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Effective water and wastewater utility mgmt. can help utilities respond to both current and future challenges. Based on these challenges, the EPA and 6 nat. water and wastewater assoc. signed an historic agreement in 2007 to jointly promote effective utility mgmt. based on the ¿Ten Attributes of Effectively Managed Water Sector Utilities¿ and 5 ¿Keys to Management Success.¿ This Primer is an outgrowth of that agreement and distills the experience of a group of leaders in water and wastewater utility mgmt. into a framework intended to help utility managers identify and address their most pressing needs through a customized, incremental approach that is relevant to the day-to-day challenges utilities face. Illustrations.
Following the events of 9/11, the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency created the Water Protection Task Force (WPTF), which identified water and wastewater systems as a major area of vulnerability to deliberate attack. The WPTF suggested that there are steps that can be taken to reduce these vulnerabilities and to make it as difficult as possible for potential saboteurs to succeed. The WPTF recommended that be scrutinized with renewed vigor to secure water and wastewater systems against these possible threats. It also recommended that water and wastewater systems have a response plan in place in the event an act of terrorism occurs. The WPTF identified water distribution networks as an area of special vulnerability and highlighted the need for rapid on-line detection methods that are accurate and have a wide detection range. As a result of these recommendations novel technologies from various fields of science and engineering are now addressing water security issues and water and wastewater utilities are looking for innovative solutions. Once such technologies are available, there will be a rapid implementation process that will present many business opportunities for the private sector. However, in addition to terrorist threats water and wastewater systems are inherently vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. This volume will address the problems associated with both intended terrorist attacks and natural disasters affecting water or wastewater systems. The book is divided into parts based on the kinds of threats facing water and wastewater systems: (1) a direct attack on water and wastewater infrastructure storage reservoirs, and distribution and collection networks; (2) a cyber attack disabling the functionality of the water and wastewater systems or taking over control of key components which might result in system failures; and (3) a deliberate chemical or biological contaminant injection at one of the water distribution system’s nodes. It will examine unique plans, technological and managerial innovations for protecting such systems, and includes descriptions of projects that were implemented to respond to natural disasters. Case studies are presented that discuss existing projects and evaluate their performance, with an emphasis on providing guidelines and techniques that can be implemented by water and wastewater planners and managers to deal with natural and manmade disasters should they occur.
Water and wastewater utility managers will find expert guidance on all issues regarding security and emergency preparedness and response in this book. The terrorist attacks on the US of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, brought heightened concern over the security and emergency preparedness of America's water supply infrastructure--concerns which remain high to this day.
Over approximately the past 40 years, many developing countries invested in the establishment of agricultural market information systems or services (MIS). These systems or services were initially run by government agencies, but since the turn of the millennium private organizations have shown interest in providing data on a commercial basis. To date, however, these private services, while usually being more efficient than the government-run ones, have also largely depended on donor support for their continued operation. It has proved difficult to develop a profitable business model as many of the clients are small farmers and traders. Agricultural market information systems or services (MIS) can cover staples, horticultural crops, livestock, and export commodities. They are generally designed to collect, process, and disseminate or distribute data of relevance to farmers, traders and other buyers, such as processors, but the data they generate can also be used for a variety of purposes by governments, donors, international organizations and others.

Controlling Bioterror

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 96


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Concern over terrorist attacks since 2001 has directed attention to potential vulnerabilities of the nation's water and wastewater systems. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which leads federal efforts to protect the water sector, initiated a research program in 2002 to address immediate research and technical support needs. This report, conducted at EPA's request, evaluates research progress and provides a long-term vision for EPA's research program. The report recommends that EPA develop a strategic research plan, address gaps in expertise among EPA program managers and researchers, and improve its approaches to information dissemination. The report recommends several high-priority research topics for EPA, including conducting empirical research in behavioral science to better understand how to prepare people for water security incidents.
Benchmarking has become a key tool in the water industry to promote and achieve performance targets for utilities. The use of this tool for performance improvement through systematic search and adaptation of leading practices, has expanded globally during the past decade. Many ongoing projects worldwide aim to address different needs and objectives, in varying contexts, with outstanding results and impact. Benchmarking Water Services provides valuable information to everyone interested in benchmarking in the water industry. The text is aimed at utilities considering joining a benchmarking project, experienced practitioners in charge of organizing a benchmarking exercise, consultants, regulators and researchers. The document is presented with a clear practice oriented approach and can be used as a how-to-benchmark guide presented from different perspectives (participants, organizers, supervising bodies). Readers will gain practical insight on real life benchmarking practices and will benefit from the experiences gained in some of the leading benchmarking projects of the water industry (including the IWA-WSAA benchmarking efforts, the European Benchmarking Co-operation and the several benchmarking projects carried out in Austria and Central Europe). The manual also presents the new IWA Benchmarking Framework, which aims to harmonize the terms used to describe benchmarking and performance indicators practices in the water industry, guaranteeing a more fluent and efficient communication. This Manual of Best Practice is edited by the IWA Specialist Group on Benchmarking and Performance Assessment, and co-published by AWWA and IWA Publishing. Praise for Benchmarking Water Services: "The continual trend of conceptual to specifics throughout the book provides for an educational experience each time the book is either casually perused or carefully studied." "The authors (Cabrera, Haskins and Fritiz) diligently pursue the focus of improvement." "Benchmarking Water Services is an in depth and practical ‘must have’ guide for any utility currently engaged in or planning to develop a benchmarking process" - Gregory M. Baird (2012) Benchmarking: An International Journal 19:2. More information about the book can be found on the Water Wiki in an article written by the author: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/TheNewIWABenchmarkingFramework A Spanish language version of this book is available as a free eBook: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/eBookTitlesfromIWAPublishingFreetoDownload-Volume2#HBenchmarkingParaServiciosdeAgua
Drinking Water Safety: Basic Principles and Applications, examines the technical and scientific, as well as regulatory, ethical, and emerging issues of pollution prevention, sustainability, and optimization for the production and management of safe drinking water to cope with environmental pollution, population growth, increasing demand, terrorist threats, and climate change pressures. It presents a summary of conventional water and wastewater treatment technologies, in addition to the latest processes. Features include:  Provides a summary of current and future of global water resources and availability.  Summarizes key U.S. regulatory programs designed to ensure protection of water quality and safe drinking water supplies, with details on modern approaches for water utility resilience.  Examines the latest water treatment technologies and processes, including separate chapters on evaporation, crystallization, nanotechnology, membrane-based processes, and innovative desalination approaches.  Reviews the specialized literature on pollution prevention, sustainability, and the role of optimization in water treatment and related areas, as well as references for further reading.  Provides illustrative examples and case studies that complement the text throughout, as well as an appendix with sections on units and conversion constants.
One-day, one-problem is a unique adaptation of problem-based learning (PBL) pioneered at Republic Polytechnic, Singapore. Here students are challenged each day with a problem from their domain and attain the necessary learning outcomes in the process of responding to the problem. Throughout the day students would engage in small group discussions, self-directed learning and conversations with their teacher who plays the role of a facilitator. This approach to learning and instruction represents a new brand of constructivist learning in a more structured learning environment compared to conventional PBL. This book contains a series of chapters by authors with first-hand experience in the One-day,one-problem PBL approach. Unlike other books on PBL, the chapters are both research-informed and practical. Results of empirical studies into the factors of PBL such as quality of problems, tutor behaviours, scaffoldings, student learning and interest are discussed together with practical implications for the educator. The book begins with an overview of the one-day, one-problem process, providing a viewpoint from both the student and tutor. Republic Polytechnic’s pedagogical philosophy and epistemological belief of education are introduced with the intent to share how the polytechnic designed and implemented a system that supports the philosophical beliefs. Results and practical implications of empirical studies on the various factors that influence students’ learning in PBL are discussed. These include the quality of problems and the use of scaffoldings for students’ learning, tutors as facilitators, preparation of staff for PBL, student assessment, how students learn in the process of PBL and student interest.