In the time we’ve spent building and maintaining WaterOperator.org and its family of websites, the importance of building strong partnerships and teams has never been more apparent. In our Season Four premier episode, Tap Talk hosts Steve and Jennifer Wilson look back on the beginnings of WaterOperator.org, discuss the evolution and expansion of our programs, and the value of our partnerships in helping those we serve.
Topics Discussed
- How WaterOperator.org got its start
- The work of maintaining our database
- Private well funding at EPA
- Trainings held by our team
- Launching our national private well hotline
- Launching DecentralizedWastewater.org
- Takeaways from 15 years of WaterOperator.org
“With that comes a lot of responsibility to be available to others. … When they need us, we need to be there. And I think that’s what we’ve done.”
Steve Wilson
Go Further
You’re invited to discuss the episode in our LinkedIn Group. If you decide to share on Twitter, please use the hashtag #TapTalkPodcast. And, of course, make sure to subscribe in Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.
About the Hosts
Steve Wilson is a groundwater hydrologist who has been with the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois since 1983. He authored The Private Well Class, an online self-paced curriculum for private well owners, and manages WaterOperator.org, an online resource for water and wastewater operators geared toward supporting small systems. Steve has a M. S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jennifer Wilson is a web content specialist at the Illinois State Water Survey, where she coordinates communications and content development for WaterOperator.org and The Private Well Class. Jennifer has been at the University of Illinois since 2008 and previously served as an environmental scientist at U.S. EPA. Jennifer has a B.S. in Geosciences from Trinity University and an M.S. in Soil and Water Science from the University of California, Riverside.
(Yes, they are married.)