ANN ARBOR, Mich., June 13, 2001 — NSF International (www.nsf.org ), The Public Health and Safety Company™, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held a two-day stakeholder meeting on June 4 and 5 to discuss scope, mission and public comments on the function of the Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) Drinking Water Systems Center.
NSF is a provider of food, water and environment-related certification and education services for public health and safety issues. This was the first meeting of the stakeholder committee since NSF was designated as the Center for ETV Drinking Water Systems Verification.
On October 1, 2000, NSF International entered into a cooperative agreement with the EPA to form the ETV Drinking Water Systems Center. The purpose of the Center is to provide independent performance evaluations of drinking water technologies. The Center develops protocols for technology verification, manages verifications, provides project quality assurance and issues final verification reports.
The ETV Drinking Water Systems Center Stakeholder Committee consists of industry leaders, including manufacturers, trade associations, state drinking water administrators, water utilities, consultants, engineers and various water testing organizations. The committee reviewed the ETV Drinking Water Systems Center's progress to date and discussed public comments on the Center's goals and missions. The committee charged NSF to focus its efforts on technologies that will support the needs of small water systems. It was also suggested that verifications be targeted on technologies which deal with current concerns such as arsenic, Cryptosporidium and the pending surface water treatment rule.
"We are very pleased with the results of the meeting," said Gordon Bellen, Vice President of Federal Programs for NSF. "The support from the States is a clear indication we are on the right track. The protocols and test reports have clearly made a contribution to the acceptance of drinking water technology."
NSF International, a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to improving public health, safety and protection of the environment. A global leader in standards development and product certification, NSF tests and certifies more than 130,000 products worldwide and continually develops new programs in response to public and environmental issues. NSF offers a broad range of services, including accredited food equipment certification; comprehensive food safety and quality systems auditing; HACCP-9000(r) registration and verification; certification for water distribution systems; certification for dietary supplements, bakery products and nonfood compounds; management systems registration; and toxicology consulting. NSF also provides learning opportunities through its Center for Public Health Education.
NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food Safety and Drinking Water Safety and Treatment. Founded in 1944, NSF is headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI, with offices and laboratories around the world.
For more information on the EPA-funded ETV Drinking Water Treatment Systems Center, contact Bruce Bartley, Manager, at 734-769-5148 or [email protected] .
