Scientific Workshops and Research Supporting Development of the 2012 Recreational Water Quality Criteria
November 2011 Avian Expert Workshop
The EPA held an experts workshop in fall 2011 to evaluate the state-of-knowledge on the risks that avian and other wildlife fecal pollution pose to human health in U.S. recreational waters. Workshop participants also discussed the tools and data needed for evaluating those risks. Twenty-six experts from the United States and Canada participated in the workshop, representing multiple U.S. federal agencies (including the EPA), state and local government, a public research agency, academia, and consultants. The EPA held this meeting as part of a 2008 settlement agreement with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), and Los Angeles County.
The settlement agreement also requires that, by December 15, 2012, the EPA evaluate whether any of the studies identified during the workshop should be performed to help the EPA improve our understanding of human health risks for any future recreational water quality criteria revision. There were no specific studies identified by the workshop experts.
- Report of the Experts Scientific Workshop on Potential Human Health Risks from Exposure to Fecal Contamination from Avian and Other Wildlife Sources in Recreational Waters (pdf)
- Report Appendices
February 2009 Inland Waters Expert Scientific Workshop
In February 2009 WERF hosted and the EPA supported an experts workshop on inland waters in order to obtain expert input on research and analyses that could be initiated and completed by December 2010 to support the applicability of the EPA's new recreational criteria to flowing fresh waters and lakes; and what longer-term research should be pursued to gain a better understanding of the health risks from recreating in inland waters as compared to marine coastal or Great Lakes waters. WERF has published a report that summarizes the proceedings and findings.
March 2007 Expert Workshop for Input on New Recreational Water Quality Criteria
The EPA's March 2007 Experts Scientific Workshop was a forum for discussion of critical research and science needs for developing new or revised recreational ambient water quality criteria. The Report of the Experts Scientific Workshop summarizes the discussion of the scientific and technical panels.
- Report of the Experts Scientific Workshop - Executive Summary
- Report of the Experts – Entire Report - Please note that the Executive Summary is separate from the rest of the report and is not included with this file