NEWSLETTER e ERA WATER CONTAMINANT INFORMATION TOOL, Winter 2023 WCIT Modernization If you have visited WCIT recently, you'll see that much has changed! EPA has upgraded WCIT. Here are some of the new features: The new design of the site is optimized for small screens, such as on mobile devices, as well as large screens. The re-organized navigation menu at the top of the page gives access to all WCIT modules with one or two clicks. That includes direct access to the Risk Calculator. An updated User Guide has been posted in the "Help" section. The Search function is now available on the home page, and it supports searching by keyword, contaminant name, or CAS number all in one box. The Advanced Search module has been replaced by a versatile set of filters and search-customization options on the search results page. The Compare Contaminants function can now perform comparisons across all contaminant profile fields. A new contaminant profile type has been introduced: the "partial profile." This will give WCIT more flexibility to integrate with other Agency programs. Contaminant profiles have a new look and feel, and an improved menu for navigation and filtering. The presentation of flags and references has been streamlined. New contaminant profile reports are available, and reports have been improvedfor example, by adding a printable key to interpret the data flag codes. The Risk Calculator module has been streamlined, and further improvements are planned. It is now easier than ever to reach the WCIT team, with "Contact WCIT" links in the header and footer of every page. If you have any feedback on the new WCIT, such as suggestions for profile development and/or additional features you would like to see, please send us a note. JV 'Jn'UKl Slates I I "MJL Environmental Protection M m Agency Home/Search WOT Resources v Other Resources v Help v CONTACT WCIT | CONTACT CDX 1 \ SEARCH FOR CONTAMINANTS |*|6|C|0|Eif|6|H[lfJ|K|L|M|N|0|P|Q|R|S|T|U|»|W|*|*|Z WCIT Water Contaminant Information Tool A one-stop reference tool on contaminants of concern for the Water Sector Office of Water (4608T) EPA 817-N-23-001 Winter 2023 ------- WCIT Newsletter Winter 2023 Inside the Database Searching for Profiles Trying to find a specific contaminant profile? The Search function, available on the WCIT home page, allows users to search by keyword, contaminants name, and CAS number using a single field. In addition, doing a "null" search (searching without putting anything into the search field) results in an alphabetical list of all profiles, known as the Contaminant Index. Selecting a letter under the search bar on the landing page results in a list of all profiles beginning with that letter. The Search function offers several ways to refine your search from the search results page. The filters on the left-hand side of the screen can limit the displayed results by profile type, contaminant type, category, sub- category, threat category, physical form and/or color grouping. You can also re run your search with modified search terms and parameters using the options at the top of the screen. The "search by" menu allows you to specify what kind of search you want (keyword, contaminant name, or CAS number search), and the "topic" menu limits the search to particular sections of the contaminant profiles (e.g., to search only fields concerned with contaminant properties, or toxicity, or treatment). The familiar Compare Contaminants functionality is still here as well: select up to four contaminants, press "Compare Contaminants," and choose which fields you wish to compare. The WCIT team welcomes you to the new WCIT and encourages you to test out the new Search tool today! New Training Videos New to WCIT and don't know where to start or need a quick refresher on WCIT functions? Since updating the database, the WCIT team has developing a series of short (3-6 minutes each), on-demand training videos for WCIT account holders. Each video will provide a brief overview and tutorial of a specific function or resource within WCIT, including where it can be found and how it can be used. To view the current videos, and all future training video uploads, visit "Training Videos" under "Help" in the top navigation bar. As mentioned, the team intends to create a series of training videos. The current list of topics to be covered in videos includes: Search Tool, WCIT Resources Module, Other Resources Module, Risk Calculator, Printable reports, and Profile Types. This list is subject to change. If you have any additional topics you would like to see addressed, please submit your suggestions to the WCIT team at WCIT@epa.gov. In addition, to learn more or sign up for live trainings, visit the WLA Learning Center website. Office of Water (4608T) EPA 817-N-23-001 Winter 2023 ------- WCIT Newsletter Winter 2023 Using WCIT to Accelerate Response to Spill Events m "S J1 Jegnaw G. Essatu Support section manager at WSSC Water The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water) is one of the nation's largest water and wastewater utilities, serving nearly 1.9 million residents in Maryland's Prince George and Montgomery counties. To maintain drinking water quality that meets or exceeds federal standards, WSSC Water prioritizes water security. Jegnaw G. Essatu is a Support Section manager for WSSC's Laboratory Division, where his responsibilities include assessing risks posed by spill events. In his role at WSSC, Mr. Essatu focusses on enhanced analytical methodologies for emergency spills. To expedite his responses to potential contamination events he uses several Federal resources including WCIT to collect and maintain pertinent information for WSSC. How does he do this? Mr. Essatu makes use of information from WCIT, among other sources, to populate a contaminant information spreadsheet specific to WSSC. The first step for Mr. Essatu in populating his spreadsheet is identifying potential contaminant threats based off surrounding industries and past contamination incidents. From here, Mr. Essatu proceeds to collect and input information he needs to facilitate a quick response. Information he collects from WCIT includes field tests and analytical methods appropriate for each contaminant, as well as information on contaminant names and synonyms. Without WCIT's consolidation of monitoring methods, Mr. Essatu states that it "takes [him] a long time" to find rapid testing protocols. After obtaining information from WCIT, he then consults EPA's Compendium of Environmental Laboratories (CETL), which can be accessed from WCIT, to identify labs with the testing capabilities he is looking for. In addition to WCIT and CETL, Mr. Essatu utilizes WaterSuite to obtain relevant safety data sheets, which provide important safety information on the possible contaminants. Lastly, Mr. Essatu determines whether EPA has established a maximum contaminant level (MCL) or any other regulatory actions for each contaminant of concern. Overall, having WCIT in his emergency response toolbox has proven helpful in advancing Mr. Essatu's goals of centralizing pertinent contaminant information for WSSC Water, enabling him and his team to accelerate their analytical response to spill events. WCIT Challenge Using the Contaminant Index (from a null search) and filters, answer the questions on the right. Send your answers to WCIT@epa.gov! Congratulations to those readers who successfully completed the Summer 2022 challenge. 1. How many comprehensive profiles and partial profiles does WCIT currently contain? 2. Which pathogens profiled in WCIT are considered threats to infrastructure? 3. Which organophosphate compounds profiled in WCIT can occur as orange liquids? 4. How many chemical warfare agents does WCIT contain that have lab methods profiles? Office of Water (4608T) EPA 817-N-23-001 Winter 2023 ------- |