Grantee Research Project Results

Integrated Water Microbiome and Disinfection Byproducts Monitoring and Management to Advance Drinking Water Quality

EPA Grant Number: R840606
Title: Integrated Water Microbiome and Disinfection Byproducts Monitoring and Management to Advance Drinking Water Quality
Investigators: Pinto, AJ , Huang, C H , Graham, Katy , Brown, Joe , Pieper, Kelsey , Stubbins, Aron , Agar, Jeffrey , Meeker, Melissa , VandanHeuvel., Kristan
Current Investigators: Pinto, AJ , Brown, Joe , Huang, C H , Graham, Katy , Pieper, Kelsey , Stubbins, Aron , Agar, Jeffrey , Meeker, Melissa , VandanHeuvel., Kristan
Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , The Water Tower Institute , Northeastern University
EPA Project Officer: Harper, Jacquelyn
Project Period: August 1, 2023 through July 31, 2026
Project Amount: $2,123,000
RFA: National Priorities: Research on Disinfectants, Disinfection By-products (DBPs), and Opportunistic Pathogens in Drinking Water Distribution Systems Request for Applications (RFA) (2022) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Water Quality , Drinking Water, Disinfection Byproducts , Water Treatment

Objective:

This project will develop an integrated framework to quantitatively monitor the drinking water microbiome, including waterborne pathogens (WPs), and disinfection byproducts (DBPs), and holistically manage WP and DBP risks in drinking water systems (DWSs). The integrated monitoring and management framework is grounded in the understanding that chemical and microbial dynamics in DWSs are intrinsically linked and co-influenced by environmental, ecological, and infrastructure conditions and engineering actions. This overall project goal will be realized through two research objectives: (1) enacting a comprehensive spatial-temporal monitoring and characterization of water chemistry and microbiology of multiple full-scale DWSs at the national level and (2) formulating an integrated and actionable risk assessment to advance drinking water quality management.

Approach:

This project includes collaboration with water utilities with variable source waters, climatic regions, treatment strategies, disinfection approaches, and distribution network sizes. This project will use a suite of methods to characterize the drinking water microbiome (including WPs), regulated and unregulated DBPs, along with other water chemistry and microbiology parameters in DWSs. The samples will be collected to capture routine temporal changes in water quality in the distribution networks as well as focused sampling efforts that capture WP and DBP hotspots, measure the effectiveness of interventions to mitigate WP/DBP presence, and interrelation between wholesaler and buyer water systems. This data will be analyzed in a statistical modeling framework to identify environmental, ecological, process, and infrastructure factors associated with the presence and concentration, and co-occurrence of DBPs and WPs. This data will also be used to estimate DBP and WP risks and their effect on the availability of safe water and risk-informed and operational toolkit to mitigate DBP and WP risks.

Expected Results:

This project will generate a unique dataset that concurrently quantifies WPs and regulated and unregulated DBPs in multiple DWSs and puts this data in a rich context with a thorough characterization of water chemistry and microbiology. This high-resolution dataset and associated data analyses meet the research needs identified in both research areas of this National Priorities solicitation. This project will also develop a unique modeling framework to compare WP and DBP risks, assesses their impact on the availability of safe water, and provide an approach to test the effectiveness of operational interventions toward mitigating risks from WPs and DBPs.

Supplemental Keywords:

 Drinking water; Disinfection by-products; Waterborne pathogens; Integrated risk assessment; Operational toolkit.

Progress and Final Reports:

2024 Progress Report