Glenn Barnes | 6:00 Just how many small systesm are there in the U.S.? | 6:32 What small utilities are thinking about day to day | 9:11 Small town public workers wear too many hats | 11:38 How small utilities are looking at infrastructure funding | 14:30 Inflation and rising costs hit small utilities hardest | 17:42 Issues at the top of small systems’ minds | 20:13 The future of small systems in the U.S. | 22:18 Interview wrap up | 26:02 Housekeeping | 26:52

You can listen to Episode 55: Challenges & Trends in Small Systems online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 55: Challenges & Trends in Small Systems is an episode from Talking Under Water by Talking Under Water.

This episode is 00:28:35 long.

This episode was published on Aug 19, 2022.

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