{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"465 From Classroom to Cooling Towers: Teaching Water Treatment with Dan Merritt (Part 1)","description":"Industrial water training only works when the knowledge transfers. That means the material lands with the audience, survives the drive home, and shows up later in the field when decisions get made.  Dan Merritt, CWT, Sales Manager at CH2O, brings a rare perspective to that problem. He started as a teacher (chemistry, calculus, physics), entered industrial water treatment on February 5, 2002, and later became part of the AWT training team. This conversation follows the path from classroom instruction to boiler rooms and cooling towers, then uses that journey to examine what makes technical training \u201cstick\u201d for working professionals.  From educator to water treater, then back to educator  Dan shares how leaving graduate study, teaching high school and community college, and stepping into service work shaped his approach to explaining technical concepts. The throughline is simple: the instructor owns the clarity. When someone in the room does not understand, the response is not frustration. The response is translation.  Bridging the knowledge gap without dumbing it down  Trace and Dan describe a common failure mode in technical instruction: experts answering correctly, but not helpfully. They frame the goal as closing the gap between what the instructor knows and what the audience can realistically absorb in the moment, especially for attendees building competence over time.  Stories and demonstrations as tools for retention  The episode highlights why AWT trainers lean on stories and physical demonstrations, from an Archimedes fountain to static electricity experiments. Dan explains how the \u201clight bulb moment\u201d is the reward of teaching, and why trainers adapt when a method fails (including what humidity can do to a demo in a room full of people).  Keeping the CWT exam in proper context  The conversation also draws a firm boundary: training supports growth, but it does not replace the CWT experience requirement and recommendations. Dan and Trace emphasize accurate language around the credential and reinforce what the training can and cannot do.  Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!    Timestamps  01:38 \u2014 Setup for a two-part series to help listeners prepare for AWT Technical Training 02:24 \u2014 AWT Technical Training logistics: March 10\u201313 in Frisco, Texas (near Dallas) 03:10 \u2014 Trace shares why AWT Technical Training matters personally (mentorship, community, support) 05:51 \u2014 \u201cDesert Pete\u201d story: why instructors \u201cfill the bottle\u201d by giving back through training 11:53 \u2014 Words of Water with James McDonald: definition + answer (\u201cflow rate\u201d) 14:13 \u2014 Events mentioned for water professionals  18:42 \u2014 Trace introduces the guest: Dan Merritt (CH2O) and their history through AWT 19:39 \u2014 Dan\u2019s background: 24 years in water treatment; former teacher (chemistry, calculus, physics). 22:44 \u2014 Dan\u2019s entry into water treatment: Industrial Water Engineering ride-alongs + first field impressions 26:49 \u2014 Move to Pacific Northwest + start at CH2O (service tech) and why that timing mattered 31:40 \u2014 How Dan and Trace connected through AWT training; Dan begins teaching (service tech reporting). 34:17 \u2014 Dan\u2019s AWT involvement expands: education committee + Intro to Water Treatment online course task force 35:31 \u2014 Dan asked to teach the chemistry class; Trace frames \u201cknow your audience\u201d and confidence gap 36:50 \u2014 Teaching tools and learning from misses: demos (Archimedes fountain, static electricity + humidity issue) 37:49 \u2014 The key teaching principle: \u201cyou\u2019re the instructor; it\u2019s your job to explain it clearly\u201d (adult learners) 41:31 \u2014 Bridging the knowledge gap: why brilliance can miss the audience, and why training must translate 44:48 \u2014 Why a math\/calculations class helps: making the \u201cbang, there\u2019s your answer\u201d steps teachable 50:19 \u2014 Troubleshooting reality: many forces in boilers\/cooling towers; deeper understanding improves diagnosis 52:00 \u2014 Field story lesson: softener cleaning foam incident (why stories stick and prevent repeat mistakes) 56:19 \u2014 CWT clarification: training helps, but it cannot replace required experience and recommendations 58:31 \u2014 CWT wording matters: it\u2019s an \u201cexam,\u201d not a \u201ctest\u201d (Trace mentions Angela Pike\u2019s correction)   Quotes  \u201cIt\u2019s your job to explain the material in a way that we can understand it.\u201d  \u201cIt\u2019s our responsibility to take this information, to package it in a way so you, not me, you can understand it.\u201d \u201cMath is the only known axiom that we have. And it kind of quiets the chaos.\u201d \u201cAnd again, it\u2019s not a test. Do not say that it\u2019s a test. It is an exam.\u201d    Connect with Dan Merritt, CWT  Email: dmerritt@ch2o.com   Website: .https:\/\/www.ch2o.com\/  LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/daniel-merritt-cwt-18413819\/ CH2O, inc.: Overview | LinkedIn    Guest Resources Mentioned   Education Offerings \u2013 AWT  Become Certified \u2013 AWT   I Said This, You Heard That 2nd Edition by Kathleen Edelman    Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned  AWT (Association of Water Technologies)  AWT Technical Training - Registration  2026 AWT Technical Training Schedule Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses  Submit a Show Idea  The Rising Tide Mastermind    Words of Water with James McDonald  Today's definition is a measure of the volume or mass of a fluid (liquid or gas) that passes through a certain point or cross-section over a unit of time.  Can you guess the word or phrase?    2026 Events for Water Professionals  Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we\u2019ve listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.    ","author_name":"Scaling UP! H2O","author_url":"http:\/\/scalinguph2o.com","html":"