Most of us use groundwater every day for drinking, bathing, cooking, and cleaning. But, despite its importance to our daily lives, there is still much that needs to be understood about the connection between groundwater and our health.

The Iowa Groundwater and Public Health Symposium, to be held on March 11 in Des Moines, will provide an opportunity for drinking water professionals, public health professionals, researchers, policy makers, and Iowans to hear from groundwater experts and public health experts on a range of topics related to groundwater contaminants and their potential health effects.

The one-day symposium is co-sponsored by the Iowa Groundwater Association and the UI Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination (CHEEC) and will be held at the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust Street, Des Moines. Registration is $30 and includes lunch.

Presentations will highlight recent research and surveillance projects on viruses, arsenic, and nitrate contamination of groundwater and discuss the potential health impacts from consuming drinking water containing these contaminants. Emerging groundwater contaminant concerns, such as pharmaceutical compounds, will also be discussed.

"Iowa’s groundwater quality has been, and continues to be, a concern for all Iowans, as more than 80 percent of Iowans consume groundwater for drinking, and almost 15 percent of that group rely on private wells for drinking water," says Pete Weyer, Ph.D., associate director of CHEEC. "We hope to address many of the issues that are potential health concerns from a public health perspective."

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this symposium, contact Peri Montufar in advance at 515-281-3809 or Peri.kaplan@iowa.govor Peter Weyer at 319-335-4014 or peter-weyer@uiowa.edu.

For more information and to register visit this website.