The USET Office of Environmental Resource Management presents
the Learning About Lead In Drinking Water –
Elevated Lead Levels Virtual Trainings

USET’s Office of Environmental Resource Management’s (OERM) Lead Reduction Team is partnering with subject matter experts to share remediation activities that address elevated lead levels in drinking water. We are aware that some Tribal Nations are unclear about elevated lead level response planning. The EPA 3Ts modules (training, testing, and taking action) provides guidance to remove lead from drinking water and encourages short-term and long-term remediation ensuring safe drinking water at Tribal schools, daycares, and other common children’s gathering places. This training will cover remediation activities from flushing to service line replacement. We encourage Tribal leaders, health and environmental officials, and educators to attend this training.

Lead is a naturally occurring heavy metal that is globally recognized as a substance that has serious health consequences if consumed, especially for children. The adverse health effects range from lowered birth weight and slowed physical and mental development in infants, to lowered IQ levels, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, and poor classroom performance in young children. Clean and safe water is essential and paramount to building a sustainable economy, successful educational and public health systems, and most importantly, a healthy and productive environment for children. Please join us for these informative conversations.

When:

• April 10 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Central/2:00 pm– 3:00 pm Eastern
  SME: Michael Celona and Alex Smith-Lin, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection: Bubbler Replacement
  Topic: Training – “Massachusetts’ Efforts to Address Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Childcare Facilities”
• May 22 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Central/2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
  SME: Dr. Jason Barrett, Associate Extension Professor, Associate Director, Mississippi State University: Filters and fixture replacement
• June 12 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm /2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
  SME: Kathy Rodgers, General Manager, The Water Office: Lead line replacement

Who should attend: Tribal Leaders, Health Directors, clinic staff, educators, environmental officials, and Tribal utility staff

What: Participants will learn about:

• Strategic guidance for sustainable remediation planning and implementation  
• Strategic community engagement and outreach planning 
• Federal funding opportunities that support corrective action activities
• U.S. EPA 3Ts “Taking Action” module training
• How service line inventories can expedite the replacement of hazardous service lines composed of lead

Registration:

Registration is open.

Key Speakers Information:

Michael Celona is the Capacity Coordinator in the MassDEP Drinking Water Program, where he oversees the implementation of the Water-Smart Program for Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Childcare Facilities. He has been with MassDEP since 2019 after spending 20 years at the MA Department of Public Health. He has degrees in Environmental Science and Environmental Policy

Alexander Smith-Lin is the Program Coordinator for the Mass DEP Water-Smart Program. In coordination with the University of Massachusetts Amherst, this program offers free lead testing for schools and childcare facilities throughout the state. His duties include reviewing applications for sampling, communicating with Public Water Systems and School Officials about results and follow-up, and developing and implementing outreach strategies. He has been with the Program for 5 years since graduating from UMass Amherst with degrees in Marketing and Sport Management.

Dr. Jason R. Barrett is originally from Bobo, MS, a small farming community south of Clarksdale, MS. He now resides in Starkville, MS with his wife and four kids. Jason began his Mississippi State University Extension career as a graduate assistant in the Food and Fiber Center. Dr. Barrett went on to work for the Agricultural Economics Department as an Extension Associate and furthered his career as an Extension Instructor and then an Assistant Extension Professor with the Center for Government and Community Development (GCD). Now, he is an Associate Extension Professor and Interim Director with the Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute where he specializes in public utilities (water and wastewater), private well education and screening, and leading the Mississippi Well Owner Network. He also leads the Lead Testing in Schools and Childcare Centers Program for Mississippi. Other research interests include the finance and economic development factors associated with water and wastewater utilities.

Kathy Rodgers is the owner of The Water Office, LLC, which provides water operations, consulting and project management services in New England. In 2024 Kathy Rodgers and her team at The Water Office, LLC completed over 100 service line inventories for public water systems in Maine, including 4 Tribal systems. To ensure compliance was achieved with the Lead and Copper Rule Revision for Lead Service Line Inventory (LCRR LSLI), Kathy and her team developed outreach materials and utilized many tools to complete the inventories including: GIS mapping of service connections, onsite digitization and review of historical records, website publication of the LCRR LSLI results and data capture method for ongoing updates to ensure the accuracy of data. From operating to advocating, Kathy has held a wide range of roles in the water industry since 2005. Kathy earned a B.S. in Chemistry and a Master’s in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale and holds Class I water treatment and distribution licenses in Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.

Questions: 

For more information, please contact USET’s Lead Program team:

Jakira Saunders, Program Manager
Ben Peyton, Senior Technical Assistant Specialist