• Commentary on the International Water Conference 2007
By Jim Sabzali, Thermax Inc.
May 3, 2007 -- Last year I attended the International Water Conference (IWC) in Pittsburgh after a two-year hiatus and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the papers and the variety of concurrent technical sessions and workshops, which I could attend.
In fact, after reviewing the entire program and the breadth of companies that support the IWC, I chose to participate as session chair. I was not disappointed as the session touched on progress with old technologies but was really geared towards new developments. New developments meant that entirely new research initiatives with immediate commercial application were reviewed. Further, the sessions also offered a platform where university researchers, working independently or with industry, were able to present ideas that were critiqued by industrial users. In essence, the blend of old, current and future techniques provided "food for thought" on how problems could be tackled using a combination of techniques.
In my estimation, the International Water Conference has been the premier conference covering industrial water technology for almost 70 years and continues to be. This year the IWC actively sought technical papers covering a wide variety of disciplines -- steam generation including chemical treatments, equipment design and operation; cooling tower technology and design; membranes, EDI and ion exchange techniques addressing process water issues to selective removal of contaminants; and flue gas desulfurization technologies and applications.
By addressing these issues, the IWC succeeded in attracting over 75 abstracts from over 15 countries making this truly an international water conference with perspectives and issues from Japan, India, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Mexico, Canada and of course, the United States to name a few. It appears that water treatment professionals worldwide are seeking a forum where they may educate and inform others of their successes and failures. The IWC has uniquely positioned itself as that forum where worldwide input and support is not only sought, it is welcomed.
I have been in the water treatment industry for over twenty-five years. IWC's unique position of being able to attract worldwide talent to this premiere Conference has lead me to become an active participant and believer in the value of the IWC. I would strongly urge each of you to consider attending this year if for no other reason than the opportunity to be exposed to some new thinking, share some ideas on how to solve today's issues but better yet, to glimpse into the future of water treatment to see where new developments may take your company and your business. In addition to the networking opportunities all conferences offer, the IWC is geared to improving your business through technology -- supported by facts, using real world data and critically reviewed by your peers. This year the IWC is being held in Orlando, Florida at the Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort on October 21st-25th, 2007 and details on this conference can be found at the conference web site www.eswp.com/water -- you should plan to attend.
Jim Sabzali
[email protected]
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