Welcome Speech

XVII

WELCOME SPEECH P.

SANTEMA

D i r e c t o r of t h e National I n s t i t u t e f o r Water Supply, Voorburg, The Netherlands

Ladies and Gentlemen, I t i s with g r e a t p l e a s u r e t h a t I may welcome you today a t t h e beginning of t h i s

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Symposium on Water Supply and Health. A s p e c i a l word of welcome t o a l l t h o s e p a r t i c i p a n t s coming from abroad, t o our

g u e s t s and t o D r . L . G i n j a a r , M i n i s t e r o f Health and Environmental P r o t e c t i o n , who w i l l o f f i c i a l l y open t h i s symposium i n a few minutes. T h i s i n t e r n a t i o n a l symposium has a multipurpose n a t u r e . F i r s t l y , i t p l a y s a r o l e i n f i n a l i z i n g t h e work of t h e Working Group on Health Aspects of Drinking Water of t h e NATO-CCMS Drinking Water P i l o t Study. The chairman of t h i s Working Group, P r o f e s s o r B o r z e l l e c a from Richmond, V i r g i n i a USA, w i l l p r e s e n t during t h e symposium t h e r e s u l t s o b t a i n e d so f a r . Secondly t h i s symposium i s h e l d on t h e eve of t h e 13th

Congress

of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Water Supply Association i n P a r i s . Many of you probably

w i l l a t t e n d t h i s congress i n P a r i s a s w e l l , where our f i r s t l e c t u r e r of today. P r o f e s s o r Bonde from Aarhus, Denmark, w i l l p r e s e n t a g e n e r a l r e p o r t on water q u a l i t y and h e a l t h . P o s s i b l y some o f t h e items discussed d u r i n g t h e coming days can be p r e s e n t e d by him t o t h e l a r g e r forum of t h e IWSA congress next week. The Orgarlizing Committee t o g e t h e r with t h e Advisory Committee have t r i e d t o compose a programme covering a number of r e l e v a n t a s p e c t s of water supply and h e a l t h i n o r d e r t o s e t f u r t h e r r e s e a r c h p r i o r i t i e s and t o recommend t o t h e r e s p o n s i b l e n a t i o n a l and i n t e r n a t i o n a l a u t h o r i t i e s s p e c i f i c measures t o reduce potential health risks. A s you many have seen i n t h e programme t h e emphasis of t h e symposium i s on

t h e h e a l t h e f f e c t s of i n o r g a n i c and o r g a n i c water c o n s t i t u e n t s . I t p l a c e s t h e major s t e p s i n water supply systems such a s t r e a t m e n t and d i s t r i b u t i o n i n a new p e r s p e c t i v e which e v e n t u a l l y may r e s u l t i n new s t r a t e g i e s f o r t h e design of water supply systems.

XVIII The O r g a n i z i n g Committee h a s aimed a t l i n k i n g r e s u l t s o f s c i e n t i f i c s t u d i e s t o t h e need for answers t o s p e c i f i c q u e s t i o n s o f t h e governmental a g e n c i e s . And i n t h i s c o n n e c t i o n I hope you w i l l a l l a c t i v e l y p a r t i c i p a t e i n t h e d i s c u s s i o n . I n c o n c l u s i o n I may s a y t h a t we a r e v e r y happy t h a t so many i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y r e c o g n i z e d s c i e n t i s t s and e x p e r t s from t h e US EPA, t h e Water Research C e n t r e , t h e Engler-Bunte

I n s t i t u t e and from o t h e r i n s t i t u t i o n s i n F r a n c e , I s r a e l , Germany,

Canada and The N e t h e r l a n d s came t o Noordwijkerhout. We hope t h a t y o u r s t a y h e r e

w i l l b e a p l e a s a n t one. If you have q u e s t i o n s : t h e O r g a n i z i n g Committee and t h e s e c r e t a r i a t w i l l b e r e a d y t o h e l p you. L a d i e s and Gentlemen, A s i t i s t i m e t o r e a l l y open t h i s symposium I am v e r y p l e a s e d t o i n t r o d u c e t o

you M i n i s t e r Dr. L. G i n j a a r , who w i l l now p r e s e n t h i s opening a d d r e s s .