Water Consortium Unites For Tsunami Effort

A group of international nongovernmental organizations and water industry professionals convened last week to share expertise and minimize duplication of effort in working with the tsunami crisis.

The water industry will work together and coordinate activities in a positive effort that can be replicated in future emergencies. The lessons learned during this crisis will be charted so we and other coalitions can learn what works well and what needs to be improved.

Water For People (WFP)—in concert with WQA and six other groups—is helping facilitate communications, volunteer efforts, and in-kind and cash donations for the North American water industry and the International Water Association.

Many individuals, businesses, utilities, and organizations have already rushed forward to offer volunteer assistance, donations of equipment, supplies, and financial support for immediate relief and long-term development.

To quickly coordinate these numerous offers, the group has agreed to maintain a consistent message in news releases, volunteer opportunitie listings, and specific material requests from international nongovernmental organizations, local nongovernmental organizations, communities, and host governmental agencies.

Each of the participating association listed below brings specific water supply, sanitation, and public health expertise to our relief aid effort:

• American Water Works Association (www.awwa.org)
  AWWA is the is the foremost authority on drinking water issues. Contact: Kurt Keeley, International Council Secretary, kkeeley@awwa.org

• Water Environment Federation (www.wef.org)
  WEF is the foremost authority on wastewater issues. Contact: Ken Maynard, kmaynard@wef.org

• Water Quality Association (www.wqa.org)
  WQA represents point-of-use/poin-of-entry, Commercial/Industrial, and other drinking water systems. Contact: Jack Ferguson, Executive Editor/Communications, jferguson@mail.wqa.org

• Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (www.amwa.org)
  AMWA represents the largest public utilities in the US. Contact: Michael Arceneaux, Deputy Executive Director, arceneaux@amwa.net

• National Association of Water Companies (www.nawc.org)
  NAWC represents the collective knowledge and resources of private utilities. Contact: Louis Jennings, Senior Director of Government Relations, louis@nawc.com

• Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies (www.amsa-cleanwater.org)
  Contact: Ken Kirk, Executive Director, kkirk@amsa-cleanwater.org

• International Water Association (www.iwahq.org,uk)
  IWA represents the collective knowledge and commitment of the water industry in Europe, Africa Asia and other parts of the world. Ccontact: Darren Saywell, Regional Director, darren.saywell@iwahq.org.uk

• Water For People (www.waterforpeople.org)
  WFP serves as an international development organization helping the world's poor in developing countries access safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene education. Contact: Pat Crotty, Volunteer, tsunami@waterforpeople.org

This group of international water industry professionals realizes that the extent of the crisis will mean that long-term development will be needed as much as the present emergency relief needs. Indeed, international experts are concerned that more people will suffer from disease outbreaks related to the lack of water, sanitation, and infrastructure than from the initial tsunami destruction.

To view current information about the crisis, see volunteer opportunities, or to donate to WFP's long-term efforts, please visit www.waterforpeople.org or e-mail WFP's Tsunami Response Coordinator at tsunami@waterforpeople.org.

Source: Water Quality Association