ASDWA Annual Conference a Resounding Success

ASDWA’s Annual Conference in Norfolk on October 18-20 was a resounding success! Around 275 attendees spent 2 1/2 days hearing a wide variety of policy and technical presentations. 42 states were represented as well as 9 out of the 10 EPA Regions.
Randy Ellingboe, ASDWA’s President, kicked off the opening plenary session by summarizing the challenges that state drinking water programs are facing. Dr. Hughes Melton from the Virginia Department of Health gave a thought-provoking presentation of the metrics being used to assess the health of Virginia’s residents. Dr. Mark LeChevallier presented his view on 10 future drinking water issues based on this 35-year drinking water career.
Lee Forsgren, Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Water, and Mike Shapiro, Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Water, presented the news and views from EPA during this transition year. Steve Via from the American Water Works Association, then moderated a panel of experts on some of the issues and challenges associated with full lead service line replacement.
Two days of technical sessions followed – the presentations can be found here. The conference provided multiple networking opportunities in the exhibit hall and fun was had by all on Wednesday night’s dinner cruise along the Chesapeake Bay.
The conference wrapped up on Friday with a plenary session by state administrators on Connecticut’s state water plan, the use of alternative project delivery in Washington, Oregon’s revocation of it’s single filtration variance, and the growing problem of perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in New Hampshire. Alan Roberson, ASDWA’s Executive Director, closed the conference by summarizing how uncertainties abound in Washington, DC and the non-regulatory issues such PFCs, SDWIS Prime, risk communication challenges, and what to do about lead while waiting for the Long-Term Revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule.