CIEH Water Quality Conference

Christian Polzin, Environmental Health Commercial Team Leader at South Kesteven District Council. Christian has worked for South Kesteven District Council since 1994, the last 20 years dealing with food, safety, and public health matters. He became team leader just prior to the pandemic, and the work and challenges that came their way brought the team closer together. It is that willingness and support along with ‘professional curiosity’ that sees the team taking regular prosecutions. Christian previously acted as communications secretary for the national Scores on the Doors group with his articles published in the Independent and the Telegraph. Completing EH qualifications across five Universities, Christian appreciates everyone who contributes towards public and environmental protection.

David Clapham, Private Water Consultant and trainer.  David has been an EHO for 50 years specialising in private water supplies since 1991 so he has a good understanding of the support EHPs need. Since setting up Valid Consultancy he has worked with over 50 local authorities on pws training, risk assessing and sampling. He also works for private organisations such as RHE and Chatsworth and on several high-profile legal cases. He has advised governments in USA and Australia on water and food issues and was the first person to write about the Scores on the Door hygiene rating in the UK. He also started Water for Kids.

Elaine Rudman, Trustee, Water for Kids. Elaine qualified as an EHO in 1988 and has spent all of her working life in local government. She currently heads a compliance and regulation service in the North East of England. She was given the opportunity to volunteer in rural Kenya in 2018 with Water for Kids trustees and Environmental Health colleagues, delivering a jointly funded safe water and sanitation project. She loved every minute of the experience and it rekindled her interest in public health and sanitation which originally prompted her to join the environmental health profession. Seeing first hand the challenges faced by communities without access to safe water, and how direct action and community involvement can make a significant difference to the health and wellbeing of children and families inspired her to support Water for Kids and she is honoured to be a trustee.

Alex Dudfield, Engagement Lead, Network Protection Team, Thames Water. Alex has 7 years’ experience at Thames Water initially managing the discharges of industrial wastewaters to the sewer system; from car washes to flight catering and metal finishing. For the last 2 years he’s focused primarily on managing the discharge of FOG from commercial kitchens. As the Network Protection team’s engagement lead, he builds relationships with national brands to ensure legislative compliance across their estates to reduce the devastating impact of sewage flooding caused by FOG on those commercial kitchens and their neighbouring properties.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Director of Public Health, Torbay Council. Dr Lincoln Sargeant has been Director of Public Health for Torbay since January 2021. In addition to leading the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, he works closely with communities and organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of residents and reduce the variations in health outcomes. Lincoln is also the lead for prevention and reducing Health Inequalities across NHS Devon. Lincoln spent 8 years as Director of Public Health for North Yorkshire where he played a key role in developing and improving North Yorkshire’s public health functions and services creating, funding and supporting critical prevention programmes. He was previously a Consultant in Public Health Medicine with NHS Cambridgeshire and his portfolio including health protection, social inclusion, mental health, housing growth and planning.

Mark Elliott CEnvH FCIEH, President, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH). Mark previously served as both a Trustee and Chair at CIEH. He has been a member since 1978 and is now retired, with his most recent employment having been as Head of Public Protection at Pembrokeshire County Council. Prior to this, he was an Environmental Health Practitioner at a number of Welsh local authorities. He also served as chair of Environmental Health Wales and as a member of OFCOM’s Advisory Committee for Wales.

Phil Smart, Inspector, Drinking Water Inspectorate. Phil started out in the pre privatised water Industry as a school leaver in 1982, working and training as an analyst in Microbiology at Thames Water’s London labs. Following graduation in 1991 after 7 years of day release study he worked in many operational science/water quality activities at Thames Water over the next twenty years, primarily related to the monitoring and operation of water supply systems. Phil Joined DWI in 2009 as an inspector, regulating drinking water quality in England and Wales, and has since been the liaison inspector for several large water companies. He became involved with the regulation of private water supplies around 2012, the focus being to provide advice and guidance in the regulations to local authorities and other stakeholders and the gathering of information to inform the statutory annual report on private and water supplies to ministers in England and the Welsh Government.

Rob Lewis, Principal Commercial Officer for South Cambridgeshire District Council. Rob has worked in Environmental Health for 19 years with the last 7 years focusing on Commercial Team aspects. Rob is extremely proud to say that he has been awarded CEnvH this week for his project based on PFOS and although does not see himself as an expert, he is more than happy to share his knowledge gained over the last two years. Prior to Environmental Health, Rob was an adult career changer having worked for 12 years in the water industry.

Dr Samuel Trethewey, Public Health Registrar, Torbay Council. Sam is a senior public health registrar working within the public health team at Torbay Council. Sam originally trained in medicine and has worked in both primary and secondary care settings, before joining the public health training programme in 2021. Alongside his service work, Sam also carries out research with colleagues at the University of Exeter focussing on the mental health of children and young people. At Torbay, Sam currently works on a broad portfolio including cardiovascular disease prevention, mental health, health protection and the role of transport in health.