By Kris Polly

Esther Saenz, who takes over the role of general manager of Desert Water Agency (DWA) in July, has three impressive predecessors: Dave Luker, Mark Krause, and Steve Johnson. I feel confident, however, that anyone who reads our cover interview with Ms. Saenz will recognize that she will be a worthy successor to these individuals. In our interview, she tells us about her background and education in water, what she learned from DWA’s former general managers, and her immediate aims and long-term goals for the agency.

Next, we turn our attention to the mighty Mississippi River. When flows on the river are low, saltwater intrusion can disrupt municipal water intakes. In response, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has turned to an unusual solution: building an underwater sill across the entire breadth of the river. In our interview with Heath Jones and Matt Roe, respectively the emergency operations manager and public affairs specialist for the Army Corps’ New Orleans District, we learn more about the why and how of this underwater construction project.

VivoAquatics is a water management technology company that serves commercial properties, including parks, pools, hotels, and schools. Its new VivoPoint platform is a cloud-based tool that allows users to monitor and manage water systems in real time. Vice President Richard Lindhorn tells us more.

Germany-based CERAFILTEC is a leading global provider of ceramic membrane technology. One of its biggest recent projects involves providing cooling components for Colossus, a supercomputer being built by AI company xAI that is as big as its name suggests. The construction process is also exceptionally rapid. In our interview with CEO Torsten Wintergerste and Chief Growth Officer Julius Gloeckner, we learn how the company is executing on this exciting project.

ResinTech was founded in a New Jersey basement in 1986. Today, the manufacturer of ion-exchange resins, activated carbon, and other purification media employs 471 people, most of them in New Jersey, and contributes significantly to the economy and civic life of the city of Camden. In our interview with Vice President Michael Annocki, we learn about how ResinTech is continuing to advance U.S. manufacturing with the expansion of its Camden manufacturing plant and headquarters.

Water Professionals International (WPI) is a leading global water industry certification authority. In our interview with Mike Firlotte, a British Columbia–based water supply manager and WPI’s board chair, we learn more about the benefits of the organization’s Professional Operator certification.

The Water Environment Federation is one of our industry’s most important professional organizations, perhaps best known for its huge yearly Technical Exhibition and Conference, known as WEFTEC. In our last interview this month, we get to know Ralph Exton, who is completing his first year as the organization’s executive director.

Esther Saenz’s story is a good reminder of the importance of on-the-job experience, mentorship, and making opportunities for motivated individuals. As the municipal water industry works to build up the next generation of water professionals, these are important lessons to bear in mind.

Kris Polly is the editor-in-chief of Municipal Water Leader magazine and the president and CEO of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He can be contacted at kris.polly@waterstrategies.com.