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Agenda for the 20th Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop (2023)

EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) and Office of Water (OW), in partnership with the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) held the 20th Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop on September 11-14, 2023 in the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio Area. 


Tuesday, Sept 12 | Wednesday, Sept 13 | Thursday, Sept 14


Tuesday, September 12

Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3A | Session 3B  | Session 4A | Session 4B

Session 1: Opening Plenary

Speaker biographies for Session 1

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Gregory Sayles, Director of the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, EPA-ORD
Ashley Voskuhl, Senior Water Policy Analyst, ASDWA

Keynote Addresses

Chris Frey, Assistant Administrator, EPA-ORD
Bruno Pigott, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, EPA-OW

Invited Guest Speaker

Yolanda Barney, Environmental Department Manager, Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency

Agenda Review and Logistics

Michelle Latham and Thomas Speth, EPA-ORD

Session 2: Breakout Focus Group Discussions

Facilitator biographies for Session 2

Group A: Corrosion

  • Discussion Question: What are the most pressing corrosion issues and how are the being addressed?
  • Facilitators: Darren Lytle, EPA-ORD and Stacy Jones, Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Group B: Pathogens and Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)

  • Discussion Questions: What are the pathogens of concern from the distribution system to premise plumbing and what factors influence their presence? What is the highest priority regulatory of non-regulatory issue for reducing exposure to DBPs?
  • Facilitators: Alison Dugan, EPA-OW and Laura Boczek, EPA-ORD

Group C: Technical, Managerial, and Financial Capacity

  • Discussion Question: What are the most pressing challenges related to contaminants and getting systems into compliance?
  • Facilitators: Ashley Voskuhl, ASDWA; Deborah Vacs Renwick, EPA-OW; and Diane Vitello, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Group D: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

  • Discussion Question: How are the primacy agencies and water systems addressing simultaneous compliance, treatment, analytical methods, residual management, and funding?
  • Facilitators: Eugene Leung, California State Water Resources Control Board and Thomas Speth and Jonathan Pressman, EPA-ORD

Group E: Cybersecurity

  • Discussion Question: What strategies and resources are primacy agencies using to address cyber attacks experienced by water systems and what best practices can water systems use to build resilience?
  • Facilitators: Michael Finn, EPA-OW and Kevin Letterly, ASDWA

Group F: Risk, Crisis, and General Communication 

  • Discussion Question: What alternative approaches are needed to facilitate the development of communication tools and messaging, taking into account the different needs of small systems operators and customers, and what approaches have been successful?
  • Facilitators: Michelle Latham, EPA-ORD; Diane Russell, EPA-Region 5; and Mark Verbsky, Ohio EPA

Session 3A: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law/Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Technical Assistance

Moderator: Sarah Bradbury, EPA-OW
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 3A

  • EPA’s Water Technical Assistance Program
    Kara Goodwin, EPA-OW
  • Lead Service Line (LSL) Replacement Accelerators Technical Assistance Program
    Deborah Vacs Renwick, EPA-OW
  • EPA Technical Assistance on LSL-Identification and Treatment of Emerging Contaminants
    Thomas Speth, EPA-ORD 

Session 3B: Methods and Analytics

Moderator: Melissa Simic, EPA-OW
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 3B

  • Update on the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5)
    Kelsey Dailey, EPA-OW
  • Legionella Methods
    Laura Boczek, EPA-ORD
  • Advances in Sensory and Analytical Techniques for Harmful Algal Blooms and Monitoring for Taste and Odor Compounds
    Hunter Adams, City of Wichita Falls-Cypress Environmental Laboratory (Texas) 

Session 4A: Risk, Crisis, and General Communications

Moderator: Michelle Latham, EPA-ORD
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 4A

  • EPA Flint Water Response: Risk Communication Case Study
    Diane Russell, EPA-Region 5
  • Drinking Water Risk Communication Toolkit
    Alycia Overbo, Minnesota Department of Health
  • Conversations With Customers: What We’ve Learned From Talking With Them
    Brenda Culler, Cleveland Water 

Session 4B: Inorganic Contaminants Treatment

Moderator: Michael Finn, EPA-OW
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 4B

  • Manganese: Biological Treatment and Distribution System Monitoring
    Asher Keithley, EPA-ORD
  • Lithium Removal
    Darren Lytle, EPA-ORD
  • Arsenic Refresher
    Simoni Triantafyllidou, EPA-ORD

-Top of Page-


Wednesday, September 13

Session 5A | Session 5B | Session 6A | Session 6B  | Session 7A | Session 7B | Session 8

Session 5A: Disinfection and Disinfection Byproducts

Moderator: Jonathan Pressman, EPA-ORD
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 5A

  • Delving Deeper into Chloramine Decomposition to Understand NDMA Formation
    Julian Fairey, University of Arkansas
  • Pennsylvania's Distribution System Evaluation Tools and Findings
    Stephanie Stoner, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
  • Revised Disinfection Byproducts Rule
    Hayley Zimmerman, Ohio EPA

Session 5B: Contaminants of Immediate and Emerging Concern

Moderator: Ashley Voskuhl, ASDWA
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 5B

  • Analytical Methods for Microplastic Detection in Drinking Water
    Phillip Potter, EPA-ORD
  • Minnesota’s Drinking Water Emerging Contaminants Program
    Sandeep Burman, Minnesota Department of Health
  • Emerging Contaminants in the U.S. Pacific Islands
    Amanda Quay, EPA-Region 9 and Sierra Bettis, Guam EPA

Session 6A: Disinfection and Pathogen Control

Moderator: Laura Boczek, EPA-ORD
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 6A

  • Evaluation of Distribution System Chemical Water Quality During a Free Chlorine Conversion
    David Wahman, EPA-ORD
  • Evaluation of Distribution System Microbial Water Quality During a Free Chlorine Conversion
    Jingrang Lu, EPA-ORD
  • Home Plumbing Systems: Legionella and Other Pathogens
    Hodon Ryu, EPA-ORD

Session 6B: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Moderator: Thomas Speth, EPA-ORD
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 6B

  • Granular Activated Carbon Uptake of PFAS: Assessment of Rapid Small-Scale Column Test Scaling Assumptions
    Gulizhaer Abulikemu, Pegasus Technical Services (Contractor to EPA-ORD)
  • PFAS Treatment: Granular Activated Carbon Adsorption and Ion Exchange
    Detlef Knappe, North Carolina State University
  • PFAS Sampling Efforts in Indiana
    Kevin Spindler, Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Session 7A: Lead and Copper

Moderator: Darren Lytle, EPA-ORD
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 7A

  • Lead Service Line Inventory Methodologies
    Christina Devine, EPA-ORD
  • Managing Lead Release From Sources Other Than Lead Service Lines
    Mike Desantis, EPA-ORD
  • Optimizing a Corrosion Control Treatment at a Small System
    Melanie Criswell, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Session 7B: Resilience

Moderator: Kevin Letterly, ASDWA
Presentation summaries and speaker and moderator biographies for Session 7B

  • EPA's Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR)
     Terra Haxton, EPA-ORD
  • Tornado Response in Kentucky
    Jackie Logsdon and Shannon McLeary, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet
  • Environmental Lessons Learned From Colorado’s Marshall Fire
    Chad Seidel, Corona Environmental Consulting, LLC

Session 8: Ask the Experts, Models and Tools Demonstrations, and Posters

All presentation and demo summaries and panelist and presenter biographies for Session 8

This session provided attendees an opportunity to have conversations with experts and officials from EPA, ASDWA, and other organizations about small system challenges and solutions; learn about drinking water research and technical assistance activities at EPA and other organizations; and get live demos from EPA model and tool developers and technical assistance providers.

Ask the Experts Tables

Biographies for expert panelists

  • Table 1: Regulatory Assistance and BIL Fraud Awareness
    Michael Finn, Sarah Bradbury, and Deborah Vas Renwick, EPA-OW; and Jake Hardesty, EPA- Office of Inspector General
  • Table 2: Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)
    Alison Dugan, EPA-OW; Kevin Letterly, ASDWA; and Alicia Diehl, Altamira Water, LLC
  • Table 3: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
    Thomas Speth and Jonathan Pressman, EPA-ORD; Eugene Leung, California Water Resources Control Board; and Detlef Knappe, North Carolina State University
  • Table 4: Pathogens
    Laura Boczek, EPA-ORD and Jennifer Best, EPA-OW
  • Table 5: Corrosion and Lead
    Darren Lytle, Simoni Triantafyllidou, and Colin White, EPA-ORD
  • Table 6: Risk, Crisis, and General Communication
    Diane Russell, EPA-Region 5; Mark Verbsky, Ohio EPA; Alycia Overbo, Minnesota Department of Health; and Michelle Latham, EPA-ORD

Models and Tools Demonstrations

Demo descriptions and presenter biographies

  • Table 7: Hydrant Sampler
    Thomas Waters and Callie Acuff, EPA-OW
  • Table 8: Chloramine Formation and Decay Simulator and Chlorine Breakpoint Curve Simulator
    David Wahman, EPA-ORD
  • Table 9: Environmental Technologies Design Option Tool (ETDOT)
    Benjamen Burkhart, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (Contractor to EPA-ORD)
  • Table 10: EPANET
    Jonathan Burkhardt, EPA-ORD

Posters

Poster descriptions and presenter biographies

  • Board 1: How Many Small Systems are in Your Area?
    Caroline Cole, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (Contractor to EPA-ORD) and Elizabeth Stanziano, EPA-ORD
  • Board 2: U.S. EPA’s Compliance Advisors for Sustainable Water Systems
    John Kosco, EPA-Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
  • Board 3: Drinking Water Provision in Small, Rural, and Remote Communities in Canada: Challenges, Solutions, and Opportunities
    Stephanie Gora and Caroline Duncan, York University
  • Board 4: U.S. EPA Technical Assistance Project for Treating Emerging Contaminants
    Nicholas Dugan, EPA-ORD
  • Board 5: Development of a GC-MS/MS Method for Semi-Volatile PFAS Precursors
    Jim Voit, EPA-ORD
  • Board 6: U.S. EPA Technical Assistance Project for Lead Service Line Identification
    Page Jordan, EPA-ORD
  • Board 7: The Effect of Temperature on Lead Particle Properties and Solubility
    Alexander Paul, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (Contractor to EPA-ORD)
  • Board 8: Impact of Tap Flushing Times on Lead Concentrations in Drinking Water
    Evan Crockett, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (Contractor to EPA-ORD)
  • Board 9: Test Methodologies for Assessing the Impact of Water Quality Changes on Corrosion and Corrosion Control Treatment Strategies
    Rachel LaDue, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (Contractor to EPA-ORD)
  • Board 10: Phosphate Usage Trends in the U.S.: Data Mining SDWIS
    Matthew Pinelli, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (Contractor to EPA-ORD)
  • Board 11: EPA's Drinking Water Treatment and Infrastructure Research and Technical Support
    Hale Thurston and Joe Williams, EPA-ORD

-Top of Page-


Thursday, September 14

Session 9: In-Depth Training

Trainer biographies for all sessions

9A: Corrosion

  • Location: Marriott at RiverCenter - Kentucky
  • Trainers: Darren Lytle, Simoni Triantafyllidou, Mike DeSantis, Jennifer Tully, Stephen Harmon, Christina Devine, David Wahman, and Colin White, EPA-ORD
  • Description: This session covered the fundamentals of lead and copper release including corrosion, the role of particles, and metal solubility relationships in drinking water. Distribution system assessment approaches, including water sampling strategies and pipe scale analyses, were also addressed. Lastly, corrosion control strategies and corrosion control assessment tools were presented. Cases study data were used to illustrate important messages where appropriate.

9B: Drinking Water Microbiology

  • Location: Marriott at RiverCenter - Riverview 1
  • Trainers: Laura Boczek, EPA-ORD and Jennifer Best, EPA-OW 
  • Description: This session will provide an introduction to drinking water microbiology and EPA’s regulatory requirements for microbial monitoring. Many of the common drinking water microbial methods required by regulations will also be demonstrated. You will have the opportunity to perform microbiological tests alongside EPA scientists and to examine previously run tests.

9C: PFAS Treatment Design 101

  • Time: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  • Location: NKCC Learning Center
  • Trainers: Ashley Voskuhl, ASDWA; Michael Finn, EPA-OW; Thomas Speth and Jonathan Burkhardt, EPA-ORD; Eugene Leung, California State Water Resources Control Board; Detlef Knappe and Lan Cheng, North Carolina State University; Issam Najm, Water Quality and Treatment Solutions, Inc.; William Grady, New York State Department of Health; and Eric Yeggy, Water Quality Association
  • Description: This session covered the fundamentals of treating PFAS in drinking water from piloting to full-scale operation at small systems. How modeling and scale-up approaches can be used to come to a sustainable treatment choice that will minimize both capital and operating costs while giving assurances that the small system can handle the operational aspects of the technology was also discussed.

9D: Best Practices for Communicating Science and Risk

  • Location: Marriott at RiverCenter - Riverview 2 & 3
  • Trainer: Diane Russell, EPA-Region 5
  • Description: This session focused on key best practices for effectively communicating science and risk related to projects. The session also included meaningful interactive exercises and practice opportunities.

-Top of Page-

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