Earth tremors felt during the European Desalination Society’s fouling and scaling course in L’Aquila, Italy, last week, were obviously precursors of the major earthquake that struck the town at 03:30 on 6 April causing over 190 deaths.
The EDS course, led by Prof Jan Schippers, ended on 2 April, and EDS secretary-general Miriam Balaban and her administrative assistant Ortensia Ferella were fortunately not in L’Aquila, where EDS has its headquarters, when the quake struck. It is not believed that the disaster will seriously affect the EDS Desalination for the Environment conference and exhibition in Baden Baden, Germany, on 17-20 May 2009.