Past Webinars in the Small Drinking Water Systems Series

On this page:

2025 Small Drinking Water Systems Webinars
- Disinfection Byproducts: Inorganic Chloramine
- Emergency Response: Drinking Water Supply Planning and Treatment Technology Deployment
2024 Small Drinking Water Systems Webinars
2023 Small Drinking Water Systems Webinars
2022 Small Drinking Water Systems Webinars

About Past Webinars

Closed-captioned recordings and descriptions of the webinars are provided below. Certificates of attendance cannot be provided for viewing webinar recordings.

Learn more about the Small Drinking Water Systems Webinar Series.

2025 Small Drinking Water Systems Webinars

Disinfection Byproducts: Inorganic Chloramine

The webinar recording may be posted following the webinar. (March 25, 2025)

Advancing the Story of Inorganic Chloramine Decomposition and Identifying Chloronitramide Anion

This presentation will discuss research that has expanded our knowledge of inorganic chloramine decomposition chemistry. Initially, the research identified the "unidentified intermediate" of chloramine decomposition as nitroxyl, leading to an updated understanding of dichloramine decomposition and a revised pathway for N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation in chloraminated drinking water. Next, the research identified the "unidentified product" of chloramine decomposition, which was first reported to exist over 40 years ago, as chloronitramide anion. Chloronitramide anion is expected to form in all chloraminated drinking waters at concentrations in the low to mid μg/L range (i.e., 10s-100s) because it results from inherent chloramine instability; therefore, an external precursor chemical is not required for chloronitramide anion formation. Finally, chloronitramide anion was detected in 40 samples from 10 chloraminated drinking water systems in the US, but not from ultrapure water or water treated without chlorine.

This work summarizes results from three recently published research articles: One in Science and two in Environmental Science & Technology.

Presenters: Dave Wahman, EPA Office of Research and Development; Julian Fairey, University of Arkansas

Emergency Response: Drinking Water Supply Planning and Treatment Technology Deployment

The webinar recording may be posted following the webinar. (February 25, 2025)

1. Planning for an Emergency Drinking Water Supply

During an incident that disrupts the availability of drinking water on a large-scale or regional basis, clarity in the roles and responsibilities of those involved with locating, securing, and delivering an emergency drinking water supply (EDWS) will be critical. An EDWS is alternate drinking water supply (e.g., bottled/bulk water) provided to residents when a community’s drinking water utility can no longer treat and/or distribute water. Provision of an EDWS involves the development of an emergency drinking water plan by a local water utility and also involves the collaboration and partnership between various levels of local government. This presentation will discuss how small drinking water utilities can develop an EDWS plan and coordinate with other local partners to provide emergency drinking water when there is a disaster.

Presenter: Jessica Habashy, EPA Office of Water

2. Portable Treatment System to Provide Drinking Water During Emergencies

Following an emergency event, communities need access to clean water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and medical triage. EPA researchers partnered with the nonprofit organization, WaterStep, to develop a modular, mobile water treatment system known as Water on Wheels– Emergency Mobile Water Treatment System (WOW Cart). This presentation will discuss this inexpensive and versatile water treatment system that’s about the size of a shopping cart. It is configured with multiple treatment technologies and is equipped with alternative power sources. The system is easy to operate and can be deployed to critical infrastructure ahead of oncoming natural events to build resiliency.

Presenter: James Goodrich, EPA Office of Research and Development

2024 Small Drinking Water Systems Webinars

Lead Reduction Updates and LSL Identification and Replacement

Watch the recording (December 3, 2024)

1. EPA Lead Reduction in Drinking Water Updates

This presentation will include an overview of EPA’s multipronged approach to reducing lead in drinking water according to the 2021 Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan, including regulations and other programs we have. For the retained elements of the 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), this presentation will summarize guidance and tools available to assist systems and states to meet these requirements. Lastly, this presentation will provide an overview of the 2023 Final Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI).

Presenter: Kira Smith, EPA Office of Water

2. Technical Assistance Project on Lead Service Line Identification (LSLID)

In direct support of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Emerging Contaminants funding authorized by Congress through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, P.L. 117-58, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA researchers will be providing small and/or disadvantaged communities with the technical support for identifying lead service lines. This presentation will discuss current ORD efforts, latest findings, and opportunities for collaboration on LSLID.

Presenter: Simoni Triantafyllidou, EPA Office of Research and Development

3. New and Emerging Technologies for LSLID

Emerging technologies have the potential to enhance the ability of drinking water systems to accurately identify the composition of service lines and reduce associated costs. The search for non-invasive methods such as those based on electrical resistance, acoustic and stress wave propagation/attenuation, and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) methods are now being evaluated to determine the composition of buried service line pipes without digging. These approaches are relatively new to the drinking water field and are still being satisfactorily demonstrated and optimized for use to identify service line composition. Advanced imaging techniques, including x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) may offer more potential with precise identification of materials such as lead, copper, and plastic in service lines. These innovative technologies have the potential to transform service line identification. As these technologies improve and become more readily available, State regulators should consider implementing standards for use. The objective of this presentation is to review new methods for identifying service line materials. Additionally, an update on the development of a reference guide for approving emerging service line material identification being developed by a state regulator workgroup will be shared.

Presenter: Jennifer Murray, Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation

4. Predictive Modeling for LSLID Using Machine Learning Tools

Water systems face an assorted array of technologies and approaches promising to facilitate the cost-effective identification and remediation of legacy lead service lines that are still present in water systems across the country. Predictive modeling using geostatistical, machine learning, and artificial intelligence approaches more broadly are one category of tools that are being proposed and implemented to fulfill the Revised Lead and Copper Rule mandated service line inventory and for guiding remediation in a more targeted and cost-effective fashion. This presentation will provide an unbiased and scientifically-based responses to common questions that often arise when utilizing these approaches, including the following: 1) How much data are needed to develop and validate these models?, 2) What types of data are needed to develop these models?, 3) How do I obtain the data needed to develop and validate these models?, 4) How do I assess the performance of these models in identifying lead service lines?, 5) What is the true cost of setting up these models compared to other lead identifications approaches?, and 6) How can these models can be leveraged in practice to guide the remediation process?

Presenters: Brian Dyson, EPA Office of Research and Development; Caleb Buahin, EPA Office of Research and Development

5. Water Sampling for LSLID

Water sampling can be a relatively simple and cost-effective approach to identify lead service lines (LSLs) compared to other existing methods. This presentation will outline established drinking water sampling methods including sequential profile sampling, first draw sampling, flushed sampling, random daytime sampling, manual composite sampling, and passive (POU device) sampling, that could be used to identify LSLs within a water system depending on their corrosion control and water chemistry. This presentation will also discuss how sampling approaches can provide information on the impact of other LSL identification methods on water quality, particularly when a disturbance occurs.

Presenter: Christine Devine, EPA Office of Research and Development

PFAS: Rule Implementation and Treatment

Watch the recording (October 29, 2024)

1. PFAS Treatment Requirements in New Jersey

This presentation will cover the New Jersey PFAS treatment requirements for water systems, including information on the state’s temporary treatment application process. The common construction permit application deficiencies under a technical review, and pilot study requirements will also be covered.

Presenter: Corey Stevenson, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

2. PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation Implementation in Kentucky

This presentation will cover the PFAS rule implementation process in Kentucky. Current efforts to provide assistance to water systems with sampling, meeting initial monitoring requirements, and identifying other needs will be discussed. Further discussion will include the powdered activated carbon jar testing project that is underway and strategies to help systems identify the best treatment option.

Presenter: Jackie Logsdon, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

3. Decision Trees for PFAS Mitigation Selection: What to do After PFAS Exceedances Detection

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has developed a tool in the form of decision trees to assist public water systems in making informed decisions to determine the most suitable non-treatment and treatment alternatives for mitigating PFAS. This tool provides step-by-step guidance on what information to collect, what screening tests to perform, and how to select the most technically viable mitigation alternative for a specific situation. Specifically, Tree 1 prioritizes consideration of non-treatment alternatives first, such as connecting to a nearby water utility, developing a new source, or blending sources, since these alternatives typically require lower capital investments and reduced operation and maintenance costs. If not treating is not possible for the utility, then Tree 2 helps with the general selection of best available treatment options. Trees 3 through 5 then help further analyze the use of each type of treatment (GAC, IX, and RO). Finally, Tree 6 evaluates simultaneous compliance and applies to both non-treatment and all three treatment options. ADEQ recommends using this tool very early in the planning stages, after PFAS exceedances are detected and when a system is starting to consider compliance options and conceptual design, in order to set the foundation for the future steps of evaluation of the selected alternative, cost analysis, detailed design, and eventually permitting. The purpose of this tool is not to require one specific approach, but to support systems in determining the most appropriate path forward.

Presenter: Jasmina Markovski, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality

4. PFAS Breakthrough and NOM Effects from Pilot-Scale AEX Columns

This presentation will provide insight into the effects of natural organic matter (NOM) on PFAS removal by anion exchange resins. Pilot-scale fixed-bed columns with PFA694E (a strong-base, gel resin) were used to observe PFAS breakthrough with and without NOM at four empty bed contact times (EBCTs; 0.5-, 1.0-, 1.5-, and 2.5- min) with stable influent conditions of known water quality. An ion exchange column model (IEX-CM) was applied for parameter optimization and simulating PFAS effluent concentrations for comparison with experimental data. Apparent non-adsorptive removal of GenX with increasing EBCT and in the absence of NOM will also be discussed.

Presenter: Samantha Smith, EPA Office of Research and Development

5. EPA’s Open-Source Treatment Performance Modeling Tools for PFAS Treatment

This presentation will highlight EPA’s freely available open-source treatment performance modeling tools for granular activated carbon (GAC) and ion exchange (IX) treatment unit operations. The functionality and capabilities of each of the available tools will be highlighted and discussed with an emphasis on predicting the removal of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). AdDesignS is a graphical user interface (GUI) for modeling GAC treatment, and two new GUIs for IX and GAC will be discussed. Advanced modeling capabilities with Python-based functions will also be highlighted, which includes automatic data fitting from pilot results for GAC applications. This talk will highlight the availability of these tools, where to find the models and some associated data that the models need.

Presenter: Jonathan Burkhardt, EPA Office of Research and Development

PFAS: National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, Occurrence, Analytics, and Risk Communications

Watch the recording (September 24, 2024)

1. PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation: Initial Monitoring Requirements and EPA-State Implementation Workgroup

As the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation was being finalized in April of 2024, OGWDW initiated an EPA-State Implementation Workgroup to collaborate on the development of implementation products. The workgroup consists of 11 states and territories, all 10 EPA regions and ASDWA. The charge for the workgroup is to identify and prioritize needed PFAS implementation products, including training, and provide input and review of these products. Early focus for the workgroup has been on products to support the development of primacy revision application packages and extension agreements, and requirements for initial monitoring. The presentation will close by discussing the initial monitoring products highlighting the PFAS rule requirements, and flexibility to help ensure successful completion of this requirement by the start of compliance monitoring in April of 2027.

Presenter: James Hogan, EPA Office of Water

2. EPA Drinking Water PFAS Analytical Methods and the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation

Recently, U. S. governments at various levels have proposed or implemented regulatory programs for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminants in drinking water, including the April 2024 U.S. EPA release of the PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWR). To meet these regulatory compliance requirements, laboratories must use analytical methods that can accurately and precisely measure PFAS. The development of these analytical methods includes quantitation of PFAS at concentrations that meet the needs of the regulatory programs and also attempting to minimize burden and sources of error associated with the methods while still meeting quality control criteria appropriate for drinking water methods. The U.S. EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) and Office of Research and Development (ORD) have a history of drinking water analytical method development for both regulated and unregulated contaminants, including the PFAS EPA Methods 533 and 537.1. This presentation focuses on these EPA PFAS drinking water analytical methods and their use within the recently promulgated final PFAS NPDWR.

Presenter: William Adams, EPA Office of Water

3. Implementing a Proactive PFAS Program Using "Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities" Grant Funding

Through the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (ES-SDC) Grant Program, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is assisting communities with cost-effective, appropriate and sustainable approaches for removing PFAS from drinking water. These may include well rehabilitation or a new water source, interconnection or consolidation, or, as a last resort, treatment. To further assist small or disadvantaged communities receiving this assistance, ADEQ is reducing barriers to utilize these funds by contracting directly with design engineers and construction contractors leveraging state contracts. This presentation will discuss these processes, lessons learned and the status of current projects funded through this grant. It will also provide an overview of future technical tools to be developed, including PFAS cost models and guidance on PFAS treatment residual disposal options, and information about where states can find these resources for their own use.

Presenter: Sara Konrad, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality

4. Broad-Spectrum PFAS Study to Characterize the Class of PFAS in California

The California State Water Resources Control Board, in collaboration with the U.S. EPA Regional Office of Research and Development, conducted a per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) method comparison study to evaluate the presence of unknown PFAS that have been detected in California’s drinking water. The method comparison study included the collection of samples from nine public water supply wells. Samples were analyzed using a suite of broad-spectrum analytical techniques including adsorbable organic fluorine (AOF) by combustion ion chromatography (CIC) (AOF-CIC), extractable organic fluorine (EOF) by CIC (EOF-CIC), non-targeted analysis (NTA) using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and other techniques that are primarily available through academic partnerships. In addition to field sample analysis, the study evaluated the fate of analytical reference materials in AOF-CIC and EOF-CIC. This represented a range of organic fluorine compounds including ultrashort-chain, volatile, and cationic PFAS at various concentrations. The results of the study indicate that AOF-CIC captured a broad organic fluorine chemical space while also minimizing interference from inorganic fluorine compounds. The study also identified other analytical methods that are useful to further characterize PFAS chemical space in environmental samples. The results of this study support a multi-year effort to sample nearly 4,000 public water supply wells serving disadvantaged communities that will be analyzed for targeted PFAS, AOF-CIC, and supplemental analyses including NTA and ultrashort-chain PFAS. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a monitoring program for community public water systems that account for the class of PFAS and assess the health impacts of those PFAS not being removed by conventional treatment technologies.

Presenter: Erica Kalve, California Water Resources Control Board

5. Communicating Risks and Engaging Communities on PFAS

This presentation will discuss how the Minnesota Department of Health has worked with public water systems, communities, and staff to support risk communication about PFAS in drinking water. Approaches and strategies used for public meeting planning, staff training, messaging, and education and outreach will be covered. The presentation will also touch on the resources developed to increase awareness and understanding among consumers on the contaminants, their levels in drinking water, and their health risks.

Presenter: Alycia Overbo, Minnesota Department of Health

Drinking Water Systems Consolidation, Partnerships, and Regionalization

Watch the recording (August 27, 2024)

1. Mapping the Nations Community Water Systems: Linking Drinking Water Data to Consumers

EPA recently released a national geospatial dataset of community water system service areas. This dataset allows for the accurate linkage between drinking water providers and their associated consumers, opening a wide range of potential applications. This presentation will cover the development of the datasetꟷincluding data collection, machine learning methods, and evaluationꟷand will demonstrate how to access the data and how it can be integrated into other areas of research, such as environmental justice and health. Plans for updating this dataset going forward and strategies to improve drinking water research will also be discussed.

Presenter: Andrew Murray, EPA Office of Research and Development

2. Drinking Water consolidations and Partnerships in California: Evolving Solutions to Achieve the Human Right to Water

The California State Water Board, through the Safe and Affordable Funding or Equity and Resilience (SAFER) program, harnesses a set of tools, funding sources, and regulatory authorities to help struggling water systems sustainably and affordably provide safe drinking water. The SAFER program uses data to identify need and guide decision making on sustainable drinking water solutions, while direct engagement and partnership ensure solutions best meet the needs of each unique community. This presentation will discuss how data, direct engagement, and a breadth of experience create feasible consolidation solutions that offer the highest levels of water system sustainability and resilience. Where physical consolidation is impractical, increased creativity is needed to include managerial consolidation, regionally governed water districts, formal partnerships, and more.

Presenter: Chad Fischer, California State Water Resources Control Board

Drinking Water System Resilience

Water the recording (July 30, 2024)

1. America's Water Infrastructure Act Section 2013

America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) section 2013 amended the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1433 with an aim of increasing water system resilience to disasters. This presentation will provide an overview of the law, which requires community drinking water systems (CWS) serving more than 3,300 people to conduct or review and revise risk and resilience assessments (RRAs) and emergency response plans (ERPs) and certify to EPA that they have done so by specified deadlines every five years, next occurring throughout 2025 and 2026. This presentation will also highlight EPA’s Very Small Drinking Water and Wastewater System Resilience Continuing Education Unit (CEU) Program, which encourages utilities not covered by SDWA 1433 to develop a RRA and ERP with a participating technical assistance provider and, if allowed by their state or tribal operator certification program, get CEU credit for their work.

Presenter: Charlene Kormondy, EPA Office of Water

2. Water Laboratory Alliance’s Resources to Improve Contamination Incident Resilience

EPA’s Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) brings together environmental laboratories into a nationwide network to serve the water sector. It provides mutual aid, support, and increased analytical capabilities to improve the water sector’s resilience and ability to respond to all-hazards contamination incidents. WLA also offers free tools and resources to educate water sector stakeholders on best practices to prepare for successful and timely incident responses. This presentation will highlight the role of the WLA in contamination response as well as describe some key resources that will help small systems to update and improve their RRAs and ERPs.

Presenter: Peter Roumeliotis, EPA Office of Water

Inorganics Treatment: Arsenic and Nitrate

Watch the recording (June 25, 2024)

1. Biological Nitrate Treatment: Innovations and Challenges

This presentation focuses on a biological nitrate treatment pilot study conducted at a water treatment plant. The study used an innovative denitrification system and nitrogen gas sparging to lower dissolved oxygen concentration, and it sometimes achieved complete denitrification. This discussion also focuses on the challenges of matching the acetic acid feed to a variable influent nitrate concentration and addressing clogging by bacterial flocs. The treatment approach showed promise; however, reactor design enhancements are needed to bring this technology to small systems.

Presenter: Asher Keithley, EPA Office of Research and Development

2. Arsenic Refresher

This presentation provides an overview of arsenic chemistry and treatment considerations. Arsenic accumulation in the distribution system and potential release back to the water are also discussed, based on retrospective data analysis from EPA’s arsenic demonstration program.

Presenter: Simoni Triantafyllidou, EPA Office of Research and Development

3. An Arsenic Case Study in California: Oasis Mobile Home Park

This presentation provides an overview of EPA Region 9’s enforcement case with Oasis Mobile Home Park for violation of the Arsenic Rule. Key topics include enforcement, technical conditions, and community and stakeholder engagement. The unique challenges and successes of trying to bring a small public water system back into compliance are also discussed.

Presenter: Maria Alberty, EPA Region 9

Technical Assistance for Lead

Watch the recording (May 21, 2024)

1. Lead Service Line Identification, Replacement Planning, Community Engagement, and Funding Technical Assistance Programs

This presentation will include an overview of how EPA Water Technical Assistance (EPA WaterTA) can support communities with their efforts to achieve clean, safe, and reliable drinking water. It will then dive into two of EPA WaterTA’s programs focusing on the removal and replacement of lead service lines: the Lead Service Line Replacement Accelerators Program and the Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative. Information on how communities can request WaterTA will also be shared.

Presenters: Andrew Pizzala, EPA Office of Water; Alex Horansky, EPA Office of Research and Development

2. Service Line Inventory Technical Assistance for Small Community and Non-Community Water Systems in Wisconsin

Nearly 2,000 public water systems in Wisconsin, over 90% of which serve a population of 3,330 consumers or less, are regulated by the Lead and Copper Rule and the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. Many of these small public water systems do not have staff with the technical expertise required to complete a service line inventory, nor the financial resources required to hire someone. This presentation will provide an overview of Wisconsin DNR’s approach to providing service line technical assistance to small community and non-community public water systems. The multi-pronged approach includes hiring limited-term employees to conduct on-site materials inspections at non-transient non-community water systems, and hiring a contractor to provide individual on-site assistance with records review to hundreds of small community public water systems. Successes so far, lessons learned, and collaborative partnerships will be highlighted.

Presenter: Ann Hirekatur, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

PFAS Drinking Water Regulation and Treatment Methods

Watch the recording (April 30, 2024)

1. Overview of EPA’s Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation

This presentation provides an overview of the final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, including the key regulatory requirements and timing for water systems and drinking water primacy agencies to comply with these requirements, background on the regulation development, and funding information to support rule implementation.

Presenter: Ashley Greene, EPA Office of Water

2. Removal of PFAS Compounds from Drinking Water: Fundamentals and Applications

This presentation focuses on the three treatment processes designated as best available technologies for PFAS removal from drinking water: granular activated carbon (GAC), ion exchange (IX), and membranes (NF/RO). There is a brief discussion on the fundamentals of each process followed by basic considerations of process selection, process design, and costing.

Presenter: Nicholas Dugan, EPA Office of Research and Development

Algal Toxin Rule and Harmful Algal Blooms in Urban Environments

Watch the recording (March 26, 2024)

1. Establishing an Algal Toxin Rule and Regulatory Program in Rhode Island, an Informal Case Study

As the severity and impact of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) increasingly pose risk to human health, one frequent topic of discussion is when and/or how to adopt regulations accordingly, and in what capacity. The numerous factors that require consideration – agency jurisdiction, criteria thresholds, balancing bloom/toxin prioritization, the need for programmatic support, etc. – can be challenging barriers to address without the established federal counterparts that are in place for many other drinking water rules and programs. In 2019, Rhode Island was one of the earliest states to establish a HAB/cyanotoxin rule in the state public drinking water regulations, which also required the development of surrounding program infrastructure.

This presentation serves as a brief, small-scale case study of a state-level Algal Toxin program from its inception onward, including topics such as an overview of the rule’s regulatory language, toxin selection and health limits, implementation, challenges, and other resources/information.

Presenter: Shannon Harrower-Nakama, Rhode Island Department of Health

2. Insights on HABs Dynamics in Urban Lakes and Introduction to Benthic Sample Preparation

Algae are a natural component of aquatic ecosystems; however, when present in large quantities as "blooms", they can pose a significant potential threat to human and ecological health. These harmful algal blooms (HABs) are often composed of microorganisms known as cyanobacteria, some of which have the potential to produce toxins that can cause adverse health effects in humans and animals through the contamination of waterways used for recreational purposes and as drinking water supplies.

HABs are understudied in the urban environment. This presentation discusses the investigation of urban lakes in three metropolitan areas to determine if there are parameters that are unique to these lakes and investigate the correlation between urban watershed characteristics and cyanobacterial HABs.

Presenters: Heath Mash, EPA Office of Research and Development; Toby Sanan, EPA Office of Research and Development

Lead Service Line Inventory Guidance

Watch the recording (February 27, 2024)

1. EPA Lead Service Line Inventory Guidance

Developing a lead service line (LSL) inventory and identifying the location of LSLs is the first step for beginning LSL replacement and protecting public health. The purpose of this presentation is to walk through the EPA’s Guidance for Developing and Maintaining a Lead Service Line Inventory. The guidance provides support for the service line inventory requirements according to the 2021 Lead & Copper Rule Revisions, referred to as LCRR.

Presenters: Melanie Bolden, EPA Office of Water; Holly Young, EPA Office of Water

2. Colorado Lead Service Line Inventory Guidance

This presentation covers Colorado’s initial service line inventory guidance policy, which builds on EPA’s LSL inventories guidance document. Colorado water systems requested a policy to formalize requirements and expectations related to issues such as calling galvanized lines non-lead, statistical modeling, and non-lead cutoff dates. Colorado discusses some of state specific policy decisions on the initial service line inventory and potential Lead and Copper Rule Improvements impacts.

Presenters: Melanie Criswell, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Haley Orahood, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Chad Seidel, Corona Environmental Consulting, LLC

Tools, Training, and Technical Assistance to Increase Water System Resilience

Watch the recording (January 30, 2024)

1. Creating Resilient Water Utilities

Climate change impacts pose an immediate and long-term threat to the continuity of wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water utility operations and water supplies. To reduce the risks associated with climate-related hazards, EPA's Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) initiative provides training, tools, and technical assistance designed to educate the water sector on climate science and adaptation options. This presentation will highlight the Resilient Strategies Guide, an application that guides water utility owners and operators through identifying adaptation strategies to address their climate resilience priorities. This tool is useful for utilities of any size and at any stage of their climate adaptation planning process. This session will also preview other CRWU resources, including the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool, Climate and Weather Data Maps, and Environmental Justice StoryMap. This presentation will communicate the real-world challenges and successes of utilities in adapting to the impacts of climate change and focus on CRWU’s efforts to provide technical assistance to small water systems through a utility case study.

Presenters: Nash Keyes, EPA Office of Water; Aliza Furneaux, EPA Office of Water

2. EPA's Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR)

Drinking water utilities face multiple challenges, including aging infrastructure, water quality concerns, pipe breaks, uncertainty in supply and demand, natural disasters, environmental emergencies, and terrorist attacks. All of these have the potential to disrupt service to customers and damage critical infrastructure. Increasing resilience to these types of hazards is essential to improving water security. Simulation and analysis tools can help water utilities predict how their system will respond to expected, and unexpected, incidents and help inform decisions to make water distribution systems more resilient over time. EPA, in partnership with Sandia National Laboratories, developed the Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR), an open source Python package, to integrate critical aspects of resilience modeling for water distribution networks into a single software framework. WNTR can help water utilities investigate the resilience of their water systems to a wide range of hazardous scenarios and evaluate emergency response actions and long-term resilience‐enhancing strategies. The software estimates potential damages from disaster scenarios; predicts how damage to infrastructure would occur over time; evaluates preparedness strategies; prioritizes response actions; and identifies worse case scenarios, efficient repair strategies, and best practices for maintenance and operations. This presentation will provide an overview of WNTR along with a few case study applications.

Presenter: Terra Haxton, EPA Office of Research and Development

2023 Small Drinking Water Systems Webinars

Risk, Crisis, and General Communication

Watch the recording (November 28, 2023)

1. Conversations With Customers: What We’ve Learned From Talking With Them

While Cleveland Water has more than 25 years of sampling records that show its water is consistently well below the federal action level for lead, it is the largest public water system in Ohio and has almost 25% of the state’s total estimated lead service lines (LSLs). Since funding become available for LSLRs, they have been developing and implementing a proactive LSLR Program using adaptive management principles to create long-term success while working within the requirements of changing federal and state laws. This presentation will highlight lessons learned from talking with customers during LSLRs, phone calls to both Cleveland Water Department’s phone lines dedicated to lead and water quality inquires, and presentations about water.

Presenter: Brenda Culler, Cleveland Water

2. Drinking Water Risk Communication Toolkit

With many emerging issues facing drinking water and societal changes in how we access and share information, communicating about drinking water and public health risks can be challenging. This presentation discusses practical tools and resources used in Minnesota to help public water systems communicate about risk with their customers, including the Drinking Risk Communication Toolkit, and will include examples of how the toolkit has been used and future areas of expansion.

Presenter: Alycia Overbo, Minnesota Department of Health

3. EPA Flint Water Response: Risk Communication Case Study

This presentation will highlight EPA’s drinking water response in Flint, Michigan, including the communication challenges. EPA’s engagement strategy will also be discussed.

Presenter: Diane Russell, EPA Region 5

UCMR 5 Webinar with Spotlight Talk on EPA's Fraud Awareness

Watch the recording (October 31, 2023)

1. Update on the Fifth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 5)

The U.S. EPA's Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) provides national occurrence data for unregulated contaminants in public drinking water to protect public health and support future regulatory decisions. UCMR 5 requires monitoring for 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and lithium by over 10,300 public water systems between January 2023 and December 2025. This presentation provides an overview of the UCMR 5 program and monitoring requirements for water systems, information on data access, resources for understanding the data, and a summary of the UCMR 5 results to date.

Presenter: Kelsey Dailey, EPA Office of Water

2. EPA Fraud Awareness

This presentation covers an Introduction to EPA’s Office of Inspector General, IIJA Funding, the State Revolving Fund, Fraud Awareness, and Whistleblower information.

Presenter: Jake Hardesty, EPA Office of the Inspector General

3. PFAS Drinking Water Methods: Past, Present, and Future

This presentation briefly outlines the history of EPA drinking water method development for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including Methods 533 and 537.1, currently in use under UCMR 5. The presentation also previews efforts underway to address the unique challenges of total PFAS analysis.

Presenter: Dan Tettenhorst, EPA Office of Research and Development

Cybersecurity

Watch the recording (August 29, 2023)

1. Tools and Resources to Help Your Small Systems Build Cyber Resilience

This presentation provided utilities with information on freely available resources and funding opportunities that utilities can take advantage of to reduce the threat of cyber attacks.

Presenter: Nushat Thomas, EPA Office of Water

2. Water Distribution System Operational Technology Cybersecurity Research at the Water Security Test Bed

This presentation discussed EPA’s first-of-its-scale water security test bed, which replicates a section of a typical municipal drinking water piping system. This EPA-developed test bed evaluates infrastructure and premise plumbing decontamination technologies and mobile emergency water treatment systems. Future research will focus on prevention, mitigation, and quick return-to-service of distribution system operational technology hardware and software compromised by cyber attacks.

Presenter: Jeff Szabo, EPA Office of Research and Development

Wildfire Impacts on Drinking Water

Watch the recording (July 25, 2023)

1. Wildfire Implications for Drinking Water Systems

The rise in wildfire activity in municipal watersheds has created new uncertainties, unprecedented challenges, and substantial costs for drinking water utilities. Source water quality can be highly variable and dramatically altered following fire, which can challenge water treatment process performance. The results of several projects in collaboration with water providers are discussed with particular emphasis on dissolved organic matter character and treatability, as well as disinfection byproduct formation. Lastly, a new transdisciplinary project with the overarching goal of increasing water system resiliency to wildfire is discussed.

Presenter: Amanda Hohner, Montana State University

2. Wildfires Can Increase Drinking Water Contamination: Nitrate, Arsenic, and Disinfection Byproducts

Wildfires are a concern for water quality in the United States, particularly in the wildland-urban interface of populous areas. On average, in the contiguous United States, wildfires are associated with an increase in drinking water concentrations and maximum contaminant level violations for nitrate, disinfection byproducts, and arsenic and it can take several years for impacted systems to recover. This presentation discusses these issues and how the impact of wildfires on drinking water is regionally important, with larger impacts in certain locations or no impacts in other locations, which may be attributed to other factors, such as the use of drinking water treatment or the type of land use.

Presenters: Michael Pennino, EPA Office of Research and Development; Jana Compton, EPA Office of Research and Development

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Watch the recording (June 27, 2023)

1. EPA Water Technical Assistance Opportunities

All communities deserve access to safe, clean, and reliable water. Yet too many communities across America—rural, urban, and suburban, small and large—face challenges in providing safe drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services to their residents. EPA's free water technical assistance supports communities to identify water challenges; develop plans; build technical, financial, and managerial capacity; and develop application materials to access water infrastructure funding. This webinar highlights EPA’s water technical assistance opportunities and how to request assistance.

Presenter: Bev Vazquez, EPA Office of Water

2. Supporting the Selection and Implementation of Technologies to Remove PFAS from Drinking Water and from Treatment Residuals

EPA is initiating a program designed to support public drinking water systems as they select and implement technologies to remove PFAS from drinking water and from drinking water treatment residuals. A major portion of this effort involves partnering with water systems to provide piloting, sampling, analytical, and optimization support. This assistance can be provided for pilot-scale, temporary full-scale, or recently installed full-scale permanent treatment units. This webinar highlights this program and how the information gained from these interactions will be used to assist the partner systems and to develop case studies, treatment performance models, and cost models that will be freely accessible to systems nationwide with similar water qualities.

Presenter: Nicholas Dugan, EPA Office of Research and Development

3. Applied Research and Technical Assistance Project on Lead Service Line Identification Technologies

EPA has initiated research to evaluate commercially available and emerging technologies that can be used by communities to determine where lead service lines are located. This project is intended to fill data gaps related to technology performance, accuracy, costs, and ease of use, and help communities move toward the goal of removing all lead pipes across the United States over the next decade. This webinar highlights this effort and how researchers will develop the information and tools needed by states, Tribes, and public water systems to select and implement technologies that rapidly identify LSLs, build accurate inventories, and cost-effectively leverage available Drinking Water State Revolving Fund monies authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to replace them.

Presenter: Darren Lytle, EPA Office of Research and Development

Harmful Algal Blooms and Algal Toxins

Watch the recording (May 30, 2023)

1. HAB Technical Assistance in El Salvador

This presentation provides an overview of technical assistance provided to the Government of El Salvador’s drinking water agency, ANDA in 2020 due to a harmful algal bloom that caused widespread taste and odor complaints in El Salvador’s capital city of San Salvador. Tom Waters, of EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water’s Technical Support Center traveled to San Salvador in February 2020 (just before the pandemic) to conduct an initial assessment of San Salvador’s surface water treatment plant and related drinking water infrastructure, meet with ANDA representatives and operators, and provide technical assistance related to HABs. El Salvador is a U.S. trade partner as a member of the U.S. – Central America and Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and EPA serves as the lead U.S. government agency to provide environmental technical assistance under the agreement. The presentation demonstrates how lessons-learned from working with U.S. utilities on drinking water treatment optimization for HABs was leveraged to assist international partners.

Presenter: Tom Waters, EPA Office of Water

2. Cyanobacterial Blooms Dynamics as Determined by Nucleic Acid Based Techniques

This presentation discusses the molecular monitoring approaches used in applied environmental microbiology studies conducted in our laboratories. The presentation primarily focuses on the detection and quantification of cyanobacterial groups and cyanotoxin genes implicated in harmful algal blooms. Results from next generation sequence analysis and qPCR/RT-qPCR methods used to characterize toxic cyanobacterial populations, associated bacterial communities, and geographically localized genotypes (strains) will be discussed. We show how we can monitor functional genes associated with nutrients (i.e., nitrogen cycle) to detect cyanobacteria and potentially predict early warning of toxin production in environmental settings. Examples of other environmental and engineering research studies using molecular tools are also discussed.

Presenter: Jorge Santo Domingo, EPA Office of Research and Development

Manganese Interference and Management

Watch the recording (April 25, 2023)

Presentation 1: Manganese Interference with Disinfectant Residual Methods

This presentation provides a summary of manganese occurrence in public water systems and describe its potential interference with commonly used methods to measure disinfectant residual. Case studies will be shared to demonstrate this issue. A flow chart to diagnose manganese interference is introduced to help identify approaches to minimize manganese interference with commonly used methods, including sample pre-treatment, sample filtration, and alternative methods.

Presenter: Matthew Alexander, EPA Office of Water

Presentation 2: Management of Manganese and Small System Considerations

Treatment of manganese is an ongoing concern for operational, esthetic and, more recently, health reasons. Manganese has been shown to be accumulated and released from the distribution system. These release events can cause discolored water but also release other regulated metals of health concern (e.g. lead, arsenic) into the distributed water. Research indicates that a finished water concentration of less than 0.02 mg/L is achievable by most utilities by optimizing existing treatment. At this concentration, it can also help minimize the accumulation (and subsequent release) of manganese into the distributed water. This presentation outlines management strategies for manganese including small system considerations.

Presenter: France Lemieux, Health Canada Water and Air Quality Bureau

Lead Service Line Inventory Guidance and Lead Corrosion Test Methods

Watch the recording (March 28, 2023)

1. EPA's Lead Service Line Inventory Guidance

This presentation provides an overview of EPA’s Guidance for Developing and Maintaining a Service Line Inventory. The guidance was developed to assist water systems in developing and maintaining service line inventories and to provide states with needed information for oversight and reporting to EPA. The guidance provides best practices for inventory development and communicating information to the public; includes a template for water systems, states, and Tribes to use or adapt to create their own inventory; contains case studies on developing, reviewing, and communicating about inventories; and highlights the importance of prioritizing inventory development in disadvantaged communities and where children live and play.

Presenter: Kira Smith, EPA Office of Water

2. Corrosion Test Methods

Review of Bench Top and Pilot Lead Corrosion Assessment Studies. Bench top and pilot lead corrosion studies are gaining more interest, considering revisions and upcoming improvements to the Lead and Copper Rule. This presentation reviews studies ranging from simpler month(s)-long bench top dump-and-fill stagnant water tests to more complicated year(s)-long intermittent flow pilot studies. With increasing complexity in design and operation, studies more closely approximated real plumbing conditions at increased cost, footprint, and duration. Comparison of bench top and pilot designs (in terms of lead test piece age/dimensions/ configuration/replicates, study duration, sample collection, and other factors) can assist in the selection of a design that matches the needs and constraints of the study.

Presenter: Christina Devine, EPA Office of Research and Development (Oak Ridge Institute of Science Education fellow)

MDBP Rules Revision and Water Storage Tank Ecosystems

Watch the recording (February 28, 2023)

1. Microbial and Disinfection Byproducts (MDBP) Rules Revision Update

This presentation provides an overview of the regulatory process, summary of public engagements, topics under consideration, and the timeline with next steps regarding the potential regulatory revisions of eight National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) included in five MDBP rules following the third Six-Year Review.

Presenter: Kenneth Rotert, EPA Office of Water

2. Challenges and Perspectives of Studying Water Storage Tank Ecosystems in Distribution Systems

Water storage tanks are vulnerable to contamination, and excess water retention time may cause depletion of disinfectant residual which creates an environment favorable for microbial contamination. This presentation evaluates the use of a field-based sampling and a pilot-scale experimental approach to understand the ecosystem of water storage tanks. An integrative approach was utilized to characterize the storage tank ecosystem and microbiome.

Presenter: Vicente Gomez-Alvarez, EPA Office of Research and Development

2022 Small Drinking Water Systems Webinars

Power Resilience and Secure Water Treatment Chemicals

Watch the recording (June 28, 2022)

1. Power Resilience for Small Systems

This presentation provides an overview of some of the ways small systems can increase their power resilience including coordination with their electric providers, generators and fuel supply planning, battery energy storage systems, and renewable energy (e.g., solar and wind).

Presenter: Lauren Wisniewski, EPA

2. Utilizing System Partnerships to Secure Water Treatment Chemicals

This presentation provides best practices that small systems can employ to prepare for or respond to supply chain disruptions. It explores the use of system partnerships in preparing for potential treatment chemical supply issues, and how the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund could be used to help prepare for and mitigate chemical supply issues due to disasters.

Presenters: Gabrielle Minton, EPA Office of Water; Dallas Shattuck, EPA Office of Water

Lead Service Line Identification and Replacement

Watch the recording (May 24, 2022)

1. Tools for Lead Service Line Identification

This presentation summarizes methods for lead service line identification, including records screening, basic visual examination of indoor plumbing, tailored water sampling, excavation, and other alternatives. It offers a qualitative comparison of method cost, accuracy, disturbance, and other impacts, as well as an example stepwise approach to identify unknown service line materials.

Presenter: Simoni Triantafyllidou, EPA Office of Research and Development

2. Lead Service Line Replacement Eligibilities Under the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a federal-state program that provides funding and financing to public water systems for a wide range of drinking water infrastructure projects and activities. This presentation provides an overview of the DWSRF, explain DWSRF eligibilities related to lead service lines, and discuss opportunities for lead service line replacement under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Presenter: Dallas Shattuck, EPA Office of Water

Source Water Protection and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

Watch the recording (April 26, 2022)

1. Using Molecular Methods to Study Cyanobacterial Blooms

This presentation introduces molecular monitoring approaches used in the detection and quantification of cyanobacterial groups and cyanotoxin genes implicated in harmful algal blooms. Results will be presented from next generation sequence analysis and qPCR/RT-qPCR methods to characterize cyanobacterial community structure, associated bacterial community, toxic cyanobacteria, and geographically localized genotypes or species. The methods study cyanobacterial functional genes associated with nutrients in toxin production, their relationship to water quality parameters, and explore drivers of cyanotoxin production using mRNA-based sequence analysis. This presentation also discusses occurrence, distribution, temporal-spatial variations of cyanobacteria, especially toxin-producers, and use as early warning systems for cyanotoxin production.

Presenter: Jorge Santo Domingo, EPA Office of Research and Development

2. Funding Integration Tool for Source Water: Finding a Plan a FITS

With different funding mechanisms available, it can be difficult finding one that works for specific source water protection needs. EPA’s Source Water Protection Team created the Funding Integration Tool for Source Water (FITS), a one-stop-shop tool that explains how users can integrate various federal funding sources to support activities that protect drinking water sources. This presentation discusses the basic functions and value of the tool and demonstrates use of FITS in a mock scenario.

Presenters: Terrel Tiendrebeogo, EPA Office of Water; April Byrne, EPA Office of Water

Very Small Drinking Water Systems

Watch the recording (February 22, 2022)

1. Underground Storage Tanks: How They May Impact Small Drinking Water Systems

In the United States, there are over 500,000 active underground storage tanks (USTs) that store petroleum or hazardous substances, and about 62,000 leaking UST sites that need cleaning up today. The greatest potential threat from a leaking UST is the contamination for ground water, which serves as the source of drinking water for nearly half the population in the United States. Given the proximity of these leaking USTs to water supplies, it is important for small drinking water systems to understand where the leaking UST sites are to protect the water supply and to understand the water demands in proximity to the leaking underground storage tanks. This is especially needed where ground water wells are located on the property for the tank facilities. EPA developed the first national database and application (UST Finder) on underground storage tanks, a user-friendly tool that provides the needed geospatial data for these tank facilities and source water protection areas.

Presenters: Fran Kremer, EPA Office of Research and Development; Alex Hall, EPA Office of Research and Development

2. Low-Cost Solar Powered Control Systems in Non-PRASA Drinking Water Treatment Systems

There are 242 small communities in remote and rugged locations not connected to Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) for their drinking water. This research seeks to develop, install, evaluate, and monitor affordable and sustainable treatment technologies to support non-PRASA systems achieving regulatory compliance. Over the past 14 years, substantial improvements have been made and EPA’s most recent upgrades from May 2021 are showcased in this presentation.

Presenters: Daniel Williams, EPA Office of Research and Development; Page Jordan, EPA Office of Research and Development