The Environmental Finance Center @ The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (efc@unc)

EPA Drinking Water Capacity Development Workshop - 2005

Held in Atlanta from August 30 to September 1, 2005, the Region 1, 2, 3, and 4 Drinking Water Capacity Development Workshop brought together more than 70 representatives of EPA, state agencies, and other organizations involved in assisting water systems in the eastern United States (including Puerto Rico) acquire and maintain appropriate levels of technical, managerial, and financial capacity.
Through lecture style presentations, breakout group discussions, and case study exercises, the workshop allowed participants to build their people networks and gain awareness of tools, programs, and approaches that will strengthen the impact of capacity development activities applied at the water system level.

Click on the links in the table below to see individual presentations.

Tuesday - August 30, 2005

10:00 - 10:30

Welcome, Introductions, and Logistics

- James D. Giattina, Director, Water Management Division, EPA Region 4
- Dale Froneberger, Drinking Water Section, EPA Region 4

10:30 - 3:00

Concurrent Roundtable Sessions

State Agencies and EPA
- Bridget O’Grady, ASDWA
• Overview of implementation status, including successes and challenges
• Assessing managerial and financial capacity of water systems
• State TA providers: Who are they? What do they do? Relationships?
• How can EPA best assist you?
• Expectations for the workshop

Technical Assistance Organizations
- Drinking Water Staff, EPA
• Role in capacity development
• How are relationships with states? How can you best assist them?
• Documenting accomplishments
• Working collaboratively while competing for funds
• How can EPA best assist you?
• Expectations for the workshop

3:15 - 4:00

Contract Operators: Who’s Watching the Wellhouse?
- Jerry Stapp, Georgia Rural Water Association

4:00 - 5:00

Capacity Development: Getting the Most Out of Your Reporting
- Jenny Bielanski, EPA Headquarters

Wednesday - August 31, 2005

8:30 - 10:00

Asset Management

• Challenges to Applying Asset Management at the System Level
- Jeff Hughes, North Carolina Environmental Finance Center

• System Level Training
- Sharon Ostrander, RCAP Solutions

• Application of a State Approach
- Rick Watson, West Virginia Dept. of Health and Human Resources

10:15 - 11:30

Facilitated Discussion: Financial and Managerial Tools Having an Impact at the System Level
- Heather Himmelberger, New Mexico Environmental Finance Center

12:45 - 1:30

2003 Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey Highlights and Plans for the 2007 Survey
- Linda Hills, The Cadmus Group, Inc.

1:30 - 2:45

Small Group Case Studies: Assessing Community Capacity Development Needs (Introduction and Case Study Handout)
- Jeff Hughes and Stacey Isaac Berahzer, UNC Environmental Finance Center

3:00 - 4:30

Water Security

• Water Security: A National Perspective
- Bridget O’Grady, ASDWA

• Integrating Security and Capacity Development
- Joy Barrett, RCAP

• New York’s Water Security Inspection Program
- Charles Amento, New York State Department of Health

• Facilitated Discussion: Incorporating Security into Other Aspects of the PWSS Program
- Bridget O’Grady, ASDWA

4:30 - 5:00

Using a New Regulation as an Opportunity for Marketing Capacity Development
• Robert Burns and Dale Froneberger, EPA Region 4
• Amy Kruse, Georgia EPD

Thursday - September 1, 2005

8:30 - 10:00

Assistance Organization Programs, Projects, Tools, and Services

- Attending assistance organizations deliver 5-10 minute presentations on their products, training and funding programs, and services

• USDA Rural Utilities Service
• Rural Community Assistance Partnership/Community Resource Group
• Rural Water Associations
• EPA Small System Technical Assistance Centers
• Environmental Finance Centers
• National Environmental Services Center
• Indian Health Service
• ASDWA

10:15 - 10:45

EPA Capacity Development Tools
- Steve Clark, EPA Headquarters

10:45 - 11:45

“Stretching the Net”

• Connecticut’s Non-Community Public Water System Capacity Initiative
- Cam Walden, Connecticut Department of Public Health

• Merging the Operator Certification Program with Capacity Development
- Kristen Hice, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

11:45 - 12:00

Wrap Up and Workshop Evaluations