20th Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop: Session 2
Breakout Focus Group Discussions
Discussion questions and facilitator biographies for Session 2 of the 20th Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop.
September 12, 2023 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET
See the full workshop agenda for all sessions.
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F
Group A: Corrosion
Discussion Question:
What are the most pressing corrosion control and lead issues and how are they being addressed?
Facilitators:
- Darren A. Lytle, Ph.D., P.E. | EPA Office of Research and Development
Darren is an environmental engineer with EPA's Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since beginning work at EPA in 1991, his primary goal has been to research the quality of drinking water. Over the years, he has investigated and published works on drinking water systems, including work on distribution system corrosion control and water quality (e.g., red water control, lead and copper corrosion control); filtration (emphasis on removal of particles, and microbial contaminants and pathogens from water); biological water treatment; and iron and arsenic removal. Darren holds a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois, an M.S. in environmental engineering from the University of Cincinnati, and a and a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Akron. - Stacy Jones, M.A. | Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Stacy has worked for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Drinking Water Branch since March 1992, except for a brief 3-year stint at a large water company. She is currently a regulatory implementation specialist with the Drinking Water Branch, a position she has held since 2004. In this position, she helps implement drinking water regulations, including providing training to both IDEM staff and water industry professionals. She has been working with the Lead and Copper Rule since 1993, both as a regulator and at a water utility. Stacy has an M.A. in natural resources and environmental management from Ball State University and a B.A. in earth science from DePauw University.
Group B: Pathogens and Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)
Discussion Questions:
What are the pathogens of concern from distribution systems to premise plumbing? What is the highest priority regulatory or non-regulatory issue for reducing exposure to DBPs?
Facilitators:
- Alison Dugan, M.S., P.E. | EPA Office of Water
Alison Dugan has been working as an environmental engineer with EPA’s Technical Support Branch in the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water in Cincinnati, Ohio for over 20 years. As a member of the Agency’s drinking water treatment optimization team, her primary focus has been developing approaches for water systems to optimize their existing operations and infrastructure to control DBP formation in the plant and distribution system, while not compromising other treatment objectives. She has developed and provided training on these concepts to state, regional, and national audiences. Alison holds an M.S. and a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Cincinnati and is a registered professional engineer in Ohio. - Laura Boczek, M.S. | EPA Office of Research and Development
Laura is a research microbiologist with EPA's Office of Research and Development, Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Her research areas have focused on disinfection efficacy of various microorganisms in drinking water, including the study of premise plumbing pathogens with an emphasis on Legionella; specifically, the ecology of these organisms, understanding how they persist, and what steps can be taken to mitigate the risk of infection to insure public health protection. She has also been involved with antibiotic resistance studies in various environmental matrixes and with pathogens and method development in biosolids. Laura holds an M.S. in biological science from the University of Cincinnati and a B.S. in biological science from Northern Kentucky University.
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, B.S. | Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
Ashley is a senior policy analyst with ASDWA, where she focuses primarily on the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR), regulatory implementation, engineering and standards, and compliance and enforcement. Prior to joining ASDWA in January 2022, Ashley spent five years as an environmental specialist with Ohio EPA’s Division of Drinking and Ground Waters, working on regulatory development and implementation with a specific focus on the LCR, unregulated contaminants, and engineering standards. She previously worked at U.S. EPA’s Office of Research and Development where she conducted research on the impacts of corrosion on lead in drinking water. Ashley received her B.S. in chemical engineering from The Ohio State University. - Deborah Vacs Renwick, M.E., P.E. | EPA Office of Water
Deborah is an environmental engineer with EPA’s Office of Water, Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water, where she has worked on drinking water rule development and implementation, workforce development, distribution system water quality issues, and technical assistance projects. Before joining EPA in 2016, she worked as a water quality and regulatory compliance engineer at the Alameda County Water District in Fremont, California and served as a water and sanitation volunteer in the Peace Corps in Peru. Deborah holds an M.E. in water quality and environmental engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an Sc.B. in civil and environmental engineering from Brown University, and she is a registered professional engineer in the District of Columbia. - Diane Vitello, M.S. | Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Diane is the permitting and capacity development section lead for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. She has overseen Missouri’s Capacity Development Program since 2017 and led the state’s efforts to update their Capacity Development Strategy for Existing Public Water Systems in accordance with the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018. Diane holds an M.S. and a B.S. in geological engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Group D: Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)
Discussion Question:
How are primacy agencies and water systems addressing simultaneous compliance, treatment, analytical methods, residual management, and BIL funding?
Facilitators:
- Eugene Leung, M.S., P.E. | California State Water Resource Control Board
Eugene Leung (lee-young) is the drinking water treatment technical specialist for the California Water Board’s State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water (DDW), which is responsible for developing and enforcing drinking water regulations and standards in California. His office is in the San Francisco Bay Area, and he is responsible for the review and acceptance of treatment technologies and techniques for drinking water treatment. Eugene’s current efforts include working with and reviewing technologies as alternative filtration technologies, biological treatment of inorganic and organic contaminants, and treatment of PFAS and hexavalent chromium. He has also guided various state funded studies in UV-AOP; point-of-use and point-of-entry treatment; and true cost, feasibility, and challenges of nitrate treatment at disadvantaged communities. Eugene has worked for California’s Drinking Water Program since 1997, where he started as a field engineer regulating public water systems and was promoted to his current position in 2010. Prior to this, he worked for a year at Alameda County Water District. Eugene Holds an M.S. and a B.S. in civil engineering from UCLA and is a registered civil engineer and a T4 Water Treatment Operator in California. - Jonathan Pressman, Ph.D., P.E. | EPA Office of Research and Development
Jonathan is the branch chief of the Drinking Water Treatment and Distribution Branch of EPA’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response, Water Infrastructure Division in the Office of Research and Development. Since joining EPA in 2005, his research has focused on process engineering for improving disinfection, reducing disinfection byproducts, characterizing NOM and most recently PFAS removal. Jonathan holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in civil engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in civil engineering from Cornell University. He is a registered professional engineer in Ohio and Texas. - Thomas F. Speth, Ph.D., P.E. | EPA Office of Research and Development
Tom serves as senior science advisor for EPA’s Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response in the Office of Research and Development. He is a professional engineer who has worked in the field of water treatment research at EPA since 1986. At EPA, Tom has served as branch chief of EPA’s Treatment Technology Evaluation Branch from May 2005 to January 2009. From January 2009 to March 2018, he served as division director of EPA’s Water Supply and Water Resources Division. During this time, from September 2015 to December 2016, he served in a detail with EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water’s Standards and Risk Management Division as a senior engineering advisor assigned to the Flint Enforcement Team. From March 2018 to April 2023, he served as the associate director for science for the Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. Tom is a member of AWWA, ASCE, and ACS. He has served as trustee for AWWA's Water Quality and Technology Division, an associate editor for ASCE's Journal of Environmental Engineering, a member of Journal AWWA’s Editorial Advisory Board, and as a trustee and chair of AWWA’s Water Science and Research Division. Tom has a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Cincinnati, an M.S. in civil/environmental engineering from Michigan Technological University, and a B.S. in chemical engineering from Michigan Technological University.
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, P.E. | EPA Office of Water
Mike is an environmental engineer with EPA's Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water, Targeted Community and Compliance Assistance Branch. He is currently working with states and public water systems on the implementation of the Surface Water Treatment Rules, the Disinfection Byproducts Rules, the Groundwater Rule, and the Lead and Copper Rule, as well as microbial and other contaminant treatment issues, alternative treatment technologies, and potable water reuse. Mike has 30 years of experience in public water supplies and drinking water treatment and serves as a national subject matter expert in the areas of disinfection and microbial treatment of drinking water. He is a licensed professional engineer in California and Maryland and a certified water treatment operator. - Kevin Letterly, M.S. | Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
Kevin is a senior policy analyst with ASDWA and has been with ASDWA for five years. Some of his areas of focus include AWOP, drinking water security issues, climate change, and lead testing in schools. Kevin holds an M.S. in environmental science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a B.S. in environmental science from the University of Illinois-Champaign.
Group F: Risk, Crisis, and General Communication
Discussion Question:
What alternative approaches are needed to facilitate the development of communication tools and messaging, considering the different needs of small systems operators and customers, and what approaches have been effective?
Facilitators:
- Michelle Latham, M.Ed. | EPA Office of Research and Development
Michelle is a communications specialist with EPA’s Office of Research and Development, where she has led the outreach and stakeholder engagement support for the cross-cutting national research programs since 2019. Prior to her current position, she served as the technical communications and outreach lead for ORD’s Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research Program from 2014-2019 and as the technical communications lead for the Water Supply and Water Resources Division of ORD’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory from 2008-2014. A large portion of Michelle’s efforts at EPA focus on drinking water issues, response, and communication. She is the co-chair of the annual EPA drinking water workshop and is a member of EPA’s Response Support Corps. Michelle holds an M.Ed., a B.S. in biology, and a B.L.A. from Xavier University; an A.A.S. from Shoreline College; and a C.G. in advanced medical lab technology from the Naval School of Health Sciences. - Diane Russell, B.S. | EPA Region 5
Diane is a community involvement coordinator with EPA’s Region 5, where she leverages her position in a Michigan field office to maximize engagement and relationship building in communities experiencing an emergency or living through long-term cleanups. Over her nearly 15-year career, she has become a national subject matter expert in community engagement specializing in science and risk communication. Some of her high-profile projects include dioxin and furan cleanup in and along the Tittabawassee River, PCB cleanup in and along the Kalamazoo River, DDT and PBB cleanup at the Former Velsicol Chemical Plant in St. Louis, Missouri, PFAS and heavy metal waste removal in Rockford, Michigan from former tannery operations by Wolverine World Wide, and lead the community engagement teams in the Flint Water Response and the East Palestine Train Derailment in Ohio. Diane has also leveraged resources to empower communities to effectively participate in decision-making including development and support of five Superfund Community Advisory Groups (CAGs) within the region, management of a multi-community, long-term facilitation support contract, and lead a multi-agency agreement bringing over $1.5 million dollars to community partners for fish consumption advisory education. She prioritizes award-winning methods in her work and integrates teaching and on-the-ground experience to mentor young professionals. Diane holds a B.S. with double majors in geophysics and earth science secondary education from Western Michigan University. - Mark Verbsky, REHS | Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Mark has over 35 years of public health service, with the last 29 years as an environmental specialist II inspecting public water systems with OEPA. He is a registered environmental health specialist and a former Certified Class 3 Water Treatment Plant Operator in Ohio. His primary focus has been on non-community public water system compliance, and he has served on numerous OEPA workgroups and on the American Water Works Association’s Ohio Section committees. Mark currently serves as the chairman of the State of Ohio Operator Certification Advisory Council.