Partnership between CEAT PD, Oklahoma DEQ continues to grow

Friday, November 8, 2024

Media Contact: Tanner Holubar | Communications Specialist | 405-744-2065 | tanner.holubar@okstate.edu

A strong partnership has developed between the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology Professional Development.  

It has resulted in numerous training courses provided by CEAT PD, especially in rural areas, to provide Oklahoma residents with opportunities to attend training sessions that help them in their careers.  

The partnership began in 2017 when CEAT PD developed and delivered a training course for hazardous waste generators. In 2023, DEQ’s Water Quality Division reached out for assistance regarding the Lead Service Line Inventory program.  

A recent initiative has further strengthened that partnership, as CEAT PD received a grant from DEQ for lead and copper rule improvement technical assistance and training.  

Led by Jessica Stewart, director of outreach programs for CEAT Professional Development, and Amber Coker, assistant manager of outreach education with CEAT PD, the team has been working to help cities in Oklahoma, especially rural communities, inventory their water lines.   

“Our department is focused on the small and rural communities,” Stewart said. “So typically, those that are 3,300 in population or less. We have some communities that have 100-300 residents, and they often have one staff member, who also might be the mayor and have many different roles in their community.” 

Stewart said numerous states, including Oklahoma, were not in the habit of inventorying water lines, and there is a lack of documentation on what line materials exist within Oklahoma’s water systems. However, the documentation will be tremendously important, as inventorying water lines will help discover which lines may need replacement. 

“Lead can have some really adverse effects on health in both babies and adults,” Stewart said. “Identifying line material is important to ensure lead contamination risks are minimized.” 

The CEAT PD team was also tasked with developing training and curriculum for the new lead and copper rules pertaining to water lines. Helping cities comply with the new requirements has been their primary goal.  

“What we’re finding is a lot of these water systems, because they are so small and in rural communities, don’t always have the resources they need,” Stewart said. “They do not always have internet access, and the DEQ and EPA require that this inventory be submitted electronically. So, we are trying to help communities find solutions to the challenges they face.”

Through the collaboration with DEQ, Stewart began helping facilitate technical assistance and training sessions for the state’s water systems. There were 15 training sessions that provided outreach to around 600 water operators in 73 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties. Around 160,000 rural residents were indirectly affected through the outreach to water operators.  

“I think some of the larger impacts that have occurred from the partnership between CEAT PD and DEQ is the number of communities we were able to educate on this initiative and the learning opportunities that existed for our student employees who have been working on this project,” Stewart said. “This project has also increased awareness in Oklahoma’s rural and urban communities about OSU’s Engineering Extension services. 

Four undergraduate students have led CEAT PD’s efforts by contacting water operators and providing technical assistance regarding the inventory.  

Ariel White, an environmental science for water resources major with a minor in geoscience, and Rachel Gibbs, a human resources management major with a minor in legal studies, have spent time aiding water operators around the state.  

Both helped water systems managers understand the lead service line inventory requirements and helped communities through the process. Some had not heard of the new requirements and needed help through the entire process, while others had an idea of where to start but still needed guidance with specific portions of the inventory. 

“I had a couple of people where I made a lot of phone calls here and there,” Gibbs said. “So, you get to know their name and they get to know yours, and they were just thankful for the help they are getting. So, it has been good to be there for them in that way.” 

White said working with the water resource managers has been a beneficial experience for her while she studies environmental science.   

“It’s really been interesting to get to learn about what water systems have to deal with themselves since I’m interested in becoming a hydrologist,” White said.  

The student team worked through the Oct. 16 deadline to help water systems managers ensure they had submitted their inventories successfully. Some communities were further behind due to a lack of staff, software and other resources.  

Inventorying water lines will create documentation that has been lacking over the years. It will also be helpful in future situations where a specific water line or pipe needs to be evaluated.  

If a member of a community is concerned about a particular pipe or water line, there will be documentation available regarding line material. The inventory will also provide strong documentation for the future if further rule changes are made.  

“The rural and the small communities just don’t have a lot of resources,” Stewart said. “Many have been grateful for us reaching out and helping because they feel like they would not have gotten it done and they understand the importance of it. So, I think it’s vitally important to do that outreach to rural communities because they are lacking so much in their infrastructure, and they really need all the support they can get.” 

The partnership with DEQ, especially regarding this project, has helped expand CEAT PD’s reach around the state. It has also shown what additional needs are in Oklahoma and where gaps could be filled in rural and small communities.   

“We anticipate additional future collaborations not only with DEQ but also communities in which we presented the Life Space Crisis Intervention curriculum, which have let us know about other gaps that exist,” Stewart said.