ASDWA’s Annual Conference a Success

ASDWA would like to extend a big “Thank You!” to all of the participants, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors that made this year’s Annual Conference a great success.  The conference was held last week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and had about 280 participants from 40 states, Guam, EPA headquarters and Regions, USGS, technical assistance provider organizations, consulting firms, associations, universities, and equipment manufacturers.  Highlights from the plenary session on state and federal perspectives included: an overview of state drinking water program perspectives from June Swallow, ASDWA’s President and Rhode Island drinking water administrator; a warm welcome from Steve Elmore, the new Director of the Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; an update on the events in Flint, Michigan from Bryce Feighner, the new Chief of the Office of Drinking Water and Municipal Assistance for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; and an overview of EPA’s drinking water initiatives and activities from Joel Beauvais, the Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water, and Peter Grevatt, the Director of EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water.
The conference also featured state and state-EPA roundtables; plenary sessions on harmful algal blooms and state programs; concurrent sessions on a variety of topics; exhibits and networking breaks; receptions with a polka band and a tribute to Jim Taft, ASDWA’s Executive Director, who will be leaving us at the end of the year.  Some of the session topics included:  lead service line programs in the cities of Madison and Milwaukee; corrosion control; distribution systems; monitoring data, data reporting, and compliance tracking; operator certification; RTCR assessments; technical assistance programs; source water protection; water loss and water resource planning; small systems; technologies; emergency planning and preparedness; and more.  The PowerPoint presentations from the conference may be accessed by contacting Anthony DeRosa of ASDWA at [aderosa (at) asdwa (dot) org].
Next Year’s Conference in Norfolk, Virginia:  Mark your calendars now for next year’s ASDWA Annual Conference that will be held in Norfolk, Virginia from October 17-20, 2017.