500 Industrial Water Week 2026: Cooling Wednesday

Cooling Wednesday brings a practical reminder: correcting a treatment problem requires understanding what caused it. For Industrial Water Week 2026, Trace Blackmore, CWT, celebrates Episode 500 with lessons on cooling tower foam, biocide feed verification, Legionella risk, and unexplained chilled water loss.  

Start with the feed history 

When a cooling tower produces enough foam to spread across the property and trigger low water shutdowns, Trace begins with the biocide feed logs. He compares the chemical remaining in the tank with calculated consumption and finds evidence of earlier underfeeding, even though the pump operates correctly during his inspection. 

Trace connects the foaming to accumulated biofilm and explains why a biological treatment program needs a clean system to maintain. The case highlights the value of checking historical chemical delivery alongside current equipment operation. 

Find what interrupted treatment 

After the tower is cleaned and the biocide program is restored, the problem returns. A plant engineer discovers that a contractor has unplugged the biocide pump from the controller output and connected a power tool instead. 

The team labels both the pump plug and its connection at the controller, then adds a notice identifying the connection as something other than a general outlet. Their response addresses the cause and gives other people working around the equipment a clearer instruction. 

Connect cooling data with risk management 

Returning guests Jake (Jacob) Deak, Christine McHugh, and Matt Freije share Cooling Wednesday greetings. Jake discusses tracer monitoring technology, while Christine describes using water temperature, circulation, pH, makeup water, and environmental data to inform Legionella risk reduction. 

Matt recalls a cooling tower worker's experience with Legionnaires' disease and emphasizes water management, maintenance, treatment, and testing. Their contributions connect cooling performance with the people working around these systems. 

Investigate where the water is going 

In the fictional Detective H2O: The Case of the Blues, a hospital's chilled water loop loses pressure and requires increasing makeup water, yet inspections reveal no visible leak. The investigation finds an ice machine connected to the chilled water loop instead of domestic cold water. 

The story emphasizes verifying actual piping connections rather than relying only on labels or drawings. Trace also reflects on learning since his first recording in 2017 and invites listeners to share cooling equipment photos with #IWW26. 

For water treatment professionals, both cases reinforce the same responsibility: follow the evidence, identify the cause, and take steps to prevent recurrence. 

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge! 

Timestamps

01:00 — Trace opens Cooling Wednesday and recognizes the industrial water treatment community's work.

02:00 — The Episode 500 milestone becomes a lesson in starting, learning, and improving through practice.

06:10 — Trace thanks Pyxis Lab and describes a tank measurement tool developed in response to field needs.

08:00 — Cooling towers, chillers, and heat exchangers illustrate the water treater's role in maintaining heat transfer.

09:30 — Willis Carrier's humidity problem provides an example of solving an operational challenge by thinking differently.

11:50 — Severe cooling tower foam introduces a case involving water loss and disrupted operation.

12:40 — Feed logs and chemical inventory reveal earlier biocide underfeeding despite correct pump operation during the visit.

14:10 — Trace connects accumulated biofilm with foaming and emphasizes establishing a clean system before maintaining it.

15:50 — Jake Deak shares a tracer technology greeting and a memorable PTSA spill in the field.

16:20 — Christine McHugh connects cooling tower data with Legionella risk reduction, training, and maintenance discussions.

17:20 — Matt Freije highlights the human consequences of Legionnaires' disease and the importance of cooling tower water management.

19:00 — Detective H2O opens "The Case of the Blues," a fictional hospital investigation into unexplained chilled water loss.

22:10 — Verified pressure and makeup readings direct the investigation beyond visible leaks.

27:50 — Blue ice provides the clue that leads to an ice machine connected to the chilled water loop.

31:20 — The story outlines correcting the piping connection and monitoring makeup water and pressure afterward.

34:30 — Trace invites LinkedIn voice guesses and announces that Friday's episode will reveal the mystery voices.

36:10 — A contractor's use of the biocide controller connection explains why treatment delivery was interrupted.

38:50 — Trace emphasizes preventing recurrence, then closes with appreciation for the community and the Cooling Wednesday photo invitation.

Connect with Jake Deak

Phone: +15704197057 

Email: jacob.deak@pyxis-lab.com  

Website: Inline & Handheld Analytical Tools for Water Treatment | Pyxis Lab® 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobddeak/  

Connect with Christine McHugh

Phone: +19179409383 

Email: christine.mchugh@whitestrand.com 

Website: White Strand Development 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-a-mchugh/  

Connect with Matt Freije 

Email: mfreije@hcinfo.com

Website: Legionella Water Management Plans 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattfreije 

Links Mentioned 

AWT (Association of Water Technologies) 

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses 

Submit a Show Idea 

The Rising Tide Mastermind 

Industrial Water Week 

Industrial Water Week Scaling UP H2O Resource Page

001 A New Podcast for Water Treaters

443 Industrial Water Week 2025: Cooling Wednesday

423 Pushing the Boundaries: Jacob Deak on Innovating Water Treatment Systems 

439 Innovating Water for Smart Cities: Christine McHugh's Vision

083 The One About Water Management Plans

432 Water Management Plans: Evolving Standards and Best Practices with Matt Freije

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