Multiple models and tools have been developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development to help communities improve the quality of their drinking water. Some support the treatment process by predicting the effectiveness of different processes in removing contaminants or achieving treatment goals, while others focus on the water distribution system by enabling the design of new infrastructure, optimizing operations, and determining contaminant fate and transport. Recently, EPA developed a new model that can be used to help determine if there is potential for contaminants, such as lead or Legionella, to occur in premise plumbing within buildings and homes.
EPA’s models and tools can help communities achieve compliance with regulations, evaluate different treatment approaches, design infrastructure replacement programs, identify ways to build resilience to disasters, place sensors to provide early detection of contaminants, and plan for a variety of future scenarios. This presentation will provide an overview of these models and tools, explaining when and how they can be used, and what types of problems they can help solve.