Alexandria, VA, December 6, 2001 -- Disinfection is by far the most continually changing segment of the municipal water and wastewater field, and an annual event on the topic promises to help attendees keep up with the shifting tide.
Disinfection 2002, a conference sponsored by the Water Environment Federation is scheduled for February 17-20 in St. Petersburg, FL.
Held in cooperation with the Florida Water Environment Association, American Water Works Association, University of South Florida and other organizations, the conference promises a challenging technical program on how to cleanse wastewater of harmful microorganisms. The event features two preconference workshops, nine technical sessions, and an exhibition of products and services showcasing the latest technical advancements.
Disinfection 2002 will bring together top experts from government, academia, industry and operations for a technical program on the following topics: innovative technologies, chlorination, biosolids, ultraviolet design and operations, emerging pathogens, and more. Joan Rose, College of Marine Sciences, University of South Florida, and Bill Edgar, FUSE, Inc., are conference co-chairs.
Edgar, a former chair of the WEF Disinfection Committee, believes that a particularly popular session will be "Natural Disasters and Disinfection: Wind, Water, and Blooms" (February 19) which will discuss safe water alternates for drought conditions, flood emergencies, and chlorination for international disasters.
The first of the two Sunday preconference workshops is "New Methods," led by Rose, and international expert on water pollution microbiology, and Charles Gerba, University of Arizona. The workshop will present papers on Cryptosporidium disinfection with cell cultures, viral disinfection in groundwaters, disinfection modeling, and more. The second workshop is "Biosolids Disinfection," led by Robert Reimers (Tulane University), Dwight Bowman (Cornell University), and Jim Smith (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
The Opening General Session on Sunday afternoon will feature a keynote address by Gerba entitled "Disinfection from Toilets to Coffee Cups." In addition, a local panel of Florida city and county representatives will tackle "Future Challenges in Disinfection: A Utility Perspective."
In an effort to interface future leaders with today's experts, conference organizers will present and "Operator Day" on Tuesday, February 19 that features a low registration fee (including CEU credits) for graduate students and wastewater treatment operators.
For registration and detailed program information, visit WEF online or call 800-666-0206.
Founded in 1928, the Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization with members from varied disciplines who work toward the WEF vision of preservation and enhancement of the global water environment. The WEF network includes more than 100,000 water quality professionals from 77 member associations in 31 countries.
