Clean Water Works
CLEVELAND, OHIO: From the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, an in-depth and fun conversation led by Donna Friedman and Mike Uva on any and all topics related to clean water, wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and the people, projects, and programs serving Lake Erie and our local waterways and communities.
Episodes
46 episodes
New Media for Water Communications
Ever wondered how a podcast about sewers came to be? In this episode, roles are reversed, with our Public Information Specialist Jess Shutty interviewing pod hosts Donna Friedman and Mike Uva on the evolution of Clean Water Works from ...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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32:54
Stormwater Awareness Week!
Kristin Hall is Executive Director of Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District. She explains the distinctions between natural and urban environments in managing stormwater and the significance of these practices in preventing urban floodin...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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26:39
Wastewater Treatment and a "Garden of Bugs"
What happens when a mechanical engineering grad steps into the world of wastewater treatment? Travis Pitts is Superintendent at the Sewer District's Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant. From his humble beginnings as a plant operator to his lead...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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27:56
Household Waste: What Goes Where
Ever wondered if you're recycling correctly? Matt Walters is the Special Recycling Programs Coordinator for the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District (CCSWD), and in this Clean Water Works he sheds light on the intricacies of recycling ...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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29:04
Ohio Stormwater Conference 2024
SANDUSKY, OH: Anything you want to know about stormwater management you can learn at the Ohio Stormwater Conference. This year's event was held at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio, with attendees engaging in cutting-edge discussions on environ...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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22:41
Dam Removals and the Cuyahoga's Comeback
What if a local river, once notorious for pollution and even catching fire, could become transformed into a thriving ecosystem? We explore the Cuyahoga's incredible decades-long progress with Elaine Marsh, a watershed specialist with Summit Met...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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32:47
Warmer, Wetter Weather: Tackling Urban Stormwater Problems
Cities with aging infrastructure face an uphill battle with regard to stormwater management, a challenge underscored by recent calamitous weather events. Sewer District engineer George Remias illustrates how a warming atmosphere acts like a spo...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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30:01
Build Your Own Rain Garden
Have you ever wondered how your green thumb can help the environment? Stormwater Technical Specialist Chris Hartman explains how to install and maintain a thriving rain garden to help control stormwater runoff: from choosing a site and ga...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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28:50
Pick Up Poop!
Who knew that dog poop could contribute to water pollution? That's the topic of our conversation with NEORSD Asset Analyst Christina Toth and Biologist Morgan Koelliker. Christina's dog, Esri, serves as the mascot of the Sewer District's Pick U...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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29:03
Three Cheers for Engineers
Have you ever stopped to consider how deeply engineering is woven into every aspect of your daily life? On the heels of National Engineers Week, we're tapping into the essence of innovation and the critical role engineers play.Governmen...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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35:38
#SaltLife: Fresh Water Worries
Oversalt much? A conversation with Amy Roskilly of Cuyahoga Soil & Water Conservation District and Natalie Gertz-Young of Lake Soil & Water Conservation District on road salt use and overuse, and the impacts to our water resources.<...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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24:38
Play it Safe! with Carla and Robin
What's the most dangerous job at the Sewer District? Sewer District safety experts Carla DeSantis and Robin Halperin discuss the dangers inherent to wastewater treatment, what led them to pursue safety as their vocation, and approa...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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34:21
Utilities & Affordability with Constance T. Haqq
The costs of wastewater treatment and maintaining our vast sewer and stormwater systems fall almost entirely on our ratepayers. With many residents struggling to pay their bills, utilities must address affordability and also clearly commu...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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27:06
Clean Water and "The Last Mile" with Erin Huber
Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Drink Local Drink Tap is an international non-profit organization focused on solving water equity and quality issues. Executive Director and Founder Erin Huber joins us to discuss her group's impactful projects in Ugan...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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43:21
Fish, commish, delist: Lake Erie Commission talks "Areas of Concern"
What is an "area of concern," or AOC? Hannah Boesinger of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission talks about projects to restore fish habitat and address the "worst of the worst" legacy-pollution issues in the Cuyahoga River and other Great Lake...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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23:57
The Freshwater Capital with Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne
We asked Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne to join us for a discussion of his vision for a Freshwater Institute, some experiences from his days as City Planner, biking the Towpath Trail, and lessons learned from Lake Erie surfers and bird...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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35:51
The Cleveland Metroparks (and Zoo!)
We welcome Jenn Grieser and Sean McDermott from Cleveland Metroparks for an overview of our remarkable park system, restoration projects that we've partnered on, as well as ecology, conservation—and ziplines!Learn more about the Metropa...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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33:35
Great Lakes Basics with Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Lili Fikter is the Education and Interpretation Coordinator at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. She gives an overview of the Great Lakes and the Aquarium's work to make connections between their fish and animals and the local watersheds that sup...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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24:41
Preview: Clean Water Fest 2023
We hope you locals have Saturday, September 23 on your calendars. It's our annual in-person "open house," the CLEAN WATER FEST in Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio. Community Relations Specialist Jessica Shutty stopped by to talk about what to expect at t...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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10:47
Sewers, sewing, enduring: CarrieAnne McConnell's long water history
CarrieAnne McConnell is Superintendent at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District's Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant. She has spent much of her life in and around water- and wastewater-treatment facilities . . . and even had her wedding p...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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32:49
Engineering a Solution: Tunnels and Project Clean Lake
We often get asked about our tunnel-construction projects throughout the city—and with good reason. Engineer Doug Lopata discusses Project Clean Lake and his work overseeing the design of massive tunnels that reduce sewer overflows, basement fl...
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32:13
Plum Creek: A Tale of Fish Translocation
Cleveland native Justin Telep loves to fish. It makes sense then that he loves his job as a Field Biologist at the Sewer District. Justin and his team study the health of aquatic organisms in area streams to determine water quality. He talks ab...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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36:59
The IT Crowd: Information Technology and Clean Water
Two of our favorite IT guys, Adam Bruncak and Francis Cung, stop by for a chat about how Information Technology impacts all aspects of the Sewer District's work. We also discuss ChatGPT, professional billiards, and the importance of "Ctrl+Alt+D...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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26:19
Trees in the City
Samira Malone is Director of the Cleveland Tree Coalition. We discuss the multiple benefits trees provide in urban settings, the CTC's efforts to restore Cleveland's diminished tree canopy, and "the right tree for the right place." The ...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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34:42
SWIM lessons: Stormwater Inspection & Maintenance with Kristen Buccier
Kristen Buccier is the Manager of our Stormwater Inspection & Maintenance team, brilliantly acronymed SWIM. We talked to Kristen about the thousands of stormwater assets the NEORSD inspects and maintains. Her team walks area streams to docu...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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30:11
