Severn Trent, The George Washington University to

co-host in drinking water conference

Fort Washington, PA (May 25,20001) - Creating a forum for all pertinent issues to be discussed, Severn Trent Services and the Center for Risk Science and Public Health at The George Washington University will co-sponsor a special one-day session on arsenic in drinking water.

Scheduled for Thursday, June 21,2001 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC, the meeting will bring together those individuals at the forefront of this issue. Arsenic in drinking water is an issue that has recently gained international attention from legislators, environmentalists, and health organizations. Co-sponsors for the event include the Division of Health and the Environment of the Pan-American Health Organization and the Physicians for Social responsibility. The seminar will take place immediately following the annual national conference held by the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in Washington, DC.

The National Academy of Sciences has reported that arsenic in drinking water causes bladder, lung and skin cancer, and may cause kidney and liver cancer. The World Health Organization endorses a maximum arsenic limit of ten parts per billion (ppb). This standard was adopted in a revision of the European Union Drinking Water Directive in 1998 that will become mandatory to somewhere in the range of 3-20 ppb in the near future.

" The debate has continued for some time over what level is best, and how to achieve it," Notes Dr. Hu Fleming, Vice President of Water Purification Solutions for Severn Trent Services. " This forum will give participants and attendees a chance to understand the current state of science, and to discuss the various options available to address the issue."

Reservations can be made by contacting the Center or Risk Science & Public Health at the George Washington University at 202-994-7766 or [email protected].