Restricted water access, for example, is linked to approximately 700,000 preventable child fatalities every year, in addition to the millions of cases of diseases related to contaminated water.

The three-day conference is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and marks the first time experts from industry, academia, public health, medicine and government will meet to discuss Legionella and other pathogens

In his new role, Purkiss leads NSF International's global water programs, including certification programs for products used in municipal water treatment, water distribution, residential drinking water treatment, plumbing, pools and spas, and wastewater treatment.