For certain wastewater agencies, targeted research and development (R&D) on solids processing and biosolids management programs has proven to be critical to prove-out options and alternatives that appear to be better-suited to the agency's needs. These programs evolve for a variety of reasons and are often an outgrowth of previous trials and efforts by agencies, engineers, operators, academia, and technology and equipment companies. The work is often innovative in nature, since the utility is trying to develop a better result or improve on prior technology. Sometimes, significant and long-term R&D efforts have been required by an agency to overcome roadblocks or perceived process limitations. This paper presents discussion of three wastewater utilities in the US which conducted necessary R&D work to implement their solids processing and biosolids management programs. The paper concentrates on how and why the R&D work developed and the commonalities of that development, rather than on the specifics of the R&D activities, since other papers and information are available to describe the solids programs and the research work associated with these utilities.
The city of Cancun in Mexico is frequently subjected to the impact of hurricanes. Hurricane Wilma which passed through the city in 2005 has been the most devastating in the history of the Yucatan peninsula. The water and sanitation services operator of Cancun, Aguakan, has developed a manual of crisis procedures through which a risk management and crisis strategy is established. Through its experience in dealing with hurricane events, Aguakan has derived a series of lessons that have contributed to the rapid response and recovery of the water services. Among the lessons learned, the support to the staff and their families, the provision of a specific crisis fund and the signature of cooperation agreements with institutions and companies outside the disaster area have been key to the reestablishment of the water and sanitation services. The objective of this work is to present the lessons learned by Aguakan through the preparation, response and recovery from hurricane events and in particular to hurricane Wilma. The lessons learned constitute a contribution towards the development of a preparedness, response and recovery framework for hurricane-disaster scenarios.
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