462 From Lab Chemist to Field Mentor: Water, Culture, and Representation

Industrial water work rewards people who can move between precision and practicality. Katie Holliday brings both. She started as a lab chemist, then transitioned into field service with Apex Water and Process, where much of her work supports healthcare facilities and high-accountability programs.   Lab habits that protect your tools and your data  Katie describes the first surprise of field work: a central plant is "very dirty," and the job demands good technique without chasing lab-level perfection. She shares a couple of simple practices that prevent expensive problems. Use proper lab wipes on glassware instead of shirts or paper towels, which can scratch surfaces and compromise readings. Keep pH probes wet with the correct storage solution, because once they dry out, they often stop working.     Healthcare water: SPD work and Legionella prevention  About 90% of Katie's accounts are healthcare. She defines SPD as the sterile processing department and explains why expectations shift compared to boilers and cooling towers. SPD work is cleaner, more controlled, and typically includes additional components such as endotoxin filtration and UV. It also involves more testing and stricter standards that tie directly to patient safety. Alongside SPD, she emphasizes Legionella prevention as a constant priority, from cooling towers (including secondary disinfection) to domestic water, because facilities want to reduce risk to patients.    Water chemistry reality check: Phoenix versus "everywhere else"  Katie explains how Arizona water changes the operating window. She notes high hardness and high chlorides, which can limit cycles of concentration and force conservative targets compared with places like Atlanta, where Trace describes running much higher cycles. The takeaway for experienced pros is familiar: operating limits are local, and "what good looks like" depends on the incoming water and the constraints that matter most at that site.    Mentorship, representation, and field readiness systems  Katie shares what it meant to be the first woman account manager hire in a long-running operation, and her advice is practical: recruit intentionally, then train people in the field, not from the sidelines. She credits her mentor, Bernie Peacock, for accelerating her learning curve, and she now passes that on by responding fast, following through, and providing steady backup to newer teammates. She also describes how she built mechanical confidence, using manuals, YouTube, phone video, and a OneNote playbook that captures account contacts, access details, sampling points, and "where things are" notes for clean coverage when someone else is on-site.   Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!    Timestamps  02:14 - Trace Blackmore shares "first day" intimidation and learning curve in water treatment  08:55 - Words of Water with James McDonald  12:30 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals   14:48 - Interview begins: Katie Holliday introduced (Apex Water and Process)   15:55 – Lab to Field transition and technique  20:27 – Representation and Mentorship  26:42 – Culture and Water Stewardship   33:31 – Healthcare work, SPD, and Legionella   35:56 – Mentoring and "give it back"  39:22 – Mechanical Confidence, Tools, and Documentation Systems     Quotes and Key Takeaways "What do I not know that I don't know?"  "Everyone needs a Bernie Peacock" "Field accuracy doesn't require lab perfection, but it does require clean technique." "The most effective mentoring is responsive and practical."  "Documentation scales your value"    Connect with Katie Holliday Email: [email protected]   Website https://teamapex.com/   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-holliday-9b6977246/   https://www.linkedin.com/company/apex-water-process/     Guest Resources Mentioned   The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey   AAMI ST108 Compliance in Sterile Processing  High hardness in Phoenix  ASSE 12080 Legionella Water Safety certification  Navajo Nation water access    Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned  AWT (Association of Water Technologies)  Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses  Submit a Show Idea   The Rising Tide Mastermind Fearless Pricing: Ignite Your Team, Own Your Value, and Command What You Deserve by Casey Brown     Words of Water with James McDonald  Today's definition is the upward flow of water through a resin bed to clean, expand, and reclassify the bed.  Can you guess the word?    2026 Events for Water Professionals  Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we've listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.