On Wednesday, July 15, WaterISAC convened a webcast on the U.S. EPA Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA). The WLA offers an integrated nationwide network of laboratories that provide water and wastewater utilities with the analytical capability and capacity to respond to intentional and unintentional contamination events involving chemical, biological, and radiochemical contaminants. Other resources included in the WLA program are exercises and training opportunities to support laboratory preparedness; the Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT); and numerous guides pertaining to laboratory operations, methods, and technologies.

This webcast featured presentations from Mike Koza, the Regulatory and Security Advisor for the Portland (Maine) Water District and a WaterISAC Pro Member, and Michael Goldberg, an ORISE Fellow with U.S. EPA. Mr. Koza discussed his organization’s experiences with WLA, including findings from its participation in a WLA exercise. Mr. Goldberg provided an overview of the WLA and presented a new interactive tool for helping to access its resources.