Agenda for the 19th Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop (2022)

SESSION 1: Opening Plenary

Session 1 recording

1. Welcome and Opening Remarks
Gregory Sayles, Director of the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, EPA-ORD

2. Keynote Addresses
Christopher Frey, Assistant Administrator, EPA-ORD and Karen Dettmer, Managing Director for Infrastructure Implementation, EPA-OW

4. A Tribal Perspective of Nibi (Water)
Allison Smart, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Natural Resources Department

5. Agenda Review and Logistics
Sandhya Parshionikar, Thomas Speth, and Michelle Latham, EPA-ORD

SESSION 2: Breakout Focus Group Discussions

(Not a recorded session)

Group A: Corrosion
What are the most pressing corrosion issues and how are they being addressed?
Facilitator: Darren Lytle, EPA-ORD

Group B: Climate Change
How are agencies/Tribes/water systems being impacted by climate challenges related to drought, wildfire, sea-level rise, etc. and how are equity and environmental justice concerns being addressed?
Facilitators: Allison Smart, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Natural Resources Department; Emily Frary, Utah Department of Environmental Quality; and Kevin Letterly, ASDWA

Group C: Pathogens and Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)
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 or non-regulatory issue for reducing exposure to DBPs?
Facilitators: Laura Boczek, EPA-ORD and Jennifer Best, EPA-OW

Group D: Technical, Managerial, and Financial (TMF) Capacity
What are the most pressing issues around achieving technical, managerial, and financial capacity? How states can work to ensure water systems have effective asset management?
Facilitator: Ashley Voskuhl, ASDWA and Tanushree Courlas, Ohio EPA

Group E: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
How are primacy agencies and water systems addressing treatment, health effects, analytical methods, and funding?
Facilitator: Thomas Speth, EPA-ORD and Brandon Kernen, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Group F: Cybersecurity
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?
Facilitator: Michael Finn, EPA-OW and Anthony DeRosa, ASDWA

SESSION 3A: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)

(Not a recorded session)

Moderator: Kevin Letterly, ASDWA

1. Myth-Busting the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program
Dallas Shattuck, EPA-OW

2. National Perspectives on the BIL
Stephanie Schlea, ASDWA

3. BIL Challenges and Opportunities
Michael Grange, Utah Department of Environmental Quality

SESSION 3B: Methods and Analytics

Session 3B recording

Moderator: Dan Hautman, EPA-OW

1. The Achilles' Heel of Water Quality Data: Sample Collection QA/QC
Hunter Adams, City of Wichita Falls (Texas)

2. Manganese Interference with Chlorine Methods
Matthew Alexander, EPA-OW and Laura Meteer, Queens University

3. Developing an Ozone Design Standard for Ohio Public Water Systems: Lowering Plan Approval Barriers for Small and Medium PWS
Linda Weavers, The Ohio State University/Ohio Water Resources Center

SESSION 4A: Equity and Environmental Justice

Session 4A recording

Moderator: Ashley Voskuhl, ASDWA

1. State (KY) Perspective on Environmental Justice
Larry Taylor, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

2. Artificial Intelligence Reduces Lead Exposure and Promotes Environmental Justice in Toledo, Ohio
Mark Riley, City of Toledo

3. Equitable Program for Lead Service Line Replacement: A Local Perspective
Leslie Moening, Greater Cincinnati Water Works

SESSION 4B: Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs)

(Not a recorded session)

Moderator: Regan Murray, EPA-ORD

1. Preparing For the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5)
Brenda Bowden, EPA-OW

2. What Utilities and Regulators Should Know About Manganese
Phil Brandhuber, Brandhuber Water Quality and Treatment, LLC

3. HABs/Cyanotoxins Treatment
Tom Waters, EPA-OW and Nicholas Dugan, EPA-ORD

SESSION 5A: Water Quality

(Not a recorded session)

Moderator: Michael Finn, EPA-OW

1. Funding Integration Tool for Source Water: Build a Funding Plan That Fits Your Source Water Needs! 
April Byrne, EPA-OW

2. Taking Control of the Lead: A Case Study of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s Control Gorge Power Plant
Michael Mercado, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

3. Measuring and Modeling Systems Factors That Impact Tap Water Quality and Public Perceptions of Drinking Water Systems: Pilot Study in Scioto County, Ohio
Daniel Ma, The Ohio State University

SESSION 5B: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) I

(Not a recorded session)

Moderator: Thomas Speth, EPA-ORD

1. PFAS Drinking Water Methods: Past, Present, and Future
Steve Wendelken and Will Adams, EPA-OW and Dan Tettenhorst, EPA-ORD

2. Predicting Occurrence Based on State Data and the Third Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 3)
Adam Cadwallader, EPA-OW

3. Current Status of PFAS Regulations and Advisories
Ashley Voskuhl, ASDWA

SESSION 6A: Pathogens

(Not a recorded session)

Moderator: Sandhya Parshionikar, EPA-ORD

1. Challenges and Perspectives of Studying Water Storage Tank Ecosystems in Distribution Systems
Vicente Gomez-Alvarez, EPA-ORD

2. Microbial and Disinfection Byproducts (MDBP) Rules Revision Update
Kirsten Studer, EPA-OW

3. Optimization Techniques to Improve MDBP Control
Joe Uliasz, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

SESSION 6B: PFAS II

Session 6B recording

Moderator: Jonathan Pressman, EPA-ORD

1. Occurrence of PFAS in Ohio
Amy Klei, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

2. The Implementation of State PFAS Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) in New Hampshire
Brandon Kernen, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

3. PFAS Treatment
Jonathan Burkhardt and Levi Haupert, EPA-ORD

SESSION 7A: Lead and Copper

(Not a recorded session)

Moderator: Darren Lytle, EPA-ORD

1. EPA's Lead Service Line Inventory Guidance
Hannah Holsinger, EPA-OW

2. Corrosion Test Methods: Review of Bench Top and Pilot Lead Corrosion Assessment Studies
Christina Devine, EPA-ORD

3. Case Study on Lead Service Line (LSL) Removal Approaches and Associated Costs
Patrick Smart, MSK Engineers

SESSION 7B: Resilience

Session 7B recording

Moderator: Sarah Bradbury, EPA-OW

1. How to Prepare for and Respond to Supply Chain Disruptions
Matt Umberg, EPA-OW

2. An Evaluation of Kentucky’s Operator Workforce Survey and Small Systems Issues in Appalachia
Donna McNeil, University of Kentucky–Kentucky Water Resource Research Institute

3. Drought Resilience
Emily Frary, Utah Department of Environmental Quality

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

(Not a recorded session)

This session provided attendees an opportunity to have conversations with experts from EPA, ASDWA, and other organizations about small system challenges; learn about EPA's drinking water research and other activities; and interact with EPA models and tools developers and experts. The session included a meet and greet with EPA's Assistant Administer for Research and Development Christopher Frey.

SESSION 9: Highlights and Closing Remarks Plenary

(Not a recorded session)

1. Report-Outs From Breakout Focus Groups
Group facilitators from Session 2 provided highlights and any action items from the focus groups.

2. Closing Remarks
Kevin Letterly, ASDWA and Michelle Latham, EPA-ORD

SESSION 10: In-Depth Training

(Not recorded sessions)

SESSION 10A: Corrosion

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.

Trainer: Darren Lytle, Simoni Triantafyllidou, Michael Schock, Mike DeSantis, Jennifer Tully, and Stephen Harmon, EPA-ORD

SESSION 10B: Drinking Water Microbiology

This session provided 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 were also be demonstrated. Attendees had the opportunity to perform microbiological tests alongside EPA scientists and to examine previously run tests.

Trainers: Laura Boczek, EPA-ORD and Jennifer Best, EPA-OW

SESSION 10C: Sanitary Surveys

This session provided information for state and federal public water system oversight personnel on evaluating water treatment processes as part of sanitary surveys or technical assistance for public water systems. Presenters were experienced field staff from multiple agencies.

Trainers: Michael Finn and Derek Losh, EPA-OW