120Water Cofounder and former lab owner and operator Dave Kohl joins Megan Glover and Isaac Pellerin to go back to the early days of 120Water and look ahead at the future of water quality, regulation, and staffing.

Dave shares how a small coal industry lab grew into CWM Environmental, how he helped build 120Water’s national lab network, and why he believes overuse of chlorine is one of the biggest drinking water issues of his lifetime.

You will hear:

• How Dave “fell into” water and built CWM Environmental into a multi-location lab and operations business

• The origin story of 120Water and why shifting from consumer kits to utility partnerships changed everything

• Why operator retirements and a shallow talent pipeline are a major risk for water and wastewater systems

• How consolidation in labs and utilities is reshaping rural water access and compliance

• The tension between disinfection and disinfection byproducts like TTHMs and HAA5

• Dave’s take on PFAS, regulatory lag, and why automation will be essential, not optional

• Why utilities need partners to handle sampling, logistics, and data so staff can focus on high-value work

If you are a water utility leader, operator, lab professional, or just curious about what it really takes to keep drinking water safe, this conversation is for you.