WaterBriefs: UN declares 2008 the 'International Year of Sanitation'

Dec. 20, 2006
Also in this report: Gates Foundation grants $1M for Save the Children; Red Cross supports Tsunami survivors; Oman chooses Alfa Laval heat exchangers; Alpena, Mich., joins Bentley; Jacobs nabs Gwinnett County DWR contract; Ecosphere gains $5M investment; RTI to lead $11M DoD eco-management effort; SolarBee installs 1,000th unit; AmWater to supply New York Jets stadium site; Trussco awarded tank cleaning deal; Mueller Water Products names execs; EVTN ships Voraxial Separator to REGS...

In other news below:
-- Gates Foundation grants $1 million to Save the Children in West Darfur
-- American Red Cross supports critical needs of Tsunami survivors two years later
-- Oman chooses Alfa Laval's heat exchangers
-- Alpena, Mich., joins Bentley's Municipal License Subscription Program
-- Lonza Inc. hikes decyl alcohol-based product prices
-- Ecosphere Technologies completes $5 million placement
-- Jacobs wins $30 million contract from Gwinnett County DWR
-- RTI researchers to lead $11-million effort on DoD ecosystem-based management
-- SolarBee installs 1,000th unit
-- NJ American Water to supply water to new New York Jets stadium site
-- OMNI Environmental Services unit awarded tank cleaning contract
-- Mueller Water Products continues to structure corporate staff
-- Synagro retains NASDAQ listing, withdraws NYSE Arca exchange listing
-- EVTN ships Voraxial Separator to REGS, marking entry into oil refinery market

United Nations declares 2008 the 'International Year of Sanitation' -- NEW YORK, Dec. 20, 2006 -- Earlier this month, the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation. It requested the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs to serve as the focal point for the Year and to develop proposals on possible activities, including possible sources of funding. The Year was one of the recommendations of the Hashimoto Action Plan launched by the U.N. Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation in March 2006 at the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City...
Also see:
-- "Cote d'Ivoire: UN appeals for funds to help clean up toxic waste dumped from abroad"
-- "UN musters partners to fight health risks threatening millions in East African floods"
-- "Environment reforms must accelerate to reach 2015 poverty goals, says UN report"
-- "Three young athletes run the Sahara in UN-backed bid to focus on global water crisis"
-- "G-8 nations must lead efforts to combat global water and sanitation crisis: UN report"

Save the Children receives $1 million Gates Foundation grant to assist displaced families in West Darfur -- WESTPORT, CT, Dec. 20, 2006 -- Save the Children announced today that it has received a $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a water and sanitation project in West Darfur, Sudan. The grant will help the agency provide sanitation facilities and clean drinking water to more than 55,000 displaced children and family members forced to flee their homes and live in temporary shelters due to continued violence. According to recent UN estimates, half of all the affected people in targeted areas where Save the Children works in West Darfur lack access to potable water and continue to rely on unsafe, contaminated water for drinking and other domestic use. The grant is the third Save the Children has received from the Gates Foundation for ongoing emergency relief in Darfur...
Also see: "Leading Global Health Organizations Receive $46.7 Million from Gates Foundation to Integrate Programs Fighting Neglected Tropical Diseases"

Tsunami two years later: American Red Cross continues to support critical needs of survivors -- WASHINGTON, DC, Dec. 19, 2006 -- Two years after the raging waters of the tsunami swept away lives, homes and communities in more than a dozen countries, daily routines are slowly coming back for those impacted by this disaster. However, for many people struggles persist. It is widely acknowledged that the greatest needs are for housing and livelihoods. In response, humanitarian agencies, including the American Red Cross, are collaborating to restore and rebuild houses and to provide new economic opportunities in affected communities. At the same time, the American Red Cross is working to ensure that critical emerging needs of survivors are being met...

Oman chooses Alfa Laval's heat exchangers -- STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Dec. 20, 2006 --Alfa Laval, a world leader in heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling, has received an order for the successful high efficiency plate heat exchanger T50. The equipment will be installed at the OPIC plant at its site in the Sohar Indutrial Port, Oman. The total value is about SEK 75 million. Delivery will take place in 2008. The equipment will be installed in petrochemical plants for the production of ethylene and polyethylene. The plate heat exchangers form a part of the plant's central cooling system in which seawater is used to provide the cooling capacity. Fresh water is cooled in the heat exchangers in a closed loop to provide the cooling media for the plant's process equipment. Sohar Industrial Estate is owned by OPIC, Oman Petrochemical Industries Company LLC, and is a joint venture between Dow Europe Holding B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company, the government of Oman and Oman Oil Co...
Also see: "Strong demand for the Alfa Laval Packinox heat exchangers: Chinese oil company signs US$16.1 million order, taking fourth quarter bookings to US$58.6 million"

Alpena, Mich., joins Bentley's Municipal License Subscription Program -- Will use its unlimited access to comprehensive GIS and engineering software portfolio for fixed annual fee to build 21st century GIS -- EXTON, PA, Dec. 20, 2006 -- Bentley Systems Inc. today announced that the city of Alpena, MI, has joined Bentley's Municipal License Subscription (MLS) program. This community of 11,000 on Lake Huron's Thunder Bay will use its new MLS to help it implement road, water, sewer, and other infrastructure projects, as well as to build a 21st century GIS. Bentley's MLS offers municipalities all the software they need to design and manage all their infrastructure for a fixed annual fee based on population. The breakthrough program enables them to improve productivity and reduce administrative costs by outfitting their entire mapping and engineering organizations with fully integrated software for GIS and engineering workflows. This leads to improved services and more efficient government...
Also see: "City of Franklin, Tenn., joins Bentley's Municipal License Subscription Program"

Lonza Inc. announces price increase on decyl alcohol-based products -- ALLENDALE, NJ, Dec. 20, 2006 -- Effective Jan. 1, or as contracts allow, Lonza will increase prices on products that contain Decyl Alcohol. The products affected include Decyl Alcohol based quaternary ammonium compounds, surfactants, amine oxides and other derivatives. The company cites the increased global tightness of the Decyl Alcohol supply as cause for the action. Lonza is one of the world's leading suppliers to the pharmaceutical, healthcare and life sciences industries. Its products and services extend through its customers' supply chain needs, from research and development to final product manufacture. Lonza is the global leader in the production and technical support of pharmaceutical active ingredients both chemically as well as biotechnologically...

Ecosphere Technologies completes $5 million raise -- STUART, FL, Dec. 20, 2006 -- Ecosphere Technologies, Inc., the Stuart, FL-based company that creates engineered and patented Clean Tech solutions that address pressing global environmental and humanitarian issues, today announced it closed on a $5 million private capital raise with institutional and accredited investors. Proceeds of the placement will be used to support expansion of the Company's subsidiaries, for working capital and to repay debt. Ecosphere has announced plans to build additional coating removal robots to deliver to various customers located around the world. In addition, the Company's Tactical Water Filtration Truck is being marketed for use in military applications, homeland security, disaster recovery, and developing countries...

Jacobs receives program management contract from Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources -- ATLANTA, Dec. 19, 2006 -- Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. announced today that a subsidiary company received a contract from Gwinnett County, GA, Department of Water Resources (DWR) to continue providing program management services for its $1.6-billion Capital Improvement Program in the metropolitan Atlanta region. Officials estimate the value of the 5-year contract at $30 million. Jacobs has held the program management contract for the past 4 years. The program involves delivering reliable and safe drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities to the community. Jacobs serves as an extension of staff providing program controls and engineering support to various DWR divisions including engineering and construction, planning, and stormwater management, as well as coordinating with the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation...

New study seeks to sustain natural resources for military training, optimize environmental stewardship of N.C. coastal areas -- RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, Dec. 19, 2006 -- As part of a 5-year, $11-million contract, researchers at RTI International will lead a collaborative effort involving environmental experts from seven universities, two federal agencies, and two research organizations to identify an ecosystem-based management approach to sustain the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD's) coastal lands for military training and maintain the health of natural resources in those coastal areas. This collaborative effort, called the Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP), was created by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), which is DoD's program of corporate environmental research and development. DCERP is designed to conduct mission-relevant and basic and applied research in support of an ecosystem-based management approach...

SolarBee installs 1,000th unit -- DICKINSON, SD, Dec. 19, 2006 -- SolarBee Inc., a division of Pump Systems Inc. (PSI), installed the 1,000th SolarBee high-flow long-distance circulator this month. Over eight years, the solar powered circulator has proven effective in improving treatment with 400 units installed in 200 freshwater lakes and reservoirs (about half are in raw water storage reservoirs), with nearly 200 units installed in potable tanks and reservoirs and, with about 400 units installed in 150 wastewater treatment systems...
Also see: "WorldWater & Power Corp. opens poultry farm market for solar power"

New Jersey American Water completes purchase of water system in Florham Park, NJ -- -- VOORHEES, N.J., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- American Water announced today that its subsidiary, New Jersey American Water, completed the purchase of a water system that will provide water to the 480-acre former Exxon Mobil Corp. site. The site, located just off Park Avenue, which includes the area where the New York Jets are planning to build their new headquarters and training camp, will also include an age-restricted community, hotels, and other commercial establishments. Starting today, New Jersey American Water becomes the water provider to commercial customers already located at the three office buildings currently housed on the site...

OMNI Environmental Services unit awarded tank cleaning contract -- Trussco named primary service contractor for all onshore, offshore tank and vessel cleaning in three-year contract -- CARENCRO, LA, Dec 19, 2006 -- OMNI Energy Services Corp. announced today that Trussco, its environmental cleaning business unit, has been named primary service contractor for a major exploration and production company, under a new three-year contract beginning Jan. 1 for all onshore and offshore tank and vessel cleaning for the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana onshore locations. "As we extend our environmental cleaning operations from the offshore and dockside markets into available land-based oil and gas operations in Texas, Oklahoma and the Rocky Mountains, we hope to capitalize on Trussco's success as a leading provider of environmental cleaning services for the oil and gas industry," said OMNI CEO James C. Eckert...

Mueller Water Products continues to structure corporate staff -- ATLANTA, Dec 18, 2006 -- Mueller Water Products Inc. is pleased to announce the promotions of Jeff Sprick to senior vice president and chief accounting officer; Jason Ausher to vice president - corporate controller; Walt Smith to senior vice president - treasurer; and Dan Grucza to vice president - environmental, health and safety. The Company also is pleased to announce that Katrina Blauvelt has joined the organization as director - corporate communications and public affairs. Having served as the chief financial officer during the period when Mueller Water Products was a subsidiary of Walter Industries, Sprick brings his extensive knowledge of the new organization to his position. The Company is in the process of an executive search for a chief financial officer. The company will announce its new CFO in the near future. In the meantime, Sprick will continue as interim CFO...

Synagro retains NASDAQ listing, withdraws NYSE Arca exchange listing -- HOUSTON, Dec. 19, 2006 -- Synagro Technologies Inc., a recycler of biosolids and other organic residuals in the United States with 600 municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment accounts with operations in 37 states and the District of Columbia, today announced plans to withdraw the listing of its common stock from NYSE Arca Inc., formerly the Pacific Exchange. The company's common stock will continue to be listed on the NASDAQ Global Market. Synagro has decided to withdraw its listing from NYSE Arca Inc. to eliminate duplicative administrative requirements and costs inherent with dual listings. The withdrawal is expected to be effective within the next month. The company does not believe that withdrawing its listing. will have any impact on the liquidity of its stock. It believes that NYSE Arca will continue to trade the company's stock on an unlisted trading privilege basis...

EVTN ships Voraxial Separator to REGS, marking entry into oil refinery market -- FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Dec. 19, 2006 -- Enviro Voraxial Technology Inc. announced today that the company has delivered a Voraxial® 2000 Separator to Resource Environmental Group Services LLC (REGS) for use in various oil related/refinery service processes. One of the initial applications REGS will focus on with the Voraxial is to improve refinery API wastewater systems, specifically ahead of API separators. REGS is working closely with one of its significant refinery customers and several of the nation's leading engineering firms to develop a water treatment system built around the Voraxial Separator. The unit's ability to conduct high quality separation with a small footprint and without a pressure drop requirement significantly increases the number of applications for the Voraxial. Due to the restrictions of current separation technologies (large footprint, pressure drop requirement and low throughput), refineries typically rely on settling tanks to process the bulk of their separations. The Voraxial enables the refineries to increase their separation performances while increasing productivity and reducing service cycles...

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