Informed Infrastructure Podcast

Todd Danielson, Informed Infrastructure’s editorial director, interviewed Abhinoor Dhull, VP of Operations at SewerAI.They discussed how SewerAI has transformed from an AI startup to a sewer system inspection and monitoring platform. She also gave advice to fellow engineers who may be looking into their own startups as well as those who want to pursue a career in civil engineering, particularly the subsets of water and sewer practices.

Todd Danielson, Informed Infrastructure’s editorial director, interviewed Balsam Nehme, Director of Sustainability, Sidara.They discussed her role in developing sustainability initiatives inside her organization as well as for the projects she works on worldwide. For her, sustainability is not "a box to check" and needs to be part of every engineering design and project.

Todd Danielson, Informed Infrastructure’s editorial director, interviewed Pusker Regmi, Stantec Vice President and Wastewater Sector Leader.They discussed how he and Stantec are leading a new Water Research Foundation (WRF) project focused on applying artificial intelligence (AI) to wastewater treatment operations. The 31-month initiative is co-funded through WRF’s Tailored Collaboration Program, with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water) in Maryland and Prince William Water in Virginia serving as co-leading utility partners.They also discussed the general role of AI in engineering and ways engineers can use the technology in their own practices safely and efficiently. Regmi stressed that AI should be a tool to augment engineering practices and not a way to replace their work.

Todd Danielson, Informed Infrastructure’s editorial director, interviewed Joseph Long, Senior Principal at Stantec, and Adham Almasri, Advanced Water Treatment Program Manager at Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA).They discussed at length their work together to design a new pump station and 11-mile recycled water pipeline in the western part of San Bernardino County, Calif. This infrastructure will convey recycled water from the City of Rialto’s wastewater treatment plant to IEUA’s proposed advanced water purification facility in Rancho Cucamonga.Additional topics included the general state of the water supply in this desert area as well as some of the ways water can be introduced into surface and underground reservoirs.

Todd Danielson, Informed Infrastructure’s editorial director, interviewed Robert Page, P.E., Vice President, HNTB, about stormwater techniques known as low-impact development (LID) or “green infrastructure.” Page helped design a new and modernized stormwater system for the Norwaldo neighborhood in northeast Indianapolis. As impermeable development increased in the area and storms became more frequent and released more water, water began to pond in low points on the streets and surrounding land, leading to erosion and freeze/thaw cycles that rutted the streets, cracked the sidewalks and could pool in yards for weeks at a time.HNTB worked with the Indianapolis Department of Public Works to install permeable pavers, stone and geotextile that allowed water to slowly drain into the soil.