Community Meeting about Water Treatment Slated for 7p at Rutland Intermediate School

National Water Experts to Speak on

Alternatives to Chloramine

Community Meeting about Water Treatment Slated for 7p

at Rutland Intermediate School 

This Thursday evening, VCE will be hosting a forum on drinking water which will include presentations by national experts on water disinfection issues and alternatives.

Featured speakers will be Bob Bowcock, drinking water expert and Chief Environmental Investigator for Erin Brockovich’s team, and Dane Madsen, CEO of Blue Earth Labs.  William Notte, chair of the Rutland Board of Alderman Public Works Committee, will make opening and closing remarks. 

The event will begin at 7p and take place at the Rutland Intermediate School auditorium.

“Rutland faces some long-term challenges when to comes to providing safe, clean drinking water to customers of its water system.  There are options and alternatives for treatment that we have not explored yet in Vermont,” said Annette Smith, VCE’s Executive Director.  “Chloramine is one option, but it has very significant drawbacks – it has caused health effects such as skin rashes, breathing and gastrointestinal problems in Vermont’s Champlain Water District, creates dangerous byproducts, and can damage plumbing.  Rutland needs to look at every available option before making a decision about the future of the water system.” 

Mr. Bowcock has decades of experience in designing, running, advising municipal drinking water systems around the country and around the world.  He serves as Erin Brockovich’s environmental investigator, and is active in a number of ongoing investigations throughout the country. 

Blue Earth Labs develops advanced cleaning and water infrastructure maintenance solutions to assist municipal and commercial facilities in providing safe, clean water.  They have contracts with municipal water systems around the country.

“The decisions being made now will impact water system customers for years – now is the time to consider every viable option,” Smith concluded.  “We’re pleased to be able to create a forum for discussion and to be bringing such highly qualified experts to our state.