Collaboration Is Key to Successful Implementation of the National Ground Water Monitoring Network
Presented on Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Robert P. Schreiber, PE, BCEE, D.WRE1, William L. Cunningham2 and Mike Wireman3, (1)Water Resources, CDM Smith, Boston, MA, (2)Office of Groundwater, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, (3)Region 8, U.S. EPA, Denver, CO
Reliable, accurate, and sustained groundwater monitoring is more important than ever. Groundwater resources are under new pressures because of increased energy demand, a focus on stream and wetland ecosystem health, and the impacts of climate variability and change. As these pressures increase, such legislation as the SECURE Water Act, which authorizes the National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGWMN), offers hope that the federal government will provide the support needed. However, the tough economic conditions and federal budgeting problems have so far severely limited the appropriation of federal funds for the Network. In addition, many states report similar budgeting-related problems in securing funding for groundwater monitoring resources. Thus, it is even more important now than ever to leverage existing monitoring programs that are expected to receive ongoing support, while also exploring innovative means and methods that are anticipated to yield improvements in data-yield and cost-effectiveness.
Multiple examples will demonstrate the collaboration-focused efforts involved in the implementation of the NGWMN, which is being led by the federal Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) Subcommittee on Ground Water (SOGW). The NGWMN is a collaborative effort among federal, tribal, state, nongovernmental organizations, private industry, and academia volunteers. The collaboration examples will focus on (1) inclusion of states in which prior collaboration between state agencies and the USGS has facilitated joining the NGWMN; (2) exploration of collaboration between USEPA Regional Laboratories and state data-providers for the labs to test samples sent by participating states; (3) discussions with other federal agencies that maintain monitoring networks whose objectives and designs align nicely with the NGWMN; and (4) consideration of promising technologies from ongoing R&D and proof-of-concept testing that have been identified through SOGW and other ACWI subcommittee initiatives. Input from conference participants will be encouraged, to enhance the collaborative efforts already underway.
Robert P. Schreiber, PE, BCEE, D.WRE
Water Resources, CDM Smith, Boston, MA
Robert Schreiber is a registered professional engineer with more than 39 years of experience in water resource planning and computerized engineering analysis. He graduated from MIT's Civil Engineering Department where he focused on groundwater hydrology and water resource systems analysis. He is a senior technical leader specializing in modeling of groundwater flow and contaminant fate and transport, and serves as a company-wide resource at CDM Smith. Schreiber was recently ASCE's alternate representative to the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information, and is co-chair of its Subcommittee on Ground Water, focusing on implementation of a National Ground-Water Monitoring Network.
William L. Cunningham
Office of Groundwater, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA
Bill Cunningham is the Chief of the U.S. Geological Survey Office of Groundwater. This office oversees the technical and policy aspects of USGS groundwater investigations and data collection activities across the nation. Prior to joining the Office of Groundwater, he worked on groundwater science investigations in the Ohio and North Carolina Water Science Centers. Cunningham also serves as Co-Chair of the Subcommittee on Ground Water for the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees from The Ohio State University.
Mike Wireman
Region 8, U.S. EPA, Denver, CO
Michael Wireman is retired from the U.S. EPA where he served as a National Groundwater Expert. He has a master’s degree in hydrogeology from Western Michigan University. In his current position he provided technical and scientific support to several EPA programs, other federal agencies, international programs, and to state groundwater programs. Wireman has significant experience in the legal, scientific, and programmatic aspects of groundwater management. He is a member of the Colorado Ground Water Association, the National Ground Water Association, the Geological Society of America, and is the Chair of the North American Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists.
