Grantee Research Project Results

2022 Progress Report: Innovation Applied: Streamlining Access and Approval of Technology for Small Systems and Private Wells

EPA Grant Number: WT840243
Title: Innovation Applied: Streamlining Access and Approval of Technology for Small Systems and Private Wells
Investigators: Roberson, Alan , Reckhow, David A. , Ferguson, Christobel , Oxenford, Jeff
Current Investigators: Roberson, Alan , Reckhow, David A. , Ferguson, Christobel , Oxenford, Jeff , Kumpel, Emily
Institution: Association of State Drinking Water Administrators , Water Research Foundation (VA) , University of Massachusetts Amherst , Rural Community Assistance Partnership
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: August 1, 2021 through July 31, 2024 (Extended to July 31, 2026)
Project Period Covered by this Report: August 1, 2021 through July 31,2022
Project Amount: $936,049
RFA: Deployment of Innovative Water Technologies for Very Small Drinking Water Systems, Areas Served by Private Wells and Source Waters (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water Quality , Water

Objective:

The primary aim of this project is to develop and validate programmatic approaches through research and technical assistance for obtaining approval for new or alternative technologies for very small water systems in a state and how to ensure that, or to the greatest extent possible with technical assistance, approvals could transfer from state to state without compromising public health protection.

Progress Summary:

The Research Team completed their planned project activities for Year One.

Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA)
In January of 2022, ASDWA initiated work on the Regulator’s Survey – a survey of state staff on their processes for treatment technology approvals and if such processes are impacted when reviewing an innovative technology or new application of a known type. The survey explored not only the barriers to approvals and deployment but also potential solutions – both those practices specific to a state that could serve as models for others, as well as multi-state approaches that can reduce the impact of duplicative and laborious state-by-state approaches. ASDWA compiled the responses into a summary document and shared the initial results with the Research Team and State Workgroup. A detailed survey report is available on the Innovations Project page of ASDWA’s website. ASDWA also interviewed ten states that participated in EPA ORD’s arsenic demonstration project (ADP). Interviews covered each state’s typical treatment approval process, their experience with the ADP, the status of ADP installations, and considerations for future projects and needs.

Corona Environmental Consulting
The Corona Environmental Consulting (Corona) team was brought onto the Research Team to prepare draft summaries of the California Water Board’s Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) statewide needs assessment project methodologies to share as part of the Innovations Applied project Research Team Activity Reports webinar series entitled, “Understanding Barriers.” Corona is developing a technical memorandum to summarize the SAFER statewide needs assessment in further detail, emphasizing the methodology's input data, assumptions, and outcomes.

The Water Research Foundation (WRF)
Over the past year, the WRF team worked on the creation of a technology evaluation case study to use during the Solutions Evaluation and Lessons Learned Forum. To create the case study, the team drafted case study criteria, reviewed technologies on WRF TechLink, and invited vendors to participate. After the case study was complete and ten vendors agreed to participate, WRF hosted a webcast highlighting the project and the participating technologies (9 of 10 technologies joined the webcast). WRF will attend and participate in the upcoming Solutions Evaluation and Lessons Learned Forum in September 2022, where they will support a dialogue between regulators and vendors, identify the most pressing challenges preventing technology deployment, identify existing caps in our technology evaluation criteria, and determine the feasibility of specific technology evaluation criteria.

The Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
In Year One, RCAP established a baseline understanding of some of the technologies implemented in small drinking water systems and, crucially, the challenges and barriers small, rural, and tribal communities face in implementing innovative treatment technologies. RCAP also conducted in-depth interviews with technical assistance providers and water system operators across its network about their experiences implementing or attempting to implement innovative technologies. These interviews provided insight into barriers and, importantly, began to provide ideas for solutions to overcome common obstacles.

The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass)
Over the past year, the UMass team conducted semi-structured interviews with staff from twelve state drinking water programs to gain insight into their processes and challenges regarding approving and implementing innovative treatment technologies in their states. From the interviews, the team collected state-specific guidance on PFAS regulations and treatment from individual states.

Future Activities:

We are planning for three forums over the course of the project, with the first, Solutions Evaluation and Lessons Learned Forum, scheduled for September 2022. A primary output of the “Lessons Learned and Solutions Forum” will be a prioritized list of challenges and proposed technology solutions taken forward as case studies for evaluation in the project’s next phase. Additionally, a compendium of information from different states on existing protocols for evaluating technologies. The project's next phase will focus on piloting practical solutions based on our year one findings, which may lower barriers to technology approvals, increase knowledge and information sharing between stakeholders, and promote innovation within the sector.

Supplemental Keywords:

water, technologies, treatment, state, approvals

Relevant Websites:

INNOVATION APPLIED: STREAMLINING ACCESS AND APPROVALS OF TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.