PARC Innovation Flow
PARC Innovation Flow
South Platte Renew

PARC Innovation Flow

TechnologyLocalScienceEnglish
Interview-style podcast featuring the latest in water renewal technology research and treatment pilot studies. Guests include South Platte Renew staff, consulting engineers, technology developers, and university partners who are involved in projects through SPR's innovative Pilot and Research Center (PARC).

Hosted by Blair Corning, SPR's Deputy Director of Environmental Programs, each episode features in-depth conversations with industry experts and leaders. Together, they delve into pioneering projects and research that are helping to shape a sustainable future for our communities and the environment.
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S1E11 -Data Science & Forever Chemicals
11 November 2025

S1E11 -Data Science & Forever Chemicals

Episode NotesIn this episode, recorded live from WEFTEC 2025, Jamie Lefkowitz and Mahesh Lunani explore how data science and artificial intelligence (AI) are fundamentally changing the future of the water industry. First, we tackle the urgent challenge of PFAS with Jamie Lefkowitz, Innovation Development Leader at Brown and Caldwell. Jamie shares details on a pioneering research project that uses...
S1E10 -The Money Value of Time: Master Planning for Innovation
14 October 2025

S1E10 -The Money Value of Time: Master Planning for Innovation

Episode NotesWhat is the “money value of time” in wastewater master planning, and how is it fueling innovation at South Platte Renew?In this episode, we talk to Deena Davidson, Municipal Operations Manager at Tetra Tech Water, who describes building flexibility into South Platte Renew’s latest Master Plan. The model allows utilities to intentionally delay critical spending decisions in order to...
S1E9 -What Does It Take to Innovate?
09 September 2025

S1E9 -What Does It Take to Innovate?

Episode NotesWhat’s going on at the Pilot and Research Center (PARC) at South Platte Renew (SPR), and what does it take to be a good innovator? This episode features Anna Schroeder, Engineering and PARC Manager at SPR, sharing what’s new and exciting about the PARC program, from groundbreaking pilot projects to the rewards she's experienced through the process. She and host, Blair Corning,...
Bonus Episode -Bridging the Tech Gap: Innovation in the Water Industry
26 August 2025

Bonus Episode -Bridging the Tech Gap: Innovation in the Water Industry

What role does research and development play at public utilities? According to Jay Bernas, General Manager and CEO at Hampton Roads Sanitation District in Virginia, and Pieter Van Ry, Director of South Platte Renew, the rationale boils down to keeping rates low in the face of growing water treatment and funding challenges. In this PARC Innovation Flow Bonus Episode, Jay Bernas, Pieter Van Ry, and...
S1E8 -No Poly? No Problem!
12 August 2025

S1E8 -No Poly? No Problem!

Episode NotesHow do we execute ideas for pilot projects at PARC? Here, we learn from Brianna Miller, Engineer II at South Platte Renew, who responded to an infrastructure-related challenge with a question: Can we concentrate biosolids in the wastewater treatment process without polymer? By adjusting polymer usage, Bri sought to reduce chemical costs and improve plant efficiency. This is a story...
S1E7 -Can Biochar Solve the PFAS Problem?
08 July 2025

S1E7 -Can Biochar Solve the PFAS Problem?

Episode NotesHow can we begin to break down the PFAS cycle in the wastewater treatment process? Andy Safulko at Brown and Caldwell says: Biochar! In this episode, Andy and host Blair Corning unpack the growing challenges that these “forever chemicals” pose to land application and what innovative alternatives might be on the horizon. What is the potential of transforming biosolids into biochar as...
S1E6 -Lager than Life: Brewing with Recycled Water
05 June 2025

S1E6 -Lager than Life: Brewing with Recycled Water

Episode NotesIn this episode of Innovation Flow, host Blair Corning taps into the story behind Project Green 2025 with Innovation Brewer Justin Fisher of Breckenridge Brewery, which was crafted with 100% purified water from the Colorado School of Mines’ Direct Potable Reuse trailer while hosted at SPR’s Pilot and Research Center.Timed with World Environment Day on June 5, 2025, Project Green 2025...
S1E5 -Pure Potential: Colorado's Path to Sustainable Water
13 May 2025

S1E5 -Pure Potential: Colorado's Path to Sustainable Water

Episode NotesPure Potential: Colorado’s Path to Sustainable Water explores the challenges, research, and social acceptance surrounding potable reuse through the lens of a first-of-its-kind direct potable reuse (DPR) pilot trailer. Blair Corning is joined by Dr. Tzahi Cath with the Colorado School of Mines to break down the science behind carbon-based advanced treatment (CBAT) and reverse osmosis...
S1E4 -Right Goals for Leadership Roles – Showcasing the Utility Diagnostic Tool
08 April 2025

S1E4 -Right Goals for Leadership Roles – Showcasing the Utility Diagnostic Tool

Episode NotesIn this episode of Innovation Flow, we are introduced to a trailblazing new tool that could help utility managers throughout the industry. Host Blair Corning interviews Pieter Van Ry, Director of South Platte Renew, and Ben Stanford, Associate Vice President at Hazen and Sawyer, to discuss the Utility Diagnostic Tool (UDT) development and the benefits it can have on utility leaders...
S1E3 -Squeezing Every Last Drop from Biogas
11 March 2025

S1E3 -Squeezing Every Last Drop from Biogas

Episode NotesThis episode dives into a partnership between South Platte Renew (SPR), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the University of Virginia (UVA) researching the low temperature CO2 methanation for biogas-to-renewable natural gas conversion via advanced nickel based catalysts. The team has been working on using a catalyst to convert the carbon dioxide fraction of biogas...