The American Water Works Association (www.awwa.org) is offering professional expertise and personnel and donations of water-related equipment, supplies, and other resources to aid in the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort. AWWA is asking its member utilities, manufacturers, consultants, and individuals to place offers of assistance into an online federal database that relief workers will use to match resources with needs. The, database, called the National Emergency Resource Registry (NERR, www.seern.gov), includes specific categories for services and materials needed for the recovery. Monetary donations may be directed to a number of relief agencies, many of which are listed at www.fema.gov/press/2005/katrinadonations.shtm.
AWWA officials met this week by phone with coordinators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (www.epa.gov), the Department of Homeland Security (www.dhs.gov), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (www.fema.gov), the affected states and other water organizations to determine the best way to marshal the resources and expertise of the water community. Relief coordinators asked that offers to help be collected in the central database.
— Flow Control Staff
