H2O and Beyond

Alex Han
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  • NATURAL SCIENCES
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

H2O and Beyond is your weekly deep dive into the science, systems, and stories behind the water we use every day. Hosted by a student with a passion for the environment, this podcast makes complex topics—from pollution to policy—easy to understand. Get clear, engaging episodes that explore the forces shaping our water future—without watering down the truth. Follow and Subscribe to our socials! (psst we also have a Youtube Channel on there where we post video podcasts as well) https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond

Episodes

  1. 9H AGO

    Episode 10: Arizona's Fight for Water

    In this Episode of H2O and Beyond, I'm joined by Dr. Kathryn Sorensen from the Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU to discuss Arizona's fight for water! We'll discuss some of the most pressing issues happening to the state, such as its worst drought in over 1200 years, an influx of new residents, and a need to shift away from groundwater. We'll even discuss the logistics of how semiconductor manufacturers like TSMC get their water from when their new factory is located in the middle of the desert! 0:00 Intro 1:36 Why is water in Arizona such a unique problem? 4:34 Arizona's large groundwater supply 11:30 Agriculture in the state 14:25 Other sources of water 15:26 Nuclear power 17:15 TSMC and big tech in Arizona 19:37 Which regions are suffering the most? 22:01 1980 Groundwater Management Act 27:03 What about the native Americans? 33:49 How do you convince residents to save water?39:54 Farmers and the changing water landscape 43:35 Future of Arizona's water 48:40 Closing 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2A Follow the Kyl Water Center socials! BlueSky: @kylcenterwater.bsky.social LinkedIn: @Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute X/Twitter: @KylCenter If you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    50 min

  2. SEP 12

    Episode 9: Chicago's Backwards River

    TIMESTAMPS BELOW 👇 In this Episode of H2O and Beyond, join Mr. Dick Lanyon, former executive director of the Chicago MWRD, as we talk about how Chicago managed to reverse the flow of its river! In the mid-late 1800s, the Chicago River, heavily polluted with human waste, flowed into Lake Michigan, the only water source for residents at the time. Waste began to accumulate in Lake Michigan, and so Ellis Chesbrough, the chief engineer of the city, devised a radical plan to reverse the flow of the river to divert the waste away. 0:00 Intro 2:10 What was happening in Chicago in the 1800s? 6:52 Consideration of possible solutions 8:01 Logistics of reversing the river 14:18 Construction begins 20:03 Role of immigrants in construction 24:38 What changed for Chicago? 29:28 Consequences on the communities downstream 32:24 Invasive species infiltrating the river 37:38 State of the river today 43:25 Closing 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2A Follow the MWRD socials! https://mwrd.org/ https://www.instagram.com/mwrd_of_greater_chicago/?hl=en If you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    46 min

  3. SEP 5

    Episode 8: Houston is Sinking!

    TIMESTAMPS BELOW 👇 In this Episode of H2O and Beyond, I'm joined by Mr. Michael Turco from the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District. We'll discuss the subsidence, or sinking, that's happening in Houston as a result of excessive groundwater withdrawal, methods of data collection, and what can be done to slow down and prevent further sinking! 0:00 Intro 2:08 What is Subsidence? 8:20 Subsidence in the Houston Area 16:00 How is Subsidence Monitored? 23:09 Solutions for Subsidence 29:10 Communication of issues 31:07 What defines success in slowing down subsidence? 35:28 Future challenges 37:53 Closing remarks 38:57 Ending 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2A Follow the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District socials! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarrisGalvestonSubsidenceDistrict/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/hg_subsidenceLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harris---galveston-subsidence-district/ Website: https://hgsubsidence.org/ If you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    40 min

  4. AUG 29

    Episode 7: "How Vegas Defied Drought"

    TIMESTAMPS BELOW 👇 In this episode of H2O and Beyond, I’m joined by Bronson Mack from the Southern Nevada Water Authority to explore how Las Vegas became one of the most water-efficient cities in the world. From turf removal programs to water police, Las Vegas has turned its desert location into a model of conservation. 0:00 Intro 1:44 About the SNWA5:50 Where does Las Vegas get its water from? 7:35 Effects of climate change on Las Vegas 12:33: Industries that use water in Las Vegas 15:44 What makes Las Vegas's water conservation efforts unique? 17:55 Potable reuse system 21:50 Outdoor water use 24:03 Where do the casinos get all their water from? 28:48 Water Police 32:12 Custom car community and their take on car washing 37:26 Automatic sprinkler systems installed in every house 42:52 How does SNWA communicate with residents? 44:54 New policies and future plans46:31 Pool size limitations 47:59 Evaporative cooling bans 50:54 Lessons from the desert 56:11 Ending 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2A Follow the SNWA socials! YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/snwavideo Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesnwa/# X - https://x.com/SNWA_H2O Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/southernnevadawaterauthorityLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-nevada-water-authorityThumbnail background image by Ken Lund, originally posted on https://flickr.com/photos/75683070@N00/49927772768, under CC-BY-SA-2.0, no modifications. If you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    57 min

  5. AUG 22

    Episode 6: The River that Built the Southwest

    TIMESTAMPS BELOW 👇 In this Episode of H2O and Beyond, we dive into the ins-and-outs of the Colorado River. We'll talk about the laws that govern it, the crisis that's happening to it right now, and much more - including who gets their water cut off first if the situation escalates. 0:00 Intro 3:41 What makes the Colorado River so important? 5:45 Colorado River Compact and the laws surrounding the river 13:58 Minorities and the Colorado River Compact 17:01 Can the rules of the compact be changed?20:07 Who enforces the compact? 23:37 What is happening to the Colorado today?26:15 What is a snowpack? 30:13 Effects of aridification on its surroundings 35:30 Infrastructure problems 36:40 Nuclear power plants along the Colorado 40:24 Who gets their water cut first in a drought?44:30 Native Americans and senior water rights 47:15 Biggest challenges for the Colorado River in the future 53:38 How to save the Colorado 57:11 Ending 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyondFeedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2A Follow the Colorado Water Center socials! https://www.instagram.com/coloradowatercenter/ If you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    58 min

  6. AUG 14

    Episode 5: Water Leaks

    TIMESTAMPS BELOW 👇 In this episode of H2O and Beyond, we dive into the hidden world of water leaks — a costly problem that wastes billions of gallons every year. We’ll uncover how aging infrastructure, environmental factors, and unnoticed drips add up to massive losses. From cutting-edge detection technology to simple prevention tips, learn how communities are fighting back to save water and money. 0:00 Intro 0:53 Defining water leaks 1:43 Causes of leaks 4:17 Why fixing leaks should be a top priority 5:47 What are cities doing about water leaks? 7:55 AI's role in leak detection10:22 Ending 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyondFeedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2AIf you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    11 min

  7. AUG 7

    Episode 4: The Water Tower – Where Water Meets Innovation

    TIMESTAMPS BELOW 👇 In this Episode of H2O and Beyond, we head to the world-famous research and innovation hub known as the Water Tower located in Buford , Georgia. We explore how this facility is transforming the future of water through research, technology, and workforce development . 0:00 Intro 1:30 What is the Water Tower? 3:55 Demo areas 6:30 Research at the Water Tower 9:12 Surprising discoveries 10:08 Uniqueness of the Water Tower 11:06 Workforce development programs 12:33 Education in schools 14:00 Events at the Water Tower 17:37 New things happening 19:11 Ending 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyondFeedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2AFollow the Water Tower socials!https://www.instagram.com/theh2otower/ https://www.theh2otower.org/If you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    20 min

  8. JUL 31

    Episode 3: Exploring Potable Reuse with Orange County

    In this episode of H2O and Beyond, we head to Orange County California — home to one of the world’s most largest and most advanced water potable reuse systems called the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS). Join me as I explore how wastewater is transformed into clean, safe drinking water to be injected into their aquifers. We'll break down the science of potable reuse, take a look at how Orange County has managed to address public perception, and hear firsthand from experts who are leading the charge in sustainable water innovation. Timestamps below 👇 0:00 Intro 1:16 About Orange County 2:32 What is potable reuse? 4:35 Regulations/limitations on potable reuse 8:46 What prompted Orange County to pursue potable reuse? 11:46 What makes the Orange County potable reuse system unique? 14:03 Cost comparisons 18:14 Public perceptions and challenges 23:29 How successful is Orange County's potable reuse system? 24:21 How potable reuse helps with climate resilience 25:44 Research at Orange County 27:10 What can other communities learn from Orange County? 28:40 Where is potable reuse heading in the future? 29:50 Reuse is actually happening everywhere! 32:23 Ending 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2A Follow the OCWD socials! https://www.ocwd.com/ https://www.instagram.com/ocwaterdistrict/?hl=en If you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    33 min

  9. JUL 24

    Episode 2: Inside the World's Largest Wastewater Treatment Plant

    What happens after you flush? In this episode of H2O and Beyond, we go deep inside the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant—the largest wastewater treatment facility on Earth—serving millions across Chicago every day. From massive aeration tanks to advanced biosolid recovery, we break down how this engineering marvel treats over 1.4 billion gallons of wastewater daily. With Stickney's large size, some interesting things have happened - like finding a family of possums and 100$ in the wastewater! There are also some interesting things that go on in their laboratory, such as using the temperature of sludge to heat and cool buildings! Timestamps Below 👇 0:00 Intro 1:09 What is the Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District? 2:51 How is wastewater treated at Stickney? 5:09 Interesting objects that have been found in the wastewater 6:06 (continued) How is wastewater treated at Stickney? 20:38 What is sludge, and how is it dealt with? 23:20 Toxins inside the sludge 30:25 Interesting jobs people have at the Stickney 30:50 Microbiologist called in to save dead bacteria?! 32:09 (continued) Interesting jobs at the Stickney 33:45 Interesting buildings/parts of Stickney 35:53 Effects of climate change on Stickney 43:17 Cool research at the Stickney laboratories 45:03 Using sludge to cool and heat buildings?? 46:53 Closing Remarks 🎧 Listen to more episodes & follow us here: https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/RNjdFLY2wSrk7PW2A Follow the Stickney Socials! https://mwrd.org/https://www.instagram.com/mwrd_of_greater_chicago/?hl=en If you liked this episode, please Like and Subscribe!

    50 min

  10. JUL 18

    Episode 1: Why Water is Everyone's Problem

    Every 90 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease — yet many of us barely think twice about the water we drink, cook with, and flush away. In this opening episode of H2O and Beyond, we explore the global water crisis happening in plain sight. From contaminated tap water in Flint Michigan to the growing threat of PFAS and microplastics, this episode breaks down why clean water is far from guaranteed — even in wealthy nations. Learn what "clean" water really means, why many treatment systems are falling short, and how climate change, aging infrastructure, and underinvestment are pushing systems to the brink. Plus, we spotlight global innovation bringing hope — from Paris’ stormwater basins to green infrastructure in U.S. cities. Whether you’re new to water issues or just thirsty for solutions, this episode will change how you see the water running through your life. Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/Ei3P5355xVfeqy3V8 Follow the H2O and Beyond Socials! (psst we have a Youtube where we post Video Podcasts as well) https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond

    12 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

H2O and Beyond is your weekly deep dive into the science, systems, and stories behind the water we use every day. Hosted by a student with a passion for the environment, this podcast makes complex topics—from pollution to policy—easy to understand. Get clear, engaging episodes that explore the forces shaping our water future—without watering down the truth. Follow and Subscribe to our socials! (psst we also have a Youtube Channel on there where we post video podcasts as well) https://linktr.ee/h2oandbeyond

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Han
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Alex Han
  • Show Website
    H2O and Beyond