BRYN MAWR, Pa., March 20, 2003 -- Representatives of the region's water utilities, public health departments and environmental regulatory agencies will meet next Tuesday, March 25 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., at a conference hosted by Philadelphia Suburban Water Company (PSW) and Drexel University's School of Public Health at Drexel University's Queen Lane Conference Center, 2900 Queen Lane in the East Falls section of Philadelphia.
In addition to presenters from PSW and Drexel University, the one-day conference entitled Drinking Water and Public Health: A Necessary Partnership boasts a list of distinguished speakers on topics including drinking water quality, regulations and the importance of establishing and maintaining sound working relationships between the three groups to protect public health. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region III Drinking Water Branch Chief Richard Rogers will also speak about water system security in a post-9/11 era. Attendees include water supply and public health professionals and regulators from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and neighboring states.
"As a public water utility, we saw an opportunity to take the initiative to bring our peers together with the public health community and drinking water regulators to share information and ideas that will help all of us with our specific responsibilities to protect public health," said Philadelphia Suburban Water Company Vice President, Water Resources Preston Luitweiler. "One of the benefits of having a conference like this is that it allows three key groups involved in protecting public health the opportunity to work together and either build on or establish relationships prior to a problem or crisis," explained Luitweiler. "We hope that the conference will be the beginning--or in some cases a continuation--of professional relationships and contacts that will better prepare all of us for future challenges."
Dr. Marla Gold, Dean of Drexel University's School of Public Health said her school was very pleased to participate in hosting the conference. "We believe this is the right conference at the right time for the right reason," said Gold. "Protecting public health is a vast responsibility and whenever we have the opportunity to share information with and get information from other organizations whose business has a direct impact on public health, we are anxious to do so. Our educational and research programs are built on partnerships with communities, so it is easy to see why the invitation to have a leading role in this conference was an easy one to accept."
Drexel University's School of Public Health is one of only two in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and distinguishes itself from other such schools through its "problem-based" curriculum and emphasis on community needs and partnerships.
PSW is the largest subsidiary of Philadelphia Suburban Corporation--the nation's largest U.S.-based investor-owned water utility holding company. PSW serves approximately 1.2 million residents in Delaware, Montgomery, Chester, Bucks and Berks counties.
