{"podcast":{"title":"Scaling UP! H2O","slug":"scaling-up-h2o-7746","podcast_index_feed_id":7746,"rss_url":"https://scalingup.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://scalinguph2o.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/b/0/0/f/b00f6cb167c1837a/ScalingUP-Logo-Color-2019-square.jpg","author":"R. Trace Blackmore, CWT, LEED AP: Water Treatment Enthusiast, Trainer and Consultant","episode_count":491,"summary":"The podcast where we scale up on knowledge so we don't scale up our systems. Find out why working in Industrial Water Treatment is the best job in the world. Hear industry experts share their knowledge and stories. Learn about technologies, methods, and career journeys. Join podcast host Trace Blackmore, former AWT President, LEED, and CWT every Friday for a new episode.","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/scaling-up-h2o-7746"},"episode":{"title":"462 From Lab Chemist to Field Mentor: Water, Culture, and Representation","slug":"462-from-lab-chemist-to-field-mentor-water-culture-and-representation","published_at":"2026-02-06T06:00:47+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/scaling-up-h2o-7746/462-from-lab-chemist-to-field-mentor-water-culture-and-representation","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/scaling-up-h2o-7746","url":"https://scalinguph2o.com/?p=59885","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/scalingup/Scaling_Up_H2O_-_462_-_Katie_Holliday_v2.mp3?dest-id=797464","summary":"Industrial water work rewards people who can move between precision and practicality. Katie Holliday brings both. She started as a lab chemist, then transitioned into field service with Apex Water and Process , where much of her work supports healthcare facilities and high-accountability programs. Lab habits that protect your tools and your data Katie describes the first surprise of field work: a central plant is \"very dirty,\" and the job demands good technique without chasing lab-level perfection. She shares a couple of simple practices that prevent expensive problems. Use proper lab wipes on glassware instead of shirts or paper towels, which can scratch surfaces and compromise readings. Keep pH probes wet with the correct storage solution, because once they dry out, they often stop working. Healthcare water: SPD work and Legionella prevention About 90% of Katie's accounts are healthcare. She defines SPD as the sterile processing department and explains why expectations shift compared to boilers and cooling towers. SPD work is cleaner, more controlled, and typically includes additional components such as endotoxin filtration and UV. It also involves more testing and stricter standards that tie directly to patient safety. Alongside SPD, she emphasizes Legionella prevention as a constant priority, from cooling towers (including secondary disinfection) to domestic water, because facilities want to reduce risk to patients. Water chemistry reality check: Phoenix versus \"everywhere else\" Katie explains how Arizona water changes the operating window. She notes high hardness and high chlorides, which can limit cycles of concentration and force conservative targets compared with places like Atlanta, where Trace describes running much higher cycles. The takeaway for experienced…","meta_description":"Industrial water work rewards people who can move between precision and practicality. Katie Holliday brings both. She started as a lab chemist, then trans…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3304,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/scaling-up-h2o-7746/episodes/462-from-lab-chemist-to-field-mentor-water-culture-and-representation/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/scaling-up-h2o-7746/462-from-lab-chemist-to-field-mentor-water-culture-and-representation.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}