The Utilities Community of Practice
Last updated July 15, 2024
What is the NWSS Utilities Community of Practice?
The National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) Utilities Community of Practice (CoP) is a collaborative for promoting review, synthesis, and sharing of lessons learned among utilities to accelerate the implementation of wastewater surveillance and participation in the NWSS to support public health decision-making. The Utilities CoP is specifically focused on understanding best practices related to:
- Sample collection logistics, including storage, transportation, and metadata documentation;
- Communicating with health department and lab partners; and
- Conveying the value of wastewater surveillance to utility leaders, rate payers, and other stakeholders.
Members of the Utilities CoP share information in three ways:
- Monthly virtual meetings with informative presentations, success stories, and opportunities to exchange ideas
- A growing list of relevant resources on this website, including some information that is available to Utilities CoP members only
- A private SharePoint site with a dashboard, discussion board, calendar, meeting recordings, and more
Did you know? The NWSS Utilities CoP is one of three CoPs convened to support the U.S. CDC in their implementation of NWSS. The other two NWSS CoPs are the Health Departments CoP (hosted by the the CDC NWSS team) and the Laboratories CoP (hosted by the Association of Public Health Laboratories).
What is the CoP Advisory Council?
The Utilities CoP is led by an Advisory Council (CoPAC) of utility, academic, government, and association wastewater surveillance experts. The CoPAC provides strategic guidance on the CoP mission, goals, objectives, structure, and governance.
The 2024 Utilities CoPAC includes:
Name | Titel | Organization | CoP Advisory Council Role |
Dan Gerrity | Principal Research Scientist | Southern Nevada Water Authority | Utility representative and Council Chair |
Scott Bessler | Compliance Services Programs Branch Chief | Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati | Utility representative and Council Vice Chair |
Bruce Adams | Superintendent of Wastewater | City of Cortland | Utility representative |
Blythe Layton | Research Program Manager | Clean Water Services | Utility representative |
Sharon Mertens | Director of Water Quality Protection | Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District | Utility representative |
Melissa Mimna | Laboratory Program Supervisor | City of Boulder | Utility representative |
Naoko Munakata | Supervising Engineer | Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts | Utility representative |
Steve Rhode | Laboratory Director | Massachusetts Water Resources Authority | Utility representative |
Lan Wiborg | Director Of Environmental Services | Orange County Sanitation District | Utility representative |
Ben Yoakum | Research and Innovation Project Manager | Orange County Utilities | Utility representative |
Aaron Bivins | Assistant Professor | Louisiana State University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering | Academic representative |
Lauren Stadler | Assistant Professor | Rice University | Academic representative |
John Person | Epidemiologist, National Wastewater Surveillance System | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Government (NWSS) representative |
Martha Johnson | Public Health Analyst, National Wastewater Surveillance System | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Government (NWSS) representative |
Smiti Nepal | Environmental Engineer | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Government representative |
Michael Jahne | Environmental Engineer | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Government representative |
Virginia Guidry | Branch Head, Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch | North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services | Health department representative |
Rekha Singh | Wastewater Surveillance Program Manager | Virginia Department of Health | Health department representative |
Erin Morin | Specialist, Environmental Health | Association of Public Health Laboratories | Association representative |
Anna Mehrotra | Director, Wastewater Surveillance Program | Water Environment Federation | WEF staff |
Why Should I Join the Utilities CoP?
Do you represent a utility participating in, or interested in, wastewater surveillance? Do you have questions about where the field is headed and what role utilities will play? Consider joining the Utilities CoP! As a CoP member, you’ll receive:
- An invitation to monthly meetings with presentations, panel discussions, and opportunities to ask questions and share lessons learned;
- Access to a private SharePoint site with fact sheets, templates, videos, a discussion board, calendar, and other resources; and
- Weekly email updates with the latest wastewater surveillance news.
There is no cost to join, and you are under no obligation to volunteer for anything once you do. Learn more in the video below or scroll down to fill out the form to join.
How Do I Join?
Please submit the following form. Once submitted, we will confirm you meet the requirements for participation prior to granting you access. Access to the Utilities CoP is intended for individuals and organizations that operate sewer systems and/or wastewater treatment facilities. If you work for a health department, please consider requesting to join the Health Departments CoP by emailing the NWSS team.
Please email the Utilities CoP team with any questions.
** View the NWBE privacy statement and network agreement.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us should any questions arise regarding this form or should any further information be needed.
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