US and Australian researchers to collaborate on water

A new collaboration was announced on 4 May 2009 between leading water research organizations in the USA and Australia.

Three-year agreements between the Water Environment Research Foundation and the Water Research Foundation from the US and the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) provide that the organizations will cooperatively fund projects and share research The organizations will collaborate on pressing water quality and resource challenges, and one of their top priorities will be developing sustainable solutions to manage the growing pressures of climate change on drinking water and wastewater systems.

WSAA is the collective voice of the 33 largest water utilities in Australia and New Zealand, representing the industry in policy, science, technology and sustainability priorities.

In the next several months, the three organizations will conduct planning sessions to write a joint research roadmap. The organizations will also share research, filling in knowledge gaps in their respective organizations. The partners will also fund joint conferences, training sessions, and knowledge transfer workshops.