Implementing safe drinking water policy for PFAS & Lead Pipes - Alan Roberson, Director of the ASDWA
In this episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady talks with Alan Roberson, Executive Director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA). Roberson shares insights from over 34 years in water policy, including how ASDWA supports state drinking water agencies, challenges of PFAS regulation, and the impact of federal funding shortfalls on public health protection. The discussion covers drinking water regulations, the role of state labs, infrastructure funding, workforce shortages, and more.
Chapters with Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction and Guest Background
02:12 – What Is ASDWA and Its Mission
04:33 – ASDWA’s Role in Federal Rulemaking
07:05 – PFAS Regulation Updates and Compliance Timelines
13:42 – State Data Sharing and Collaboration
18:20 – Concerns Over GenX and Short-Chain PFAS
22:01 – Cost of Compliance and Affordability
26:44 – Federal Funding Gaps and SRF Limitations
31:10 – Holding Polluters Accountable
34:40 – State-Level PFAS Standards and Support
38:02 – Lab Testing Capacity and State Limitations
42:35 – Lead Pipe Inventories and Replacement Challenges
46:10 – Regulatory Burdens and Ratepayer Equity
49:20 – Infrastructure Needs and Workforce Challenges
54:00 – ASDWA’s Top Priorities for 2025
57:30 – Final Thoughts and Closing
PFAS drinking water rule, Safe Drinking Water Act, lead pipe replacement, Alan Roberson, ASDWA, EPA drinking water standards, public health and water utilities, SRF funding, UCMR5, GenX chemicals, state drinking water labs, water infrastructure, environmental policy, clean water initiatives, water workforce shortage, environmental transformation podcast
Alan Roberson
Executive Director
Alan Roberson is Executive Director of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA). ASDWA's members (the state and territorial drinking water agencies) are co-regulators under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He has over 34 years of experience in the development of drinking water policy and federal and state drinking water regulations.
Prior to starting at ASDWA in 2017, he worked in AWWA’s Washington, DC, office for 25 years. During his time at AWWA, he authored or co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed papers, authored or co-authored a handful of book chapters, written numerous columns and Feature Articles for Journal AWWA, and made numerous presentations on a wide range of water quality and regulatory issues across the country.
He has been on Fairfax Water’s Board of Directors since 2009 and serves as Treasurer and Chair of the Water Quality & Supply Committee. He also is an adjunct instructor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, teaching a drinking water policy class annually at the Summer Institute.
He has a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the Virginia Tech extension in Falls Church. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia. He received the Fuller Award from the Virginia Section of AWWA in 2025.
