The podcast discusses the issue of data lakes turning into data swamps due to the uncontrolled dumping of data. While storage is cheap, this can lead to a mess with duplicate and poor-quality data that’s hard to use. Organizations must implement processes to control what data goes into the lake, document where it’s stored, and build a data dictionary. Cleaning up existing data involves removing duplicates and poor-quality data, and appointing a data steward to oversee the process.

There's a need for a cultural shift to focus on data quality rather than quantity. Governance policies, such as data retention and clear ownership, are crucial. Proper data management can be costly but prevents inefficiency and poor decision-making. The importance of having the right foundations, including people, processes, and technology, along with business buy-in, is emphasized.

In conclusion, maintaining a healthy data lake requires well-defined processes, governance, and a culture that values data quality. Next week's topic will cover how to migrate to the cloud, specifically from SQL on-prem to SQL in the cloud.

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