PFAS 2024- The Evolving Path Forward

Zhiyong Xia, Senior Technical Director, GHD
Zhiyong is an experienced scientist with a track record of growing programs and achieving technical excellence. With extensive experience in PFAS remediation, water purification, solar and polymeric materials, Zhiyong has produced 17 U.S. Patents and more than 100 technical publications. He was the winner of numerous awards including the Johns Hopkins APL Invention of the Year Award (2022 PFAS Remediation, 2021 Water Harvesting and 2015 Water Filtration), British Petroleum (BP) Helios Innovation Award on high power solar modules, and the best paper award from the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). His career includes scientific research and management roles at both the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.  

 

Bob has been with VDH ODW for over 20 years and previously served as Field Services Engineer and District Engineer and worked with waterworks in Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, and Arlington Counties. He chairs ODW’s Lead and Copper Rule committee and regularly presents updates to the Waterworks Advisory Committee.  He oversees the PFAS monitoring program and related PFAS activities at VDH ODW. He assists with updates to the Virginia Waterworks Regulations, developing and updating policy, overseeing the waterworks permit and sanitary survey programs, overseeing data management, source water protection, and geographic information systems (GIS) activities, statewide.  He was deeply involved with the amendments to the Waterworks Regulations adopted in June 2021. Prior to joining VDH ODW, Bob was a licensed professional engineer in private practice for 14 years, practicing environmental engineering. He holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Chemical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts.