21st Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop: Small System Challenges and Solutions
Details | Lodging | Certificates | Planning Committee | History | Small Systems | Resources
Workshop Details
The 2024 workshop is being hosted by EPA's Office of Research and Development and Office of Water in partnership with the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA).
The first day will include a welcome and opening remarks from senior EPA officials!
- Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe
- Assistant Administrator for Research and Development Chris Frey
- Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott
When
September 17-19, 2024 (Eastern Time)
- September 16, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (early check in)
- September 17, 8:30 a.m. - 5:10 p.m.
- September 18, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- September 19, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Where
Graduate Cincinnati
151 Goodman Dr.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219, United States
(Wireless internet is complimentary throughout the meeting space)
Who Should Attend
The workshop is open to Tribal, state, and territory agencies responsible for public water systems. The workshop speakers and facilitators will be technical, regulatory, and communication experts from EPA; ASDWA; and Tribal, state, and territory agencies.
Focus and Agenda
This year, the workshop will focus on PFAS and lead (Pb) topics. It's been designed for government agencies responsible for drinking water regulations compliance and treatment technologies permitting. The workshop will provide current technical and regulatory information, resources, and training needed to help in building systems capacity and sustainability and with providing equitable access to drinking water.
The workshop will include technical presentation sessions, in-depth training sessions, breakout group roundtable discussions, topical deep dive and posters session, regional networking session, and other networking opportunities.
Special Accommodations and Inquiries
If you require special accommodations, please contact Sam Whately (ICF contractor to EPA) at [email protected] or 703-272-6632 by August 16, 2024.
General inquiries about the workshop may be directed to ICF, contractor to EPA, at [email protected].
Lodging
Note for EPA participants: Please include conference code MM262602 on your authorization.
The Graduate Cincinnati (Host Hotel)
The host hotel is full and no longer has rooms available. The nearby hotels listed below may still have availability.
Hampton Inn & Suites Cincinnati/Uptown-University Area
This hotel is across the street from the workshop. Rooms may be available at the government per diem rate of $156 per night plus applicable state and local taxes; however, there is not a room block. Wireless internet is complimentary and self parking is $9 daily.
- Phone: 513-281-2700
- Address: 3024 Short Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Springhill Suites Cincinnati Midtown
This hotel is a 10-minute drive from the workshop. A room block has been established under “EPA Small Systems Workshop.” The room block will close on September 1, 2024. Rooms in this block are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the government per diem rate of $156 per night plus applicable state and local taxes (currently 19.3%) in effect at the time of check-out. Wireless internet is complimentary and parking is $10 daily. If you have trouble obtaining the group rate, please send an email to [email protected].
- Online room block reservations (Phone: 513-381-8300)
- Address: 610 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Fairfield Inn and Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University Area
This hotel is a 5-minute drive from the workshop. Rooms may be available at the government per diem rate of $156 per night plus applicable state and local taxes; however, there is not a room block. Wireless internet is complimentary and offsite parking is available.
- Online reservations (Phone: 513-281-2200)
- Address: 2500 S Market St, Cincinnati, OH 45219
Hampton Inn & Suites Cincinnati Downtown
This hotel is an 11-minute drive from the workshop. Rooms may be available at the government per diem rate of $156 per night plus applicable state and local taxes; however, there is not a room block. Wireless internet is complimentary and parking (valet only) is $42 daily.
- Phone: 513-354-2430
- Address: 617 Vine St Suite A, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Attendance Certificates
Attendees will have the opportunity to receive certificates of attendance for participating. Certificates are typically sent via email within three-four weeks following the workshop—EPA cannot guarantee acceptance of certificates for continuing education or submit certificates to states or organizations.
Planning Committee and Support Team
The workshop is planned by a committee of EPA and ASDWA representatives with a broad range of drinking water technical, regulatory, and communications expertise. The committee is supported by a team contractors to EPA with expertise in event planning and coordination.
Planning Committee Members
EPA Office of Research and Development
- Laura Boczek (Committee Co-Chair), Research Microbiologist
- Michelle Latham (Committee Co-Chair), Water Technical Support Center Director
- Thomas F. Speth, Senior Science Advisor
- Jonathan Pressman, Drinking Water Treatment and Distribution Branch Chief
- Regan Murray, Water Infrastructure Division Director
- Sandhya Parshionikar, Associate National Program Director for Water Treatment and Infrastructure
- Marie Schneider, Communications Specialist (ORAU contractor to EPA)
- Grace Davis, Research Program Support Specialist (ORAU contractor to EPA)
EPA Office of Water
- Sarah Bradbury, Physical Scientist
- Michael Finn, Environmental Engineer
- Gregory Carroll, Standards and Risk Management Division Associate Director
- Alison Dugan, Environmental Engineer
- Andrew Pizzala, Environmental Protection Specialist
- Alex Horansky, Physical Scientist
EPA Region 8
- Troy D. Hill, Regional Science Liaison
Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
- Kevin Letterly, Government Affairs Manager
- Alan Roberson, Executive Director
Event Planning and Coordination Team
ICF (Contractor to EPA)
- Kaedra Jones, Director
- Sam Whately, Senior Health Science Meeting Planner
- Leah Hennelly, Health Science Conference and Event Coordinator
- Andrew Maresca, Environmental Health Science Researcher
Workshop History
To support the efforts of state and local officials to assist small systems, EPA and ASDWA have held an annual workshop for the past 20 years to provide timely information on a variety of drinking water topics relevant to small systems.
When the first workshop was held in 2004, it was by invitation only and designed as an educational opportunity for state staff working with small communities to install arsenic treatment technologies. In 2008, at the encouragement of state agencies, the workshop was opened to the public and expanded to include small drinking water system distribution, water quality, source water, treatment, and operations topics.
In 2023, we were excited to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of our workshop with close to 400 attendees. Online Agenda
About Small Systems
There are 145,720 active public water systems in the United States (including territories). Of these, 95% (138,923) are considered small systems under the Safe Drinking Water Act, meaning they serve 10,000 or fewer people.
- Small systems serving 500 or fewer people: 114,928
- Small systems serving 501-3,300 people: 18,753
- Small systems serving 3,301-10,000 people: 5,242
Data is from EPA’s Government Performance and Results (GPRA) Tool (2024 Quarter 1).
While many of these active small systems consistently provide safe, reliable drinking water to their customers, many face a number of challenges in their ability to achieve and maintain system sustainability. Some of these small system challenges include lack of expertise to choose, operate, and maintain systems; lack of financial resources; aging infrastructure; limited options for residual disposal; and state agencies with limited resources to support the large number of small systems. EPA's research is developing tools, technologies, and approaches to help small systems lower costs and provide safe drinking water now and in the future.
Learn more about small drinking water systems
Additional Resources
Webinar Series
In addition to this annual workshop, EPA also holds a free monthly webinar series. The Small Drinking Water Systems Webinar Series provides a forum for EPA to communicate directly with drinking water professionals to provide training and foster collaboration and dissemination of information. Beginning in January 2024, some webinars in the series are now being held in partnership with ASDWA.
Webinar topics vary each month and are primarily designed for Tribal, state, and territory government agencies responsible for drinking water regulations compliance and treatment technologies permitting. However, others may also benefit from the webinars, including water system operators, technical assistance providers, NGOs, local government personnel, academia, and private sector. This series will continue to provide the latest information on solutions for challenges facing small drinking water systems, but will now be more of an extension of the in-person workshop as it will include presentations that were given during the events. Webinars in this series are typically held on the last Tuesday of the month, from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.