Episodes
Catch all episodes of The Drop here. Suggest an episode topic by scrolling down the page.
Season Two
Episode One – State of the District
We’re back with season two of The Drop! To kick off this new season, we sit down with EMWD’s General Manager, Joe Mouawad, to discuss some of the big highlights from 2023 and what we’re looking towards in 2024.
Episode Two – Sites Reservoir: The Off-Stream Solution
So, it rained. And while Californians love a good snowy mountain view on a sunny day, us water nerds can’t help but wonder… “what happens to all the snow when it melts?” In this episode, we sit down with Jerry Brown, Sites Project Authority Executive Director, to discuss Sites Reservoir. What is it? Where is it? What’s off stream? How will the reservoir capture winter runoff? And what’s its impact on California’s water future?
Episode Three - Forever Chemicals
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS are a collection of thousands of chemicals that are taking center stage in the world of water quality and regulation. In this episode, we are joined by EMWD’s Director of Environmental and Regulatory Compliance, Anthony Budicin, to discuss what PFAS is, the regulations on PFAS as they stand today, what we can expect in the future, current legislation to help combat PFAS clean up and how water agencies have been left to solve an issue they had no role in creating.
Season One
Trailer – The Drop
EPISODE ONE: Water 101
In this pilot episode, Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD)’s General Manager, Joe Mouawad discusses the basics of EMWD’s services and why talking about water and keeping it front of mind is so important.
Episode two: state of affairs
A look at EMWD’s legislative program and the top initiatives we are currently working on as well as what’s to come for water at the state and federal levels.
Episode Three: Fats, Oils, Grease and Wipes – Oh my!
What do fats, oils, grease and “flushable” wipes all have in common? They clog your home’s pipes and cause big issues in our sewer collection system. Join us as we discuss how to be sewer smart and why we talk about keeping our sewers healthy so often.
Episode Four: The “D” Word
Drought. How did we get here? What does it mean when we say we’re in a drought and how do we mitigate it?
Episode Five: The Colorado River
We’re going behind the headlines of discovered boats and receding waters and tackling the Colorado River. Why is the Colorado River dominating the news, who are the millions of people it serves and why isn’t the same river it was 100 years ago?
Episode Six: Recycled Water
Recycled water. What is it and why is it so important to our water future? Join us as we chat with Assistant General Manager of Operations and Maintenance, Matt Melendrez, about EMWD’s recycled water program and how we’re able to use every drop twice.
Episode Seven: The Water Cycle – Purified Water Replenishment
EMWD’s Purified Water Replenishment Project is the next frontier of water supply for our community. This highly anticipated project seems complex but truly uses nature’s best tools. In this episode, we’re joined by Water Resources Planning Manager, John Wuerth to explore why we’re embarking on this kind of project, where we are in the planning and how it plays a bigger role in EMWD’s efforts to maintain local water supplies.
Episode Eight: Don’t Be Salty – EMWD’s Desalination Program
No need to be salty – our groundwater isn’t! This week we’re joined by Water Operations Manager, Phil Lancaster, to discuss our groundwater desalination program. We’re digging into why an inland agency has a desalination program, how our desalters work and where all the salt goes.
Episode NINE: ARPA At the local level
You hear about it and read about it but what is the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) and what impact does this large piece of federal legislation have here at the local level? This week we’re discussing all things ARPA and local infrastructure projects.
Episode Ten: The Nuts and Bolts of Water Operations
We flip on the taps and turn on faucets every day without a thought but how is it that water is made immediately available to your home or business? This week we chat with John Dotinga, Director of Water Operations, on the basics of moving water throughout our 558-square mile service area and the team that works 24/7/365 to make sure our community has access to clean, reliable and quality water service.
Episode Eleven: where does it go
Out of sight, out of mind tends to be the name of the game when it comes to the water leaving your home but let’s stop and consider it for a moment. What does happen to the wastewater that leaves your home? In this episode, we’re joined by Ken Tagney, Director of Water Reclamation, to discuss wastewater, collections and water reclamation and the important role it plays in the health and safety of our communities.
Episode twelve: beyond the cone in the street
Lane closures. Traffic. Noise. Those are usually things we associate with cones in the road and construction projects but each EMWD project serves a purpose to better provide service to the community. This week, we drill down into one of EMWD’s largest projects, the Perris North Basin Groundwater Contamination Prevention and Remediation Program, and discuss why it is so critical to our region.
Episode thirteen: what’s in a Drop of Water?
What’s in a drop of water? We’re exploring just that. How does EMWD treat water to ensure safe, reliable and quality tap water service to our community.
Episode Fourteen: the Work behind workforce development
Think about your dream career when you were a kid. Was it to be a water or wastewater operator? What about an electrician or engineer? Maybe not, but those are key careers in the water, wastewater and recycled water industry. Our workforce is evolving and we’re working to meet that evolution through a variety of programs and partnerships. This week, we take a look at building awareness of careers in the water industry through the lens of a former intern and EMWD staff that are working to implement partnerships and support workforce development policy.