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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2024
Scott Dean, public information officer, 517-242-6175
EGLE Media Office, [email protected], 517-284-9278

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Great Lakes Drinking Water Conference registration open

Topics From Source to Tap, and Everything in Between as Safe Drinking Water Act Marks 50^th Anniversary

Registration is underway for the inaugural Great Lakes Drinking Water Conference, taking place September 25-26 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi. This year?s conference marks the 50^th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and boasts an outstanding lineup of experts and information sessions on issues ranging from the source waters of the Great Lakes state to the infrastructure that delivers healthy tap water to Michigan homes and businesses.

The conference is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). It brings together professionals including community water supply personnel; local officials; community representatives; partners from the local, state, and federal levels; academia; consultants; service providers; source water protection partners; and others from the Great Lakes region.

Registration is open through September 11. Admission is $250/$145 for two- or one-day attendance, respectively, with limited discounts for students and community members.

?This year?s conference is particularly timely, with the 50^th anniversary of the SDWA and the tremendous progress we are making in Michigan on rebuilding our aging water infrastructure,? said Phil Roos, EGLE director. ?We are fortunate to have the planet?s greatest freshwater system surrounding us with quality source water. We need to be good stewards of that resource and the systems that deliver it to our homes to ensure future generations enjoy the same blessings.?

Featured speakers include:

• Darren Lytle, Ph.D., retired engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Bruno Pigott, acting assistant administrator for Office of Water, EPA
• Cheryl Porter, CEO, Water & Field Services, Great Lakes Water Authority
• Alan Roberson, executive director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators

In 1974, the SDWA set standards for drinking water suppliers, service, and quality, leaving a clearly identifiable, positive impact on Great Lakes communities over the past five decades. Drinking water professionals, communities, and suppliers strive every day to ensure that the water we drink is protected at the source and safe to drink at the tap.?The conference is aimed to equip those experts, and others, with information that will help ensure continued protection of drinking water.

Topics will include:

• SDWA - Past, Present & Future
• Focus on the Future: Contaminants of Emerging Concern
• Where it all starts: Source Water Protection
• Leading the Way on Lead
• Community Engagement/Partnerships
• Making the Future Stronger with Water System Resiliency
• Technical Assistance/Capital Improvement Planning/Affordability

Case studies, research, and lessons learned in areas such as source water protection, drinking water system operations, and the vision for the next 50 years to protect and enhance drinking water quality will also be part of the discussions.