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Technical and regulatory consulting services for smaller bottled water companies.
Technical and regulatory consulting services for smaller bottled water companies.
Henry David Thoreau
Bob Hirst is a well-organized, multi-disciplined, and deeply service-oriented professional whose career spans more than five decades of distinguished work across water and beverage-related industries. His experience encompasses government agencies, private industry, a national trade association, and independent consulting — a breadth of exposure that has equipped him with an unusually comprehensive command of the regulatory, technical, and operational dimensions of his field. Throughout his career, Bob has been consistently recognized for his exceptional verbal, written, and formal presentation skills, which have made him an effective spokesperson, educator, and advocate at the highest levels of industry and government.
Bob brings deep, firsthand expertise in regulatory consulting for water, technical standards development, educational program design, and sustained collaboration with federal agencies. His professional record reflects a proven and remarkable ability to bridge scientific rigor, regulatory complexity, and real-world operational demands — serving as a trusted translator and liaison among diverse stakeholders who rarely share a common language. Whether advising a trade association on emerging federal policy, guiding a compliance program through regulatory transition, or developing certification curricula for water industry professionals, Bob approaches every engagement with precision, integrity, and a commitment to excellence that has defined his career.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Bob's professional expertise is broad in scope yet deeply specialized in practice. His foundational knowledge encompasses the full spectrum of water-related disciplines, including the bottled water industry, public water systems, wastewater treatment, and water resources management. This is complemented by a strong grounding in environmental science, which informs his approach to technical regulatory affairs and government relations. Over the course of his career, he has developed particular mastery in the design and administration of certification programs and technical education initiatives, positioning him as a sought-after resource for organizations seeking to build and professionalize their workforce. His experience with standards development — spanning both voluntary industry standards and federally mandated regulatory frameworks — reflects a nuanced understanding of how rules are crafted, interpreted, and enforced across complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Taken together, these areas of expertise represent a distinctive and highly integrated professional profile that is rare in its combination of technical depth, regulatory sophistication, and practical industry experience.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Bob's core competencies are the product of a career built at the convergence of technical expertise, regulatory authority, and strategic leadership. He is recognized as a specialist in technical standards development, with direct experience drafting, reviewing, and implementing standards that govern drinking water quality across both public systems and the bottled water industry. His command of drinking water regulatory compliance — including deep familiarity with FDA, EPA, USDA, and DHS frameworks — has made him an invaluable liaison between industry and the federal agencies that shape the regulatory landscape. He has spent the better part of his career developing and refining educational and professional certification programs, demonstrating a natural ability to structure complex knowledge into accessible, practical learning experiences for diverse professional audiences.
His technical fluency extends across public water systems, wastewater treatment operations, environmental science, and water resources management — disciplines that collectively inform his holistic approach to water quality advisory work. Bob is equally comfortable navigating government and trade association affairs, having operated effectively at the highest levels of both throughout his career. As a consultant, he brings a client-centered orientation and a track record of successful business development and relationship management. His professional toolkit includes full proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite, and for fourteen years he held an active U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secret-level security clearance — a credential that speaks to his integrity, reliability, and the sensitivity of the work he has been entrusted to perform.
TECHNICAL SKILLS & TOOLS
Bob is proficient across the full Microsoft Office Suite, utilizing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint fluently in the preparation of technical reports, compliance documentation, data analyses, and professional presentation materials. He is experienced with online research platforms and professional databases, employing them routinely in regulatory research, standards tracking, and competitive intelligence gathering. Bob has also embraced evolving productivity technologies, including social media platforms relevant to professional communications and AI-assisted tools that enhance research efficiency and content development. As a seasoned public speaker and technical educator, he brings substantial experience in the facilitation of professional seminars, regulatory workshops, and large-format public presentations — combining technological fluency with a polished, engaging delivery style that consistently earns high marks from audiences at all levels of expertise.
PROFESSIONAL STRENGTHS
Among Bob's most widely acknowledged professional strengths is his exceptional command of communication in all its forms. Whether authoring regulatory comment letters, delivering keynote addresses before national industry audiences, or briefing senior government officials, he brings clarity, precision, and persuasive force to every medium. This communicative excellence is matched by a rare talent for relationship-building — over the course of his career, he has cultivated enduring partnerships with leaders across government agencies, regulatory bodies, trade associations, and private industry, relationships grounded in mutual respect and a consistent record of follow-through.
A hallmark of Bob's professional identity is his ability to translate highly technical and regulatory content for audiences that span the full spectrum of technical literacy — from plant-floor operators to C-suite executives to congressional staff. He approaches this translation role not as a simplification exercise but as a genuine act of professional service, ensuring that every audience receives the information they need in a form they can act upon. He is highly organized, methodical in his work habits, and multi-disciplined in the truest sense — equally at home in scientific, legal, operational, and policy environments. Above all, Bob is regarded as a trusted advisor and drinking water advisor: a professional whose counsel is sought precisely because it is grounded in decades of senior-level experience, unimpeachable integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the industries and communities he serves.
My extensive background and experience in the technical and regulatory aspects of water enable me to offer a broad range of consulting and educational services to organizations, government, and the general public. As a trusted resource among drinking water advisors, I provide tailored solutions to meet diverse needs.
My services include:
I have a passion for primarily landscape, nature, and portrait photography, particularly in Arizona, where I am drawn to capturing the state's precious water resources. The Salt River, depicted above, is vital for the region, featuring four reservoirs: Roosevelt Lake, Apache Lake, Canyon Lake, and Saguaro Lake. These reservoirs serve as a significant source of drinking water for Phoenix and its surrounding suburbs. In my work, I often seek insights from drinking water advisors, and I appreciate the importance of regulatory consulting for water management as well as the value of technical consulting services in preserving these essential resources.
For details on our new 'Flat Rate' consulting for small bottled water companies and startups, as well as regulatory consulting for water and technical consulting services, contact Bob Hirst at bob@sdwallc.com or use the 'Contact Me' button above.