Clemson Professor Will Serve on National Water Quality
Task Force

An acclaimed environmental scientist at Clemson University has been appointed to a national group that advises on the quality of the nation's drinking water.

Alan Elzerman was appointed to a task force of the Environmental Protection Agency's National Drinking Water Advisory Council. Only 21 representatives were chosen for the task force from universities, public utilities, government agencies and corporations. Elzerman is chair of Clemson's top-20-ranked environmental engineering and science department. He is also director of Clemson's School of the Environment. He is widely recognized for his work in environmental chemistry, acid rain and, locally, his work in assessing PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) contamination in Hartwell Lake. He is a council member of the American Chemical Society and former chairman of the 5000-plus member American Chemical Society's environmental chemistry division.

The National Drinking Water Advisory Council will advise on the monitoring and regulation of drinking water contaminants through the establishment of a contaminant candidate list. Known contaminants are already listed, but officials are continually revising the list as more information is found on other substances. The group's first meeting is Wednesday, Sept. 18, in Washington, D.C.

"Clean drinking water is one of mankind's most basic needs," said Elzerman. "We currently monitor and regulate a number of contaminants, but there are thousands of others that may potentially be a problem. By constantly reviewing and updating this list, we have the tools we need to prioritize and make the best use of our monitoring and regulatory resources."