Opening address

At the turn of the century the civil engineering profession contributed more than the medical profession to the improvement of public health, and this contribution to the prevention of disease continues. The construction of long sea outfalls is but one of many civil engineering works aimed at protecting the public from disease.

Long sea outfalls are used primarily for safe sewage disposal and are designed to comply with the European Economic Community Directives on the quality of bathing water, the protection of shell fish etc. Much research has been carried out by the Water Research Council and others, and research and monitoring must be maintained to ensure that the intentions of long sea outfalls can be met, and improved where necessary, and their effectiveness sustained.