Iowa's Drinking Water: Could Flint Happen Here?

June 17, 2016
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
June 17, 2016
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Iowa Events Center - Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center (Vets Auditorium), Des Moines, IA

The Public Policy Center's June symposium, "Iowa's Drinking Water: Could Flint Happen Here?" explored the current state of Iowa’s drinking water and the future challenges confronting water providers in the state to reliably deliver safe drinking water to Iowans.  Co-organized by the University of Iowa Public Policy Center and the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC), this all day event included panels of water experts from academia, industry and the public sector, including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). 

In light of recent, high profile incidents of public health crises arising from drinking water contamination around the United States, a special focus was placed on whether drinking water supplies in Iowa are susceptible to similar vulnerabilities experienced elsewhere. This included a presentation by Joyce Zhu, a member of the Flint Water Study, who shared first-hand experiences and lessons learned from the public health crisis in Flint, Michigan. Beyond Flint, panel topics addressed other potential threats to the sustainability of Iowa’s drinking water supplies.

The Symposium was accredited for 0.6 CEUs for the renewal of Iowa water treatment and distribution operator licenses.

*Partial support for this symposium has been provided by the Iowa NSF EPSCoR project; this project is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number EPS-1101284. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed during this event are those of the participant(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Schedule

June 17, 2016

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Coffee & Registration
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Welcome Remarks
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Peter Damiano
Director — Public Policy Center
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Peter Weyer
UI Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC)
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P. Butler
Executive Vice President and Provost — University of Iowa
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Morning Keynote
Moderator
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Dave Cwiertny
UI Civil & Environmental Engineering
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Peter Gleick
Pacific Institute
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Lessons from Flint
Moderator
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Shelli Lovell
Central Iowa Water Association
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Joyce Zhu
Virginia Tech / Flint Water Study
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Jon Tack
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
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John North
Iowa Association of Water Agencies
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Barb Wagner
Cedar Rapids Water
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Mike Ricks
Water Solutions Unlimited
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Lunch and Lunch Keynote
Moderator
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Craig Just
Assistant Professor Civil and Environmental Engineering Assistant Research Engineer IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering University of Iowa
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Sally Gutierrez
US Environmental Protection Agency
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Influence of Agriculture on Iowa's Drinking Water Sources
Moderator
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Larry Weber
Professor — Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iowa
Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics — College of Engineering, University of Iowa
Director — IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering, University of Iowa
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Brett Lorenzen
Director of Midwest Outreach — Environmental Working Group
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Roger Wolf
Director of Environmental Programs & Services — Iowa Soybean Association
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Neil Hamilton
Drake University Law
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Afternoon Break
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Beyond Nitrate: Current and Emerging Challenges for Iowa Drinking Water Resources
Moderator
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Mary Skopec
Program Coordinator — Research Geologist, IOWATER
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Dana Kolpin
US Geological Survey
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Bob Libra
State Geological and Water Survey
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Wayne Petersen
Iowa Department of Agriculture
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Dale Barrie
Iowa Rural Water Association
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Late Afternoon Break
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Policy Approaches for Protecting Iowa's Drinking Water
Moderator
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David Osterberg
Clinical Professor — Occupational and Environmental Health University of Iowa
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Chuck Gipp
Director — Iowa Department of Natural Resources
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Karen Flournoy
Division of Water Wetlands and Pesticides — US Environmental Protection Agency
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John Wills
State Representative House District 1
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Janet Petersen
Iowa Senator — District 18
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Wrap Up
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Dave Cwiertny
UI Civil & Environmental Engineering

Partners

A sincere thank you to our co-sponsors:

 

                    

 

                    

 

                   

And our in-kind sponsors:

 

                    

 

 

 

Forkenbrock Series on Public Policy
The Forkenbrock Series provides a forum for dialogue about policy areas from applied, academic, and interdisciplinary perspectives. The series was established in honor of David Forkenbrock, a nationally recognized transportation researcher. Dr. Forkenbrock established the Public Policy Center at the University of Iowa in 1987 and directed the Center until 2007. His vision was to enable public and private sector decision makers to work with faculty, staff, and student researchers to explore solutions to complex problems related to the public interest.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Dragana Petic at dragana-petic@uiowa.edu.