Water professionals, regulators and public health experts will assemble at the American Water Works Assn.’s (AWWA) Annual Conference & Exposition at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center June 20 to 22 to discuss federal and state lead policies, Lead and Copper Rule revisions and lead service line replacement developments. Several events at the conference will also focus on the ongoing lead issues in Flint, Mich.
Events of particular note include:
Monday, June 20, 2 to 5 p.m., Room W181AB
Session – MON04 – Water Policy: How the Big Picture Impacts Individual Utilities
This session features an overview of new developments in federal, state and local policy that are shaping the business environment for water utilities across the United States. Perspectives on key issues from federal, state and local points of view will be presented, including from Peter Grevatt, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Ground Water & Drinking Water.
Monday, June 20, 2 to 5 p.m., Room W183B
Session – MON15 – Internal Corrosion Control in Distribution Systems
This session highlights key points of AWWA’s manual “M58, Internal Corrosion Control in Water Distribution Systems,” related to the latest research, tools and monitoring programs that assist water utility managers and operators in maintaining optimal corrosion control treatment and preparing for the upcoming Long-Term Lead and Copper Rule.
Tuesday, June 21, 8 to 8:45 a.m., Room W474
Keynote Address – An Exploration of What Happened in Flint, Michigan
Chris Kolb, member of the Flint Water Advisory Task Force and president of the Michigan Environmental Council, will discuss findings from the Task Force report submitted to Governor Snyder of Michigan earlier this year.
Tuesday, June 21, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Room W183B
Session – TUE04 – Regulatory Update for Water Utilities
Relevant lead presentations in this session include:
- Flint, Michigan, Water Quality Challenges: A Chronology and Contributing Factors
- Flint, Michigan, Moving Forward: Data Collection Strategy
- Opportunities and Challenges in Redrafting the LCR: A Utility Perspective
- How Many Lead Service Lines Are There and What Are Implications of Different Monitoring Strategies?
Wednesday, June 22, 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Room W179
H2Open Forum – A Conversation with Peter Grevatt, Director – USEPA Office of Ground Water & Drinking Water
Peter Grevatt and Tracy Mehan, AWWA executive director of government affairs, will discuss the EPA priorities related to the drinking water sector. This discussion will cover the recent events in Flint, Mich., upcoming water quality regulations, the status of the State Revolving Funds and future implementation of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.
Review the complete conference program here.
Accredited members of the media may attend ACE16 at no charge. However, they are required to register on-site at the Press Desk. For media inquiries or to set up interviews with conference speakers, contact Greg Kail, AWWA director of communications.
ACE16 will bring more than 12,000 water experts to the Chicago area and will feature 111 sessions in 19 professional tracks and an exposition of more than 500 companies.
Source: American Water Works Assn.
