The Utah Division of Water Quality and the Utah Department of Health have organized a Water Quality and Health Advisory Panel whose objectives are to coordinate and communicate on water quality issues associated with specific public health concerns.
The primary current focus of the Panel will be coordination around waterborne pathogens (WBPs),Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), and the safe consumption of aquatic life harvested from our water bodies. However, we expect that other issues may arise in the future which would be appropriate for the Panel to address.
Combining these groups into a single advisory panel will be more efficient by eliminating overlap among members of the workgroup. Also, it will help ensure that solutions to these interrelated problems are more consistent. Meetings will typically be held once in the spring and once in the fall, though the group may need to meet for frequently at the outset.
Goals and Objectives
All water quality problems are multifaceted and this is particularly true for those with the potential to affect human health. This panel will have two primary goals. First, the panel will facilitate interagency coordination and communication. The second goal is to ensure that the monitoring, assessment, and response to water quality problems related to health effects are based on sound science.Hence the panel membership will be comprised of individuals with a breadth of expertise and experience. While the primary focus of the panel is human health, the Panel will consider effects of these contaminants on all beneficial uses including aquatic life and agriculture.
The objectives of the panel include several generic objectives as well as issue specific objectives.
- Develop or refine, as necessary, water quality indicators, monitoring strategies, and assessment methods related to water quality issues that have human health implications. Work with DWQ’s Water Quality Standards workgroup on numeric standards, as appropriate.
- Develop consistent statewide policies outlining actions to be taken if/when indicators suggest threats to recreation and drinking water uses as well as threats to wildlife, livestock, and pets.
- Further develop the fish consumption advisory methodology, specifically how to manage annual variability of mercury concentrations at a waterbody and when to remove an advisory if the data indicate there is no longer a public health risk.
- Communicate a unified message regarding public health risks associated with specific events based on a comprehensive review of the data and relevant literature.
- Develop and refine field and laboratory Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Sample Analysis Plans (SAPs) and related data management and analytical methods.
- Review and communicate technical information about waterborne pathogens, contaminants in consumable aquatic life, and Harmful Algal Blooms monitoring results.
- Develop prioritization criteria for future sampling of water bodies across the state for health-related concerns.
- Disperse training information to local partners and provide regional training (e.g. IDEXX).
- Review public information materials, including fact sheets, pamphlets, advisory notices, and website content to inform the public about health advisories and closures of recreational waters.
- Identify and prioritize research to better understand risks to human health, livestock, and wildlife, or to solve water quality problems that are currently known.
Membership
Members of this panel were selected through a nomination process. We envision the WQHAP members to work for 3 years and we will revisit whether the make-up of membership slots is appropriate and provide opportunities for new participants to replace members.
| Stakeholder Group or Organization | Individual |
|---|---|
| Co-Chair, Division of Water Quality, DEQ | Ben Holcomb ([email protected]), Assistant Director, DWQ |
| Co-Chair, Environmental Epidemiology Division, UDOH | Alejandra Maldonado ([email protected]), Epidemiologist, DOH |
| Division of Drinking Water, DEQ | Sarah Page, Rules Section |
| Utah Public Health Laboratory, UDOH | Eleanor Ojinnaka, UPHL |
| Division of Wildlife Resources, DNR | Wade Cavender, Assistant Aquatic Section Chief |
| Division of State Parks, DNR | Devan Chavez, Parks Program Manager |
| Fish Health Expertise | Anna Forest, Fish Health Specialist, UDAF |
| Veterinary Professional | Vacant |
| Local Health Department (Urban) | Michela Harris, Weber-Morgan Health Department |
| Local Health Department (Rural) | Jason Garrett, Utah County Health Department |
| US Fish and Wildlife Service | Chris Cline, Ecological Services, USFWS |
| US Geological Survey | Scott Hynek, Hydrologist, USGS |
| US EPA | Tina Laidlaw, Region 8, EPA |
| National Park Service | Mark Anderson, Aquatic Ecologist, NPS |
| Utah Poison Control Center (UPCC) | Amber Johnson, Director (UPCC) |
| Epidemiologist | Delaney Dean, UDOH, Bureau of Epidemiology |
| Ecologist/limnologist | Wayne Wurtsbaugh, Watershed Sciences, USU Theron Miller, Jordan River/Farmington Bay Water Quality Council |
| Public Health Expertise | Jim VanDerslice, Associate Professor, University of Utah |
| Boating/Fishing Recreation Interests | Paul Dreman, Utah Anglers Coalition |
| Environmental Interests | Melissa Stamp, Provo River Mitigation Commission |
| Drinking Water Utilities Interests | Vacant |
| Publically Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) | Lee Rawlings, South Valley Water Reclamation District |
| Agricultural Interests | Vacant |
| Mining and Industry Interests | Jeff Davis, Cardno |
Contact Information
For more information about this group please contact:
- Benjamin Holcomb ([email protected]), (385) 271-4484
Utah Division of Water Quality - Alejandra Maldonado ([email protected]), (385) 239-5930
Utah Department of Health