Beijing International Drinking Water Seminar

NSF International (www.nsf.org), The Public Health and Safety Company(tm), together with Access Business Group (formerly Amway Corp.) and Amway China, coordinated the Beijing International Drinking Water Seminar November 6-7 in Beijing. This seminar resulted from a request by the Chinese Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) to learn more on international drinking water standards, and water treatment. NSF is the world leader in standards development, product certification and education services for public health and safety. At the seminar, NSF and the Chinese Ministry of Public Health Officials exchanged information about international drinking water regulations and NSF/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) drinking water treatment unit standards. This exchange of information will enhance the global consistency of drinking water regulations and standards.

Approximately 100 MOPH Officials representing all of the Chinese provinces attended the seminar. Tom Bruursema, General Manager of the NSF Drinking Water Treatment Unit Program, provided an overview of the NSF/ANSI Drinking Water Treatment Unit standards and the NSF toxicological review and evaluation procedures. Other presenters included Peter Censky, Executive Director of the Water Quality Association; James Taft, Chief of the Targeting and Analysis Branch, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water; Tony Frost, President of Aqua Europa; Steven Iddings, Environmental Engineer from the World Health Organization, as well as presentations by Steve VerStrat and Lily Li of the Access Business Group.

NSF President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis R. Mangino, Ph.D., presented at the seminar. "NSF has a long history in the area of drinking water quality, establishing product standards and providing testing and certification to thousands of products used worldwide to improve water quality," commented Dr. Mangino. "NSF is proud to be a part of this event and look forward to working with the honorable Dr. Zhao and other Ministry Officials for harmonization of standards and product acceptance."

Zhao Tong Gang, Director General of the Department of Health Legislation & Inspection for the Chinese Ministry of Health, gave the opening comments at the seminar. "It is clear, based upon the international delegation of honorable drinking water experts, that there is a commitment by all participants to share their knowledge of drinking water quality in pursuit of the further protection of public health," he said. "We are keenly interested in a broader understanding of the drinking water standards and regulations used around the world and are pleased to have such a seminar here in Beijing where we can share this valuable information."

Dr. Chris Jacques, Director Technical/Regulatory Affairs Access Business Group, extended his appreciation to the presenters and to the attending Ministry Officials. "The Access Business Group and Amway China are pleased to have been instrumental in bringing together NSF and the Chinese Officials," he said. "As a company with products tested and certified worldwide, pursuit of harmonized standards and regulations is of great value to our organization. China represents one of the largest markets in the world. We will all benefit from a greater understanding of their process, and of communicating with them on ways to establish common ground for product testing and approval."

NSF International, a not-for-profit organization, is dedicated to improving public health, safety and protection of the environment. NSF offers a broad range of services to companies in more than 83 countries, including certification for water distribution and treatment systems; accredited food equipment certification; comprehensive food safety and quality systems auditing; HACCP-9000 registration and verification; certification for dietary supplements; registration for nonfood compounds; management systems registration and toxicology consulting. NSF also provides public health education 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, Mich., U.S.A., and has offices and laboratories around the world.

Source: NSF