Micro-Technology — its impact on engineering and environmental health

It is both appropriate and opportune in a congress programme whose theme is 'the place of Public Works in National Recovery' and following a plenry session on Information Technology, to examine the ways in which micro-technology is affecting the general field of en vironmental health. This paper covers the impact which new technology is having on public health engineering with particular reference to the water services industry, and discusses the likely effects over the next few years on organisations and employees in the industry at national through to local levels. The work of a number of committees which are currently operating within the industry is examined to see the ways in which the problems of harnessing micro-technology are being dealt with and the consequential implications for in dustrial relations and manpower. The conclusion is drawn that the industry needs to develop a co-ordin ated overall strategy in order to benefit fully from the rapid developments which are taking place.