In this episode, Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Josh Shelton to discuss his unique evolution from a master plumber’s apprentice to the head of a multi-million dollar trenchless technology distribution and training hub. Josh shares how his commitment to “serving people” led him to create Inline Renewal Solutions, a business dedicated to supporting other plumbers through technical training, equipment repairs, and field support. The conversation highlights the power of a “plumbers helping plumbers” mentality in strengthening the underground infrastructure industry.
Host: Suzan Chin-Taylor | Guest: Adam Tank
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Key Discussion Points:
- Risk vs. Innovation: The wastewater industry often views innovation through the lens of cost-savings or efficiency, but every action is truly predicated on risk management.
- The Limitations of Status Quo: Currently, engineering projects typically assess only one or two design options due to time and budget constraints, often leading to assets that don’t fit reality ten years later.
- Generative Engineering Power: Software-driven design allows for the rapid assessment of multiple technologies, site footprints, and population growth variables in the earliest planning phases.
- Future-Proofing Assets: By using engineering-grade logic to crunch thousands of possibilities, utilities can make better decisions that benefit taxpayers in the long term.
- A “Safe to Fail” Environment: Generative software provides a way to test innovative technologies—already proven in other countries—without putting an operator’s career or a specific project at risk.
- Bridging the Operational Gap: Bringing operators into the design room at “Day Zero” ensures facilities are actually maintainable and built with long-term operation in mind.
How Transcend Software Serves the Industry
- For Asset Owners & Utilities: Used primarily for capital planning, narrowing down a vast realm of options into a viable shortlist before detailed design.
- For Engineering Consultants: Assists in preliminary design and positioning the firm as a trusted partner by providing high-fidelity data early in the process.
- For Equipment Suppliers (OEMs): Allows them to put their equipment “natively” in the software, generating proposals automatically and surfacing actionable leads when their gear is considered for a project.
Connect with Adam Tank:
Co-Founder, Transcend
Email: adam.tank.r@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamtank
Website: transcendinfra.com
Conclusion
The episode concludes that the water and wastewater industry must move beyond a conservative status quo by embracing generative engineering to manage risk and future proof infrastructure. By utilizing software to rapidly assess dozens of variables early in the planning phase, organizations can transition from making decisions based on imperfect, limited information to selecting high-fidelity, optimized solutions. This approach creates a “safe to fail” environment where innovative, internationally proven technologies can be tested without risking an operator’s career or project viability. Ultimately, integrating operators and stakeholders from “day zero” ensures that the final assets are not only cost effective but also highly maintainable and perfectly suited to the long term needs of the community.
Until next time—keep growing, and keep it flowing. 💧
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Connect with Suzan Chin-Taylor, host of The DooDoo Diva’s Smells Like Money Podcast:
Website: www.creativeraven.com | https://thetuitgroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/creativeraven/
Email: raven@creativeraven.com
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In this episode, Suzan Chin-Taylor sits down with Adam Tank to discuss generative engineering and how it challenges the conservative status quo of the water and wastewater industry. They explore how shifting from manual, risk-averse planning to software-driven design allows for better decision-making, long-term cost savings, and future-proofed infrastructure. Adam explains how Transcend Software serves asset owners, engineering firms, and OEMs by rapidly assessing dozens of design variables to find the most viable and innovative solutions.
