505 The Blueprint of Water: Understanding the Why with Connor Hanrahan, Part 1

Why does water behave the way it does, and how do you explain that clearly to someone else? Connor Hanrahan, Technical Director of Industrial Water Engineering and author of The Blueprint of Water, joins Trace Blackmore, CWT, to connect technical understanding with teaching, professional development, and the work of writing a book.

Become a student of your daily work

Trace opens by challenging familiar service and delivery routines: What are the numbers telling you, and could the process be safer or more efficient? Connor traces his own learning from graduate desalination research to a first steel-plant visit and his growing teaching role with AWT.

Teach the reasoning behind the procedure

Dosages and setpoints provide instructions, but Connor wants water treaters to understand the chemistry behind them. He describes simplifying technical ideas into basic building blocks, using a whiteboard when an explanation falls short, and drawing on his improv background to respond to the audience.

For trainers and technical managers, the emphasis is on helping people understand an idea well enough to explain it themselves.

Keep CWT knowledge active in the field

At IWE, monthly chemistry and equipment seminars help keep knowledge fresh, while a 12-week preparation process supports future CWT candidates. Connor emphasizes asking underlying questions and applying knowledge beyond familiar service-report routines.

Trace also shares his expectations for broader recognition of the credential. He presents future customer and regulatory recognition as an outlook, rather than an established requirement.

Turn purpose into accountable action

The conversation then moves to memento mori, bucket lists, and the value of treating time intentionally. Trace describes connecting three-year goals with shorter planning periods.

Connor credits his Rising Tide Mastermind peers with helping his book become real. Eric Dotson's question helped spark the project, while Dave Fitzgerald's invitation to contribute quarterly articles to The North Connection created deadlines, accountability, and experience publishing his ideas.