EPA/600/S-21/208 | September 2021 |
United States
Environmental Protection
Aaencv
Technical Support Summary
FISCAL YEAR 2020

Office of Research and Development
Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response

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EPA/600/S-21/208
September 2021
Technical Support Summary
Office of Research and Development
Fiscal Year 2020
by
Isaac Howard
Technical Writer
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Student Services
Contractor to the US Environmental Protection Agency
Cincinnati, OH, 45268
Jennifer Tully
Physical Scientist
Office of Research and Development
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Christy Muhlen
Physical Scientist
Office of Research and Development
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Water Infrastructure Division
Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response
Cincinnati, OH 45268

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Disclaimer Statement
The information this report has been reviewed in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's policy and approved for publication. The views expressed in this article are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent the views or the policies of EPA. Any mention of trade names,
manufacturers, or products does not imply an endorsement by the U.S. Government or EPA; EPA and
its employees do not endorse any commercial products, services, or enterprises.

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Contents
Disclaimer Statement	ii
Figures	iv
Tables	iv
Acronyms and Abbreviations	v
1.0 FY2020 Technical Assistance Requests	 1
Office of Research and Development	1
2.0 Technical Assistance Highlights	 5
Small Drinking Water Systems Technical Support 		5
17th Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop: Small Systems Challenges and
Solutions	 5
London, Ohio Biological Ammonia Removal for Small Systems		6
Corrosion Control for Lead Technical Support	 7
University Park, Illinois Lead Particle Sampling	 7
Virtual Region 5 LCR-OCCT Workgroup Series	 8
Microbial Contaminants Technical Support	 9
Permitting Approval Process for Kentucky's First Ultraviolet Disinfection System . 9
Merrimack River Monitoring System	10
PFAS Technical Support	11
Effectiveness of PFAS Removal with Granular Activated Carbon	11
Harmful Algal Blooms Technical Support	12
Kansas Department of Health and Environment's 10th Annual HABs Workshop ..12
Emergency Response Technical Support	12
Ohio Coronavirus Wastewater Monitoring Network	12
Laboratory Methods Technical Support	14
ORD Drinking Water Methods	14
Water Models and Tools	15
EPANET	15
Storm Water Management Model	15
Drinking Water Treatability Database	16
EPA Stormwater Calculator	16
Tribal Community Technical Support	18
Chloroform Contaminant in Water System	18
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Figures
Figure 1. FY2020 Technical support provided by ORD, stratified by type of assistance provided.
	1
Figure 2. States in blue received FY2020 technical support from ORD.
	2
Figure 3. FY2020 technical support provided by ORD, showing count of activities and hours spent on
each type of technical support topics.
	3
Figure 4. FY2020 technical support provided, stratified by type of requestor.
	4
Figure 5. EPA Small System Workshop Image Collage.
	5
Figure 6. City of London water professionals with the biological pilot system.
	6
Figure 7. Plumbing materials under the sink of a University Park home (including lead soldered joints).
	7
Figure 8. Visual examination of an LSL scale under the stereomicroscope. Describing the various
textures, characteristics, and colors of the scale layers present.
	8
gure 9. Kentucky River Station II Water Treatment Plant.
	9
gure 10. Water monitoring station in the Lawrence section of the Lower Merrimack River.
gure 11. Individual algal cells that on rapid increase in a water body create an algal bloom,
gure 12. Ohio Coronavirus Wastewater Monitoring Network,
gure 13. Collection of a drinking water sample for analysis,
gure 14. EPA's SWMM Graphical User Interface (GUI),
gure 15. Parcel map for the City of Marianna.
.10
.12
.13
.14
.16
.17
T ables
Table 1. FY2020 Modeling Downloads and Views.
.15
.19
.20
Table 2. All FY2020 Technical Support Requests Related to Lead.
Table 3. All FY2020 Technical Support Requests Related to PFAS.
iv

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Acronyms and Abbreviations
ASDWA
Association of State Drinking Water Administrators
CCL
Contaminant Candidate List
CDC
Center of Disease Control
CEC
Contaminants of Emerging Concern
CESER
Center for Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response
CRADA
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
CWA
Clean Water Act
DNR
Department of Natural Resources
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
FEMA
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FY
Fiscal Year
GAC
Granular Activated Carbon
GUI
Graphical User Interface
HABs
Harmful Algal Blooms
LCR
Lead and Copper Rule
LSL
Lead Service Line
MGD
Million Gallons per day
NGO
Non-governmental Organization
OCCT
Optimal Corrosion Control Treatment
OEPA
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
ORD
Office of Research and Development
OW
Office of Water
PFAS
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances
Rl-10
Region 1-10
RNA
Ribonucleic Acid
SDWA
Safe Drinking Water Act
SWMM
Storm Water Management Model
SSWR
Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
SWC
Stormwater Calculator
TBD
Treatability Database
UCMR
Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule
US
United States
USACE
United States Army Corps of Engineer
UV
Ultraviolet
V

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1.0 FY2020 Technical Assistance Requests
Office of Research and Development
This report provides a summary of the technical support requests that the United States Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) staff responded to during fiscal
year (FY) 2020 related to water treatment and infrastructure. In the Safe and Sustainable Water
Resources Research Program underthe Water Treatment and Infrastructure research topic, ORD
conducts customer-driven research, provides scientific leadership on national-scale problems, and
works with communities, water utilities, states, and other national and Regional EPA Offices to solve
water quality issues.
ORD's technical support provides communities and state agencies across the United States with
scientific information and insight, delivers high quality science for use in formulating risk management
decisions, regulation or other policy actions, assistance in modeling applications, technical training on
laboratory methods and other techniques, and community design and planning. Due to the COVID-19
pandemic much of ORD's typical on-site technical assistance went virtual. Although opportunities for
in-person trainings and data collection decreased, staff increased the number of presentations
provided in FY2020 by almost 200 occasions from FY2019 (Figure 1). In FY2020, ORD technical support
was primarily requested through phone calls, emails, in-person/virtual meetings, workshops,
conferences and teleconferences.
O
U
12	11
Provide or Model or Review/revise Other Tools and Analyze data Assessments	Collect Provide Share data Draft original
present method documents technologies	measurements training documents
technical development/ development	or generate
information application	data
Assistance Provided
Figure 1. FY2020 Technical support provided by ORD, stratified by type of assistance provided.
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ORD provides technical support in the areas of stormwater management and water reuse to improve
best practices. Hydraulic and water quality modeling for drinking water and stormwater management
is also an important aspect of ORD's research portfolio, including the maintenance and application of
models like EPANET, the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), and the National Stormwater
Calculator (SWC), Research conducted in ORD supports the regulatory and nonregulatory scientific
needs of EPA; water utilities, and state, local, territorial and tribal agencies in their implementation of
the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and other legislative and policy
mandates. In FY2020, EPA ORD recorded 289 technical requests from 30 states, all 10 Regional Offices,
and 14 different nations (Figure 2).
States Assisted
Figure 2. States in blue received FY2020 technical support from ORD.
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~ Count • Hours
Modeling Assistance
Microbiological
Chemicals
Other
Small systems
_g	Lead (Pb)
o	Green Infrastructure
>-	Corrosion
<1)
^	Laboratory Methods
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance
Harmful Algal Bloom
Biosolids m 1
Treatment
Legionella 1
2
50	100	150	200
Count and Hours
Figure 3. FY2020 technical support provided by ORD, showing count of activities and hours spent on
each technical support topic.
Throughout FY2020, ORD provided resources for critical water-related requests (Figure 3) to individual
citizens, environmental protection groups, environmental consulting firms, academic institutions,
international entities, EPA Regional Offices, US cities and states, as well as other US federal agencies
(Figure 4).
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Other - Support provided to other EPA offices (excluding the Office of Water and Regional Offices),
international organizations, or individual citizens.
EPA Regional Office - Support provided to one of the ten Regional offices, each of which is responsible
for the execution of EPA programs within their states and territories.
Educational Institution - Support provided to schools, universities, or educational organizations.
Federal Agency - Support provided to another federal organization (ex. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA)).
US State - Support provided on the State level.
US Cities and Communities - Support provided to various cities and communities across the United
States.
Office of Water (OW) - Support provided to the EPA OW. The OW is responsible for implementing the
CWA and the SDWA, among other legislative and policy mandates.
Figure 4. FY2020 technical support provided, stratified by type of requestor.
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2.0 Technical Assistance Highlights
Small Drinking Water Systems Technical Support
There are approximately 155,693 public water systems in the United States, of these, 97% are small
systems, meaning they serve 10,000 or fewer people. Many of these systems face some challenges in
achieving and maintaining system sustainability. Challenges include lack of expertise to operate and
maintain systems; lack of financial resources; aging infrastructure; limited options for residual disposal;
and state primacy agencies with limited resources to support so many small systems.
ORD conducts research on treatment technologies, costs, and best practices to support small drinking
water systems around the nation. In addition, ORD researchers provide many forms of technical
support geared toward small systems, including, but not limited to, providing expert advice, analyzing
samples, sharing data, offering training, and assisting with pilot scale implementation.
17th Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop: Small Systems Challenges and Solutions
The 17th Annual EPA Drinking Water Workshop, held in partnership with the Association of State
Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), took place virtually from August 31-September 3, 2020. The
workshop provided in-depth information and training on solutions and strategies for handling small
drinking water system challenges with a focus on monitoring, distribution, source, and treatment
topics.
Figure 5. EPA Small System Workshop Image Collage.
The workshop attracted over 3,300 attendees from all 50 states (including 34 Tribal Nations/Councils),
4 territories, the District of Columbia, and 4 different countries. Attendees included representatives
from federal, tribal, state, and local governments, environmental and health agencies, water utilities,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and associations, universities, and private consulting
groups/industry. Although in-person networking opportunities were lost due to the COVID-19
pandemic, accessibility to the workshop increased substantially, with the number of attendees
increasing over 700% from the 2019 workshop.
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London, Ohio Biological Ammonia Removal for Small Systems
Many regions in the United States have excessive levels of ammonia in their drinking water sources
because of naturally occurring processes, agricultural and urban runoff, concentrated animal feeding
operations, municipal wastewater treatment plants, and other sources. Ammonia (NH s) is not
regulated by the EPA as a contaminant; however, the EPA has issued a lifetime exposure advisory
and taste threshold concentration of 30 mg/L NH3. Ammonia in the source water may not pose a direct
health concern, but nitrification (which is the conversion of ammonia to nitrite and nitrate by
bacteria) in the distribution system can cause water quality issues, such as elevated nitrite and
nitrate levels at consumers taps.
The City of London's water utility professionals contacted ORD researchers to discuss options for
addressing high levels of ammonia found in the city's new source water. To assist the city in the
removal of the ammonia, ORD installed a patented EPA biological pilot system (Figure 6) in their water
treatment plant. ORD also provided training on how to operate the system and instruction for how
to collect weekly samples. The city sent these samples to be analyzed in ORD's analytical laboratory
for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, arsenic, iron, and other inorganic compounds. The pilot system has been
operating since August of 2020 and has successfully decreased the concentration of ammonia, iron,
arsenic, and manganese in the drinking water to low levels. This technical support effort has helped
inform the community on how to address high levels of ammonia, and the approach can be adopted by
other communities looking for affordable solutions.
Figure 6. City of London water professionals with the biological pilot system.
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Corrosion Control for Lead Technical Support
Drinking water lead contamination continues to be one of the most pressing challenges affecting public
health in communities with aging water infrastructure. In these communities, changes to source water
and water treatment can sometimes have adverse effects that result in pipe corrosion issues. Lead in
drinking water poses significant health risks, especially to small children.
As part of the Federal Lead Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health
Impacts, ORD conducts extensive research on strategies to reduce lead in drinking water. ORD research
focuses on corrosion control treatment, exposure assessment and modeling tools, source
characterization and assessment, and drinking water sampling and monitoring approaches. See Table 2
at the end of this document for a complete listing of all lead technical support requests addressed in
FY2020. Two lead-related technical support requests are described here.
University Park, Illinois Lead Particle Sampling
University Park is a village that changed the source of its drinking water from groundwater to surface
water. The treated surface water had a different water quality (i.e. lower alkalinity and hardness) than
the previously used groundwater.
Figure 7. Plumbing materials under the sink of a University Park home (including lead soldered joints).
Not long after this change in source water, during compliance sampling for EPA's Lead and Copper Rule
(LCR), the system was found to have exceeded the lead action level. Although there are no known lead
service lines (LSLs) in the village, there are other sources of lead in the premise plumbing, e.g., leaded
solder (Figure 7) and brass fixtures. To gain a better understanding of why this exceedance
occurred, EPA Region 5 (R5) requested ORD participation on a technical support team.
As part of R5's request, ORD conducted field sampling in University Park to help identify the cause and
mechanisms of elevated lead release. The objective of the sampling was to characterize the form, size,
and composition of lead particles in University Park's drinking water. Samples were sent to
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ORD's analytical laboratory to conduct multiple analyses including lead in water concentrations,
particle size fractionation, electron microscopy, and diffraction techniques. This technical support
helped to inform R5's guidance to the state and village on steps they could take to return to
compliance.
Virtual Region 5 LCR-OCCT Workgroup Series
States in R5 were interested in organizing an in-person meeting to discuss the LCR and Optimal
Corrosion Control Treatment (OCCT) topics. Organizers reached out to ORD to speak on the current
science and research of lead and copper corrosion. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting was
conducted virtually, and ORD researchers contributed two presentations to the sessions and were
available to answer attendee questions. ORD researchers discussed the importance of water quality
parameters that can impact metal release. Further, ORD researchers presented methods on how to
conduct pipe scale analyses and how that information can help drinking water utilities to better
understand their systems.
Figure 8. Visual examination of a LSL scale under the stereomicroscope. Describing the various textures,
characteristics, and colors of the scale layers present.
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Microbial Contaminants Technical Support
Microbial contaminants such as pathogenic viruses, bacteria, protozoa and cyanobacteria toxins in
treated drinking water can adversely affect public health, causing short-term and long-term health
effects. The next two examples of technical support are related to treatment technologies, monitoring
and modeling to address microbial contaminants in water.
Permitting Approval Process for Kentucky's First Ultraviolet Disinfection System
At the request of the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection - Division of Water, ORD
researchers reviewed the validation testing and analysis report submitted by an ultraviolet (UV)
disinfection manufacturer and participated in several discussions concerning the Commonwealth of
Kentucky's permitting process for UV disinfection systems. Using an existing OW 2006 UV Disinfection
Guidance Manual and ORD's 2020 report "Innovative Approaches for Validation of UV Disinfection
Reactors for Drinking Water Systems," (EPA/600/R-20/094) meeting participants assessed the results
of UV system validation reports. In FY2020, Kentucky's Department for Environmental Protection
granted the Commonwealth's first UV disinfection credit approvals for both Cryptosporidium and
Giardia to two drinking water systems. One of the plants is expected to be operational in the Fall of
2021 (Figure 9).
Figure 9. Kentucky River Station II Water Treatment Plant.
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Merrimack River Monitoring System
The Merrimack River is located in the New England region of the United States and flows for 115 miles
between New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The coastal river, subject to climate impacts, provides
drinking water for approximately 500,000 people in five different Massachusetts communities.
ORD researchers have been providing technical support to this region since 2016 as a part of the EPA's
"Making a Visible Difference" program. The Merrimack River is a critical yet threatened drinking water
resource as it receives both wastewater and storm water discharge from nearby urban environments.
ORD researchers assisted in developing a comprehensive water strategy plan which includes river
mapping and water quality analyses. To better understand the river's water quality, ORD researchers
have installed two monitoring stations (Figure 10) in Lawrence, Massachusetts. ORD researchers
developed real-time water monitoring (using sensors that measure-water quality and pathogen
concentrations every 15 minutes) and nowcasting (short-term predictive modeling) techniques for
these stations. This real-time monitoring and modeling will help protect the health of the population
downstream and provide pivotal water quality data for the city's surface water treatment plant.
Water Quality Monitoring Sonde
Figure 10. Water monitoring station in the Lawrence section of the Lower Merrimack River.
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PFAS Technical Support
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of synthetic chemicals that are persistent in
water and can lead to adverse human health effects when consumed. PFAS has been manufactured
and used in a variety of industries around the globe since the 1940s. Drinking water can be a source of
exposure in communities when these PFAS materials leach into the groundwater, runoff into the
environment, or are directly dumped into surface water.
ORD conducts extensive research on PFAS in drinking water including evaluating conventional
treatment technologies for the removal of PFAS, developing innovative new treatment and
incineration approaches, publishing cost and treatment data in the Drinking WaterTreatability
Database, and developing models to predict costs and treatment system performance for different
PFAS contaminants. ORD researchers deliver many forms of technical support related to PFAS, such as
providing expert advice, analyzing samples, sharing data, modeling treatment performance, offering
training, and more. One example of ORD PFAS technical support is described below. See Table 3 at the
end of this document for a complete listing of all PFAS technical support requests addressed in FY2020.
Effectiveness of PFAS Removal with Granular Activated Carbon
ORD assisted the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and EPA Region 4 (R4) on addressing the
effectiveness of PFAS removal with granular activated carbon (GAC) for a Georgia community. The
community drinking water system had GAC beds that had been in service for years and they were
interested in understanding the impact of replacing some or all those beds for addressing PFAS
removal.
In February 2020, ORD conducted a modeling study to help the community compare the
different treatment options. The objective was to understand how effective GAC would be at keeping
PFAS concentrations below EPA's health advisory level for drinking water. ORD provided actionable
model results and discussed them with EPA Regional partners, state representatives, and the
community. Results showed that GAC could provide PFAS removal below the EPA advisory level, given
the system specifications and site conditions. ORD also estimated the GAC replacement intervals
needed to maintain the treatment effectiveness.
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Harmful Algal Blooms Technical Support
Harmful aigal blooms (HABs) are a major environmental problem in all 50 states, producing toxins
hazardous to humans, animals, and the environment. ORD conducts research on treatment
technologies to remove algal toxins from drinking water, and monitoring technologies to provide early
detection of blooms. Below is one example of ORD technical support related to HABs.
Figure 11. Individual algal cells that on rapid increase in a water body create an algal bloom.
Kansas Department of Health and Environment's 10th Annual HABs Workshop
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment requested a presentation by ORD experts be given
during their 10th annual HABs workshop. The workshop had attendees from states, county and city
commissions, public works, planning, water and parks departments, academia, and regulatory
agencies. An ORD researcher presented "Treatment Options for HABs Impacted Waters" discussing the
treatment options to remove cyanobacterial toxins and biomass from drinking water and
analytical methods that can be used to measure cyanotoxin concentrations in water supplies.
Emergency Response Technical Support
When natural disasters, industrial spills, or other types of environmental emergencies occur, ORD
researchers are often called on to offer technical support. In FY2020, ORD supported emergency
response efforts by giving expert advice, analyzing samples, sharing data, modeling assistance, training,
and more.
Ohio Coronavirus Wastewater Monitoring Network
ORD partnered with multiple universities, state agencies, and federal agencies - a partnership now
known as Ohio's Wastewater Monitoring Network - to look for the presence of gene copies/fragments
of the COVID-19 virus in wastewater. Non-infectious RNA (ribonucleic acid) from the virus that causes
COVID-19 can be excreted in the feces of both symptomatic and asymptomatic infected people and
can be detected in wastewater as many as three to seven days before those infections lead to
increases in case counts or hospitalizations.
To rapidly detect the spread of the COVID-19 virus and to provide public health agencies an early
warning of infection in communities, ORD analyzed samples from twelve major treatment plants in the
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Cincinnati and Dayton areas as well as the cities of Marion, Portsmouth, Springfield, and
Hamilton. Results of these analyses are updated to a website that shows whether the presence of viral
gene fragments has increased, decreased, or stayed the same in 60+ locations across Ohio (Figure 12).
Data provided has helped local communities prepare to quickly intervene with protective measures to
slow disease spread.
State of Ohio I Wastewater Treatment Plant Locations and Boundaries
Kingsville
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Jackson
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Morgantown
Clarksburg
Elkins
Maysville
Portsmouth
l#ntington
West
Virginia
Georgetown
Madison
Owenton
|© 2021 Mapbox © OpenStreetMap
Click a site to zoom in and view data for that site To return to the state view: click the site again
When viewing on a mobile device, such as a phone or tablet, pinch with both fingers to move the map or
zoom in on a specific area Hover on the symbol to see the percent of increase or decrease of virus
levels in the wastewater for a specific sewershed area
Legend: Red arrow ; = substantial increase (>100%). Yellow arrow = increase (50% to 100%) Gray
arrow = steady (-49% to 49%). Blue arrow \ = decrease (<--50%)
Marysville WRF
*
Kent WRF
t
Kenton WWTP
*
Washington Court House WWTP
*
Ashtabula WPCP
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Muddy Creek WWTP

City of Eaton WWTP

Coshocton WWTP

Tri-Cities North Regional WWTP

Akron WPCF

Athens WTP
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Circleville WWTP

City of Marion WPC

Dayton WWTP
«-~
Hamilton WRF

Lancaster WPCF

Last updated:09-28-2021
Figure 12. Ohio Coronavirus Wastewater Monitoring Network
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Laboratory Methods Technical Support
ORD researchers are instrumental in the development of sensitive, selective and rugged standardized
methods for chemicals on EPA OW's Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), as well as other contaminants
of emerging concern (CEC). These methods or method improvements have been developed for
chemicals in drinking water and recreational water.
Standardized methods are used in support of the SDWA regulatory requirements, implementation of
the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR), 6-year review of the Groundwater Rule and
the Drinking Water Standards, and the CWA, ORD's drinking water methods are published freely on-
line and are used by a wide variety of stakeholders including private laboratories, public water systems,
state laboratories, and other agencies.
ORD Drinking Water Methods
ORD researchers that develop analytical methods are also instrumental in assisting the various
stakeholders and laboratories across the country implement brand new and existing drinking water
methods. During FY2020, many questions received were regarding EPA methods 537.1 and 544.
Method 537.1 analyzes for PFAS while method 544 can determine the concentration of six microcystins
and nodularin (toxic components of HABs). ORD researchers provided guidance on measurement
methodology, sample preparation procedures, common practical issues and suggestions for
overcoming them, along with sharing recent research and how it can be applied in real-world
laboratory settings.
Figure 13. Collection of a drinking water sample for analysis.
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Water Models and Tools
ORD develops, maintains, and updates a variety of models, software tools, and databases which are
freely available to the public. These products and their associated user manuals and training materials
are applied by engineers, community planners, scientists, students, and consultants across the globe to
address water quality issues. ORD conducts research applying these tools to solve water quality
problems in water infrastructure systems and provides many forms of technical support related to
models, tools and databases including expert advice, training, modeling results and more.
Software
Total Downloads
Unique Downloads
Page Views
EPANET
23,383
20,767
148,089
SWMM
72,587
63,615
144,501
SWC
2,612
2,406
21,050
Table 1. FY2020 Modeling Downloads and Views.
EPANET
EPANET is a software application used to model drinking water distribution systems. It was developed
to understand the movement of drinking water constituents within distribution systems and has a wide
range of different applications. ORD researchers responded to numerous inquiries over the past year
on a wide range of EPANET topics. Including, for example, requests about the availability of non-
Windows versions of EPANET, questions about user licensing requirements and security concerns,
requests for instructor-led training and reference reports, and a wide range of specific technical
questions. Inquiries were received from researchers, university and college professors or faculty, utility
engineers and consultants, and representatives of commercial software companies. EPANET logged
20,767 unique downloads in FY2020 (Table 1).
Storm Water Management Model
EPA's Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is used throughout the world for planning, analysis,
and design related to stormwater runoff, combined and sanitary sewers, and other drainage systems
(Figure 14). It can be used to evaluate gray and green stormwater management control strategies,
such as pipes and storm drains, and is a useful tool for creating cost-effective green/gray hybrid
stormwater control solutions. During FY2020, the SWMM software had two major upgrades and had
over 63,615 unique downloads.
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Figure 14. EPA's SWMM Graphical User Interface (GUI).
Drinking Water Treatability Database
The Drinking Water Treatability Database (TBD) is an interactive web application that provides
information from thousands of literature sources on the control of contaminants in drinking water. By
design, the database is for use by utilities, first responders, consultants, technical assistance providers,
treatment process designers, and researchers. It can be used to identify effective drinking water
treatment processes, plan for future treatment plant upgrades, provide information to first
responders for spills or emergencies, to recognize research needs, complement literature reviews and
literature searches, and to assist regulators in the best available technology. In FY2020, the TBD had
19,756 unique pageviews and has been updated to include additional treatment data and provide
information on ways to treat PFAS in drinking water. Additionally, the TBD software and graphical user
interface was modernized to improve the upload and import speed for new contaminant and
treatment processes. ORD provides technical support related to the TBD by answering user questions,
adding new data to address user needs, and providing training on how to use the database.
EPA Stormwater Calculator
The National Stormwater Calculator (SWC) is a planning software application that can estimate the
annual amount of rainfall, stormwater runoff, and can project costs from any site in the US. ORD
provided SWC technical support to EPA R4 for the city of Marianna after the city sought to recover
from the devastation of Michael, a category 5 hurricane, in October of 2018. ORD's participation in The
Recovery and Resiliency Partnership Projects (technical assistance provided by FEMA Integrated
Recovery Coordination field operations) provided technical assistance by developing strategies and
design concepts that bolster resiliency to stormwater impacts, improve quality of life, and support
sustainable redevelopment.
By utilizing the SWC to model various scenarios to help slow stormwater runoff before entering the
current sewer system, the EPA project team was able to identify which land parcels should be targeted
for redevelopment and which parcels could be left in their natural condition (Figure 15). This targeted
approach helped focus the community's efforts and resources to achieve the greatest cost benefit ratio
when applying for grant funding to improve the resiliency of their current system (View the project
report here).
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Figure 15. Parcel map for the City of Marianna.
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Tribal Community Technical Support
There are 574 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages across the US.
Tribal communities are faced with many of the same challenges regarding water infrastructure and
water quality concerns as non-Tribal communities. ORD partners with and provides support to tribal
communities on a variety of drinking water and water quality topics such as: HABs, microbial
contaminants, inorganic contaminants, aging infrastructure and source water quality.
Chloroform Contaminant in Water System
ORD assisted in the analysis of chloroform tap water concentrations at the request of R5 for
the Belich Addition (Mahnomen) Public Water System. The Mahnomen Public Water System is part of
the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota.
Chloroform can form in a drinking water system when organics react with residual chlorine (one of the
primary disinfectants used in drinking water). The most significant exposure pathway is believed to be
through showering, as this disinfectant by-product is very volatile and poses carcinogenic risks when
inhaled. ORD estimated potential exposures, doses, and risk from the inhalation of chloroform during
showering. The measured chloroform concentrations exceeded the Minnesota Health Department's
2016 health risk limit and corresponded to estimated air levels during showering that exceeded the
California acute air concentration criterion. ORD also performed carcinogenic and inhalation risk factor
calculations for the system.
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Table 2. All FY2020 Technical Support Requests Related to Lead.
Requester
Location
Keywords
Start
End
Description
State or
Territorial
Government
Agency(ies)
New Jersey
Lead (Pb)
10/7/2019
10/11/2019
ORD provided lead service line pipe scale analysis training to staff
and students at the New Jersey Institute for Technology, as
requested by the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection (NJDEP). This training allows NJDEP to expand its
capability to provide scale analyses to water systems across New
Jersey by providing additional capacity for pipe scale analysis.
Region 5
University Park, IL
Lead (Pb)
10/28/2019
10/29/2019
ORD scientists conducted lead particle sampling in response to
elevated lead levels reported in University Park, Illinois' tap water.
Region 5 requested the researchers travel to various sites within
University Park to collect tap water samples from homes and
churches.
Region 9
San Francisco,
California
Lead (Pb)
10/7/2019
10/7/2019
Region 9 requested technical support related to issues with the
Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act and the development of
creative outreach projects. ORD provided technical information in
response to this request from Region 9.
Educational
Institutions
Montreal, Quebec
Lead (Pb)
10/18/2019
10/18/2019
Polytechnique Montreal requested ORD assistance on voltametric
on-site lead detection devices for lead testing in Quebec schools.
ORD scientists provided technical information on approaches that
could be used to identify different sources of lead contamination.
Other
MD/WA/VA
Lead (Pb)
10/22/2019 10/22/2019
A private individual requested ORD support on a full lead service
replacement project and wanted to know if ORD would recommend
flushing the main. ORD provided technical information in response.
Other
Ontario, Canada
Lead (Pb)
10/22/2019
10/22/2019
An individual from Ontario, Canada requested ORD support on how
to find commercial labs or universities that can perform scale
analyses on lead service lines. ORD provided technical information
in response.
Other
Ottawa, Canada
Lead (Pb)
11/7/2019
11/7/2019
An individual from Ottawa, Canada requested support from ORD on
sampling programs for lead in drinking water. ORD provided
technical information in response and redirected policy questions to
the Office of Water.
Other
N/A
Lead (Pb)
12/2/2019
12/2/2019
An individual requested ORD review of a proposal to the Water
Research Consortium Challenge in the lead monitoring focus area.
An ORD scientist provided comments for the proposal.
Other
California
Lead (Pb)
12/16/2019
12/16/2019
An individual from a private company emailed ORD asking questions
about splitting harvested lead pipes to prep them for laboratory
analysis. An ORD scientist responded with suggestions.
State or
Territorial
Government
Agency(ies);
Region 6
Arkansas
Lead (Pb)
12/26/2019
12/26/2019
An individual from EPA Region 6 emailed ORD and asked an ORD
researcher to answer questions from the Arkansas Department of
Health regarding residential fire suppression systems and lead. The
ORD researcher shared the email with individuals from the Office of
Water, found the answers to requestor's questions, then relayed
them back to the individuals.
Cities and
Communities;
Other
Boise, ID
Lead (Pb)
10/1/2019
10/1/2019
An individual was looking for a consulting firm that could assist their
client in working through the various issues related to lead
contamination including identifying the true source of the
contamination. An ORD researcher held a call with the individual to
discuss their options.
Region 1
Bennington, VT
Lead (Pb)
3/3/2020
3/3/2020
An ORD researcher spoke to the State of Vermont and consultants,
offering guidance on applying ORD's sampling approach towards an
ongoing effort to identify lead service lines. The researcher sent the
State published materials that offered information on how to
sample drinking water from homes as a way to identify lead service
lines.
Other (e.g.
other EPA or
ORD office,
an
international
organization,
individual
citizen;
provide
details in the
Comments
Columbus, OH
Lead (Pb)
3/10/2020
3/10/2020
An ORD researcher shared his expertise in sampling for lead in
drinking water with the Lead Advisory Committee (LAC), assembled
by the Ohio Governor, whose goal is to understand all sources of
lead poisoning. The ORD researcher attended the meeting to
present "Lead in Drinking Water: Research Update, Sampling Tools."
This presentation will contribute to the LAC's goal by explaining
different types of drinking water lead sampling methods to better
understand which method to use that will accurately represent lead
levels in drinking water.
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Educational
Institutions
Connecticut
Lead (Pb)
6/9/2020
6/9/2020
Two ORD researchers met with the University of Connecticut to
discuss a research collaboration involving reports of elevated lead
levels found in schools. The local government sought support from
the university's environmental engineering program while plans are
in place to replace pipes and possibly analyze water samples from
the phosphate-based corrosion control system.
Region 5
Illinois
Lead (Pb)
6/27/2020
6/27/2020
Two ORD researchers participated in a conference call with a water
utility, consultants, Illinois EPA and Region R5. This meeting
provided an update to the ongoing effort of evaluating the potential
effects of lead and copper release for the water utility's proposed
switch from groundwater to Kankakee River water.
Other
N/A
Lead (Pb)
7/31/2020
7/31/2020
An ORD researcher provided a lead service line collection protocol to
an engineering consultant. The consultant had asked if ORD had any
recommended protocols for harvesting lead service lines for use in
pipe loop studies.
Table 3. All FY2020 Technical Support Requests Related to PFAS
Requester
Location
Keywords
Start
End
Description
Educational
Institutions
Sacramento, CA
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
12/4/2019
12/5/2019
An ORD researcher presented "Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances
in Source and Treated Drinking Waters of the United States" during
the seminar, PFAS in California: Past, Present, and Future.
State or
Territorial
Government
Agency(ies);
Cities and
Communities
Summerville, GA
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
2/24/2020
2/28/2020
An ORD researcher modeled performance of granular activated
carbon for PFAS removal, based on provided treatment objectives
and current plant characteristics.
Region 4
Summerville, GA
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
3/5/2020
3/5/2020
Two ORD researchers spoke with a Georgia water utility, Region 4
and Georgia's Environmental Protection Division in a meeting to
assist the community in determining a preliminary plan for using
granular activated carbon to treat PFAS in the community's source
water.
Other (e.g.
other EPA or
ORD office,
an
international
organization,
individual
citizen;
provide
details in the
Comments
section
below)
Greenwood, IN
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
3/11/2020
3/11/2020
An ORD researcher opened the Indiana Water Environment
Association's Core Conference held in Greenwood, IN. The
researcher's talk incorporated the findings of EPA's Office of
Inspectors General's 2018 biennial biosolid review that identifies
the hazardous potential for pollutants found in biosolids, including
PFAS.
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Other
Denver, CO
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
3/12/2020
3/12/2020
An ORD researcher presented "Development of Adsorbable Organic
Fluorine Method in Ambient Water" at the EPA organized Total
Organic Fluorine Workshop held in Denver, CO. This presentation
outlines EPA's goal to produce a method for total organic fluorine
that allows for the accurate composition characterization of
organofluorine chemicals found in water samples.
Other
Illinois
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
6/29/2020
6/30/2020
An ORD researcher provided the Water Quality Association and
Water Quality Research Foundation with input on potential
research on PFAS surrogates for household water treatment
devices including 172 PFAS compounds required for TRI reporting
and PFAS compound Health Advisories.
Federal
Agencies
Washington, D.C.
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
6/25/2020
6/25/2020
An ORD researcher provided the Army Corps of Engineers with
input on PFAS GAC treatment studies including a journal article on
GAC RSSCT studies in AWWA Water Science.
Federal
Agencies
Washington, D.C
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
9/2/2020
9/2/2020
An ORD researcher provided the US Army Corps of Engineers
information on ORD's Household Treatment Study for PFAS removal
from well water. This included the recipe used to create the
representative test water, the quality assurance project plan and
applicable journal and conference proceeding publications.
Cities and
Communities
Stuart, FL
Per- and
Polyfluoroalkyl
Substance
9/15/2020
9/17/2020
An ORD researcher provided an individual with the Public Works
Department in Stuart, FL with links to two vendors for incineration
of spent PFAS resin from their drinking water treatment plant.
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&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
PRESORTED
STANDARD POSTAGE
& FEES PAID EPA
PERMIT NO. G-35
Office of Research and
Development (8101R)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300

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