CPE Water Broadcast Series

Topic: Keeping up with the Safe Drinking Water Act in an age of Ever-Emerging Contaminants

The US Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) is foundational to the nation’s public health. Over the more than fifty years since the initial promulgation of SDWA, the number of waterborne outbreaks and related burden of disease has rapidly declined, emphasizing the critical importance of the nation’s water and wastewater infrastructure and management professionals. However, the ever-increasing development and widespread use of anthropogenic chemicals to support modern life, coupled with more sensitive analytical capabilities, has resulted in the detection of a seemingly endless array of potential emerging contaminants in water sources that complicate both water treatment and customer communication. This workshop aims to: briefly review the structure of SDWA, including the process of detecting and designating new priority contaminants; describe the implementation of new priority contaminant requirements, using PFAS as an example; present new research on the detection of PFAS and its association with various contributing landuses; and finally, discuss present challenges related to public perceptions of municipal drinking water and potential communication strategies to reduce distrust and encourage public appreciation of the profession.

Speaker

Dr. Leigh-Anne Krometis is a Professor and Turner Faculty Fellow in Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech. Her research program is broadly focused on meeting challenges associated with safe drinking water and effective sanitation infrastructure in rural communities in the United States, with current active projects focused on the detection of PFAS chemicals in private drinking water systems, extending wastewater epidemiology techniques to rural systems, design of alternative water and wastewater systems, and tracking emerging contaminants in stormwater catchments. She is also a member of the four state collaborative Appalachian Community Technical Assistance and Training program, which provides on site training to water and wastewater operators in the Coalfields.

Topic: Bridging the Gap: Transforming Water Audit Data into Reliable Loss Reduction Planning

A comprehensive exploration of the AWWA M36 methodology is offered through this integrated training workshop, which is designed to guide water utilities through the essential frameworks of modern water loss management. The core principles of the AWWA Water Balance and the components of non-revenue water are established as a foundational resource, followed by a technical dive into the AWWA Free Water Audit Software (FWAS). Through this standardized approach, participants are instructed on how to quantify system losses, utilize data grading features, and interpret key performance indicators for actionable strategy development. The program is further strengthened by an examination of Level 1 Water Audit Validation, where industry-standard methodologies and statewide case studies are reviewed to ensure the highest degree of data integrity and credibility. By participating in these segments, utilities are positioned to enhance their technical capacity, ensuring that their water audits serve as reliable, validated instruments for sustainable resource management and financial recovery.

Speakers

Drew Blackwell is the Director of Water Efficiency at Cavanaugh.  Drew has more than 20 years of experience in water resource management.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in Environmental Studies.  Drew’s focus and passion are in working with state and regional agencies to identify needs in water loss control and designing training and technical assistance programs.  In addition to water loss teaching, Drew is involved in water auditing and analysis, water audit validation, and non-revenue water program design and implementation.

Drew is the  Secretary of the AWWA Water Loss Control Committee, a member of the International Water Association - Water Loss Specialist Group’s Leakage Emissions Initiative and serves on the Alliance for Water Efficiency Board of Directors. He is also the co-Principal Investigator for Water Research Foundation Project 5057: Level 1 Water Audit Validation Guidance.

Ashlee Hollifield is a Professional Engineer and Water Audit Validator at Cavanaugh. Ashlee has more than a decade of experience in water resource management and utility operations. Ashlee’s focus and passion are in working with state and regional agencies to identify their needs in water loss control and designing training and technical assistance programs.  In addition to water loss teaching, Ashlee is involved in water auditing and analysis, water audit validation, and non-revenue water program design and implementation. Ashlee is a member of the AWWA Water Loss Control Committee as well as a member of North American Water Loss Committee and conference planning. She is a co-author of the AWWA M36 Water Audits and Loss Control Programs, Fifth Edition.

Topic: Addressing Disinfection Byproducts: Challenges, Opportunities, and Implementation

Disinfection of drinking water is one of the great public health accomplishments of the 20th Century, eliminating most water-borne diseases and contributing to the 60 percent (60%) increase in American life expectancy between 1900 and 2000. The potential to form byproducts during drinking water disinfection is a concern, due to possible chronic health impacts over long periods of exposure. This accessible and lively presentation provides an overview of drinking water disinfection and potential disinfection byproducts (‘DBPs'), explains the formation of DBPs, and describes operational and technological applications to reduce and minimize DBPs formation at water treatment plants and in drinking water distribution systems. Highly recommended for water system operational staff, engineers, healthcare providers, water utility administrators, and anyone that enjoys drinking water.

Speaker

David Dawson serves as Engineering Field Director in the Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water, Abingdon Field Office, and chairs the VDH Virginia Optimization Program Committee. David serves on the AWWA Partnership for Safe Water Steering Committee, is  secretary of the Coalfield Water Development Fund Board, and previously chaired the Water Utility Committee of the Virginia Section AWWA. Well known as a continuing education instructor in Virginia, David previously worked as water utility manager, engineering consultant, and senior research engineer in the private sector. David is a licensed professional engineer, holds a PhD in Environmental Systems Engineering, and was a licensed wastewater works operator in Ohio, where he began collecting and analyzing wastewater samples in 1981.

Topic: Tank Sites, Security, Inspection, & Compliance

The topic covered is on water storage tanks.  The first portion of the broadcast will be from the perspective of a tank maintenance and rehabilitation company.  They will go through the history of water storage tanks and the different types that are out in water distribution systems.  The presentation will include how tanks should be considered assets in a utility’s asset management program and the different ways that tanks can be maintained and rehabilitated.  Attendees will also be shown some of the issues and concerns that utility’s face when proper and regular maintenance activities have not been a part of their operations and maintenance.  The second part of the broadcast will be water storage tanks and the perspective of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) when they come to visit and inspect a utility’s water storage tank(s).  VDH will go over their inspection checklist with the attendees and discuss what VDH would like to see from them.  VDH will cover some of the “do’s and “don'ts” that a utility needs to be aware of when it comes to their water storage tanks.

Speakers: Ryan Lucy and Lisa Crabtree

Ryan Lucy, a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, joined the Southern Corrosion family in 2016 as a coatings inspector. He brings more than a decade of experience in business development and customer service to the team, proudly serving clients in the Mid-Atlantic and Northern territories for the company Ryan is an AMPP credentialed Level 2 Certified Coatings Inspector and a certified trainer in Engineered Tank Care™ water tank maintenance.

Lisa R. Crabtree is a District Engineer with the Virginia Department of Health Office of Drinking Water (VDH-ODW), responsible for technical assistance and regulatory compliance of 15 water treatment plants, 71 community waterworks, and 74 noncommunity waterworks in the Abingdon Field Office of VDH-ODW. Lisa also coordinates regulatory documentation and IT support for the Abingdon Field Office, and has been recognized for the excellent quality of her continuing education presentations for the drinking water community. Lisa previously served as Director of Environmental Compliance for Georgia Gulf, overseeing air, water, and waste operations for more than 20 chemical and building material production facilities located in several countries. In addition, Lisa directed regulatory compliance for a paper mill and also managed regulatory and safety compliance for facilities of an international food processing corporation. Lisa is a Certified Safety Professional and holds a BS degree in Physics from Emory & Henry College, and a MS degree in Environmental Engineering from Middle Tennessee State University.

Topic:  Cross-Connection Control

This broadcast will be a review of the Cross Connection Control Sections of the Revised Waterworks Regulations. Awareness of the VBCOA Codes for Drinking Water, and the Relationship of the Regs chapter to the Uniform Statewide Building Code.  We will discuss a summary of the regulatory responsibilities for Waterworks Owners and the requirements for certification of backflow prevention workers and device testers as stated in the Waterworks Regulations, Jan 2023; identify different types of backflow prevention appurtenances, several cross connection situations and the degree of hazard; and identify reasons why plans may need updates. Resources for developing and managing your CCCP will also be covered.

Speakers: Bob Eleman, Lee Strickland (VDH)

Bob Edelman is Director of the Division of Technical Services, with the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Drinking Water (VDH ODW). He previously served as Field Services Engineer and District Engineer and worked with waterworks in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, and Arlington Counties, and has been with VDH ODW for over 23 years. He “held the pencil” while ODW drafted updates to the Waterworks Regulations 2021, including the cross-connection control requirements. He chairs ODW’s Lead and Copper Rule committee and regularly presents updates to the Waterworks Advisory Committee.  He assists with updates to the Virginia Waterworks Regulations, developing and updating policy, overseeing source water protection, and geographic information systems (GIS) activities, statewide.  He was deeply involved with the amendments to the Waterworks Regulations adopted in June 2021. Prior to joining VDH ODW, he was a licensed professional engineer in private practice for 14 years. He holds Bachelors and Master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts.

Lee Strickland is a Sustainability Coordinator in the Office of Drinking Water. He has been with ODW since 2018. He started as an inspector in Southeast Virginia Field Office in Norfolk, and most recently served as a sampling specialist with the state's first Sampling Verification Program. Prior to joining ODW, he became a licensed Class1 waterworks operator with Newport News Waterworks. Before joining the water sector, he was zookeeper at the Virginia Zoological Park.

Topic: Annual VDH, FCAP, DPOR Update
This course counts toward the DPOR management credit requirement.

Description

Speakers: VDH, DPOR

Bio

Topic: Troubleshooting - three perspectives including operational, structural, instrumentation

This course will cover troubleshooting at water treatment plants in the various aspects of operational, structural and instrumentation.  This presentation will be the results of case studies at different water treatment plants and how the issues were discovered and resolved with some lessons learned from each of the studies.

Speakers: 

Steven Hutchings, CMRP, CMRT, CRL, Senior Associate
Steven Hutchings is a Senior Associate and National Maintenance & Reliability Practice Leader at Hazen and Sawyer. With over 30 years' experience in maintenance, reliability, and asset management, Steve has filled field-level through executive leadership roles that required in-depth analysis, design, implementation, and improvement of maintenance and reliability programs for water and wastewater utilities around the world.

Dustin Perry, PE, Senior Associate
Dustin Perry, PE, is a Senior Associate based in Raleigh specializing in the structural engineering of water and wastewater treatment and pumping facilities. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in North Carolina and has extensive experience delivering structural solutions that support safe, reliable facility operations. Dustin regularly supports utilities through design, construction administration, and operational coordination to ensure infrastructure performs as intended over its full life cycle.

TJ Lynch, Associate Vice President
TJ Lynch is an Associate Vice President and licensed operator based in Raleigh and plays a key leadership role in Hazen and Sawyer’s operations assistance efforts. He regularly leads and organizes operations-focused coordination and support activities, helping utilities address staffing, performance, and operational challenges. TJ is known for bridging strategy and execution, ensuring operational improvements are practical, sustainable, and aligned with utility goals.

Kirk Sutton, Senior Associate
Kirk Sutton is a Senior Associate based in Roanoke with more than 30 years of experience in instrumentation, controls, and utility operations support. His background includes extensive hands‑on experience with SCADA, DCS/PLC systems, control operations training, and startup and troubleshooting of wastewater facilities and pump stations. Kirk holds multiple safety and technical certifications, including confined space qualification and arc flash training.

Topic: Pumps: An Application Guide

This course will cover the fundamentals of pumps, pump types, pump applications for each type, and pump components.  The course will cover how pumps are selected and how the calculations used to determine total dynamic head, total suction head, pump efficiency are used to select the proper pump.  The course will also cover pump troubleshooting and some lessons learned.

Speakers

Eric Anderson is the lead designer and project manager for water and wastewater projects for CHA Companies. Eric holds a Bachelors and Master of Science & Civil and Environment Engineering from Virginia Tech. Eric Anderson is a senior process engineer with CHA in Blacksburg, Virginia. Eric was awarded a BS degree in 1997 and an MS degree in 1999, both from Virginia Tech. Eric has been engaged in the design of water/wastewater treatment plants and pump stations for twenty years and he has been responsible for the process design of numerous water treatment plant upgrades. He is licensed as a professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Eric lives in Blacksburg with his wife and four children.

Topic: Utility Management
This course counts toward the DPOR management credit requirement.

Description

Speakers: Adrianna Dimperio and Kennedy Jenks

For more than 20 years, Adrianna Dimperio has worked to improve water systems in the southeastern US where she has focused on utility and asset management including capital improvement planning, facilities improvement, treatment and pipeline systems, dams and more. In addition to working for several regional and global engineering firms throughout her career, Dimperio also served as the Chief of Facilities Engineering at the City of Newport News Waterworks Department. There, she led a team of engineers and external professional engineering consultants in the planning, design, and construction of numerous utility-wide projects. The current Chair of the Virginia American Water Works Association (VA AWWA), Dimperio is a long-time volunteer and former WaterJAM conference committee co-chair for VA AWWA. Her tenure as VA AWWA Chair will culminate with hosting the upcoming WaterJAM 2023 Conference–a joint event between the VA AWWA and the Virginia Water Environment Association–from September 11-14, 2023. Dimperio will serve as Past Chair for the upcoming year, leading the Trustees and nomination process for future board members. Dimperio holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia and is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia.