Season 5, Episode 4: Water Infrastructure, Engineering, and Climate Adaptation with John Take
John Take, Vice President and Chief Growth and Innovation officer at the environmental consulting firm Stantec
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John Take, executive Vice President and Chief Growth and Innovation officer at the environmental consulting firm Stantec joins John Sabo on the latest episode of Audacious Water to talk about how water infrastructure is evolving as climate change intensifies. He draws on more than 30 years of experience as an engineer working on complex water challenges, including post-Katrina New Orleans and long-term planning in the Colorado River Basin.
John explains how modern water projects are planned, who needs to be involved, and how the most successful projects now also depend on governance, financing, data, and meaningful community engagement.
“When we start to put together teams now, there’s still a client, there’s still a contractor, there’s still an operator. Who’s been added into the mix? It’s finance, it’s academia, it’s nonprofits, it’s philanthropy. We’re getting to better solutions because our team is so much more diverse.”
Key Topics
What Water Infrastructure Really Means in an Era of Climate Risk
John Take explains how water infrastructure must now be planned and designed to respond to climate-driven hazards, not just historical conditions.Why Engineering Is Necessary, but No Longer Sufficient on Its Own
While the technical engineering challenges are solvable, John emphasizes that governance, financing, and coordination increasingly determine whether projects move forward.How Water Projects Are Designed and Delivered Today
The conversation explores how water projects now rely on broader, interdisciplinary teams beyond the traditional client-designer-contractor model.The Role of Community Engagement in Climate Adaptation
John discusses why projects that fail to create clear “win-win” outcomes for communities are unlikely to succeed, regardless of technical merit.Why Water Security Is Critical to the Economy and Public Health
John highlights how water underpins economic activity and healthcare systems, and why disruptions to water service carry widespread consequences.
Links to Relevant Studies and Resources:
Read about John Take
Learn more about Stantec and its work in water infrastructure and climate adaptation
Explore the work of the U.S. Water Alliance, including research on the economic value of water
“The engineering is trivial, and I say that as an engineer who loves pumps and pipes and treatment plants. The engineering is something that we can do, but the social engineering to get to a win-win is the hardest hill to climb.”
Transcript
Coming soon.