Working collaboratively with a variety of partners, including EPA regions, states, and Tribes, is a vital feature of ORD research and its goal to address high priority near-term community needs. Directly working with partners provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships between researchers and communities. Researchers collaborated with local partners in EPA Region 6 to better understand Naegleria fowleri, also known as brain-eating amoeba, and its potential to contaminate splash pads.

Over the past several years in EPA Region 6, splash pads connected to disinfected drinking water have been at risk of contamination. Presenters will discuss their investigation into this issue, identify best management practices, and provide risk mitigation tools for prevention and detection of various waterborne disease outbreaks.