WEST PALM BEACH, FLA (June 25, 2021) – West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James has assembled a panel of internationally renowned water quality experts to provide independent advice to the City Administration on Public Utilities operations to help guide their response to potential, future cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms.

The City of West Palm Beach desires to implement a proactive, robust algae monitoring and action strategy to ensure effective control of potential risks associated with algae-related issues. The panel is expected to meet, analyze issues, conduct reviews and make both short-term and long-term recommendations to the City Administration.

The panel will also conduct a review of the city’s May 2021 detection of and response to cylindrospermopsin, a toxin produced by cyanobacteria, which was discovered in the city’s finished water system at levels exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Health Advisory Levels for vulnerable populations. This panel is in addition to and separate from a review of internal management processes.

The panel is made up of representatives of large, international engineering consulting firms who are recognized experts and published researchers in water quality, particularly in the areas of source water control, treatment methods, and management responses to address any potential cyanobacteria blooms. Some of the experts have worked with other municipalities that, like the city, experienced a blue-green algae bloom and can share lessons learned. The city has also received notice from other municipal utilities that are willing to offer their experience and expertise with regards to cyanotoxin issues.

The following experts and support team members have agreed to serve on the City of West Palm Beach Expert Panel on Blue-Green Algae:

• Bob Cushing, PhD, PE, BCEE (Carollo Engineers) – Dr. Cushing is a nationally recognized expert in water quality and treatment. He served on the City of West Palm Beach’s 2015 water treatment alternatives panel of experts. Dr. Cushing is serving with assistance from:
• Lyle Munce, PE – Mr. Munce has over 30 years of experience with water quality and treatment in South Florida including West Palm Beach and regional water resources.
• Tom Gillogly, PhD, PE – Dr. Gillogly is Carollo’s Chief Water Process Engineer.
• Jude Grounds, PE – Mr. Grounds was lead engineer in support of the Salem, Oregon algal toxin event.
• William Becker, PhD, PE, BCEE Vice President (Hazen and Sawyer) -- Dr. Becker is Vice President and the Corporate Drinking Water Practice Leader at Hazen. He directs the firm’s drinking water practice, which focuses on helping utilities solve water quality and treatment challenges. Dr. Becker is also a Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he teaches water treatment classes. He is affiliated with the Columbia Water Center at Columbia University. Dr. Becker has authored more than 300 technical presentations and publications, has directed several Water Research Foundation projects, and serves as the Deputy Editor for AWWA Water Science. He was appointed to the EPA Science Advisory Board Drinking Water Committee.
• Erik Rosenfeldt, PhD, PE Associate Vice President (Hazen and Sawyer)-- Dr. Rosenfeldt’s work has focused on drinking water and reuse technology, evaluating, implementing, and optimizing conventional and advanced treatment processes for a variety of water quality concerns, including emerging contaminants such as EDCs, PPCPs, taste and odor and algal toxins, groundwater pollutants, as well as conventional and emerging DBPs. Dr. Rosenfeldt is Hazen’s Director of Drinking Water Process Technology, and a senior member of the firm’s drinking water process and applied research groups.
• Chandra Mysore, PhD, PE, BCCE Vice President and Regional Lead (Jacobs Engineers) – Dr. Mysore has more than 30 years of experience in source water quality, water treatment and water quality in the distribution system. As technical advisor, he has provided technical direction and senior level review on several large projects around the globe addressing source water quality (e.g. harmful algal blooms). He served on the City of West Palm Beach’s 2015 water treatment alternatives panel of experts. Dr. Mysore is serving with assistance from:
• Rafael Vazquez-Burney, PE – Mr. Vazquez-Burney is a technologist specializing in Natural Treatment Systems.
• David Austin, PE – Mr. Austin is a professional engineer in the state of Minnesota and a limnologist. He has served as a water quality expert in multiple reservoir management and lake restoration projects

Additionally, Eric Wert, project manager for Applied Water Quality Research at Southern Nevada Water Authority in Las Vegas, Nevada, has agreed to provide support to the city pro-bono. Mr. Wert is a Trustee, American Water Works Association, Water Science & Research Division and is an Associate Graduate Faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Department of Environmental & Occupational Health.

City of Salem, Oregon staff, who were directly involved in the 2018 cyanotoxin advisory for vulnerable populations have also agreed to provide support to the city pro-bono. They include the Incident Commander for the 2018 Cyanotoxin Advisory; the Utility Operations Manager who oversees the Water Utility including water treatment, water quality, and water distribution; the Water Quality Supervisor who oversees water distribution; and others.

Mayor James has tasked the panel with achieving these goals:

• Develop future monitoring response programs and actions in the event of a detected cyanobacteria event.
• Establish monitoring response programs to satisfy public concerns and elicit potential treatment changes at the Water Treatment Plant to control potential, future elevated cyanotoxin levels in the source water.
• Ensure public satisfaction as to the adequacy of the city’s treatment for controlling potential toxins associated with cyanobacteria blooms in its water supply.
• Evaluate source water vulnerabilities and water treatment plant capabilities.
• Recommend regulatory and legislative improvements to provide certainty to public water suppliers and assurances to their customers.

The expert panel will work together with the city to analyze issues, conduct reviews, and develop recommendations to the City Administration. Additionally, the expert panel will conduct outreach to all stakeholders including the West Palm Beach City Commissioners, the Town of Palm Beach, the Town of South Palm Beach, regulators such as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Palm Beach County Department of Health and South Florida Water Management District, members of the public, and other interested stakeholders. A public information phase will be conducted to communicate the panel’s work and inform the public of the city’s actions.

“We have assembled some of the very best and brightest experts in water quality to join the City of West Palm Beach Expert Panel on Blue-Green Algae,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. “We look forward to working with this team to develop and implement both short-term and long-term strategies to respond to any potential threat of blue-green algae to our water system. I am grateful to these panelists, some of whom are donating their time and expertise, and look forward to implementing solutions on behalf of our valued water customers in the City of West Palm Beach, the Town of Palm Beach, and the Town of South Palm Beach.” 

Fact-finding and recommendations developed within the short-term are anticipated from the panel within three months. Long-term recommendations are anticipated from the panel within a year. The information and recommendations will be presented to the City Administration.

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