All-Hazards Risk Management Standard for
Water and Wastewater Utilities (1/19/09)
The ASME Innovative Technologies
Institute LLC and the American Water Works Association have entered
into a partnership to develop a national voluntary consensus standard
encompassing an all-hazards risk management process for use by water
and wastewater utilities.
The standard will be based on the Risk Analysis and Management of
Critical Asset Protection (RAMCAP) process. With assistance from
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection
Agency and the Water Sector Coordinating Council, ASME-ITI tailored
the general version of RAMCAP to apply to water and wastewater utilities
and adapt two pre-existing tools to be RAMCAP-consistent. The standard
will build on that effort and include protection (avoiding hazardous
events or their consequences), and resilience (rapid return to full
function after events occur).
By using common definitions, threats, metrics and methods to directly
compare risk, resilience, and risk management benefits, the RAMCAP
standard will help guide the allocation of limited funds among diverse
assets within a utility, across utilities in different communities,
and among assets in sectors of critical infrastructure.
This new standard will be developed by a committee of volunteers
representing water and wastewater utilities, practitioners, academics,
and the interested public. ASME-ITI will serve as administrator
for the project, and the effort will proceed according to ASME-ITI’s
procedures for standards development.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) will review the
standard. Approval by ANSI is required for a standard to be issued
as an American National Standard. ASME-ITI is a wholly owned, not-for-profit
subsidiary of ASME. For more information, visit www.asme-iti.org.
Engineers Week 2009
Engineers Week — the annual
celebration that raises public awareness and appreciation of engineer’s
contributions to society — is scheduled for the week of Feb.
15–21.
The National Society of Professional Engineers and Intel Corp. are
the primary sponsors for Engineers Week 2009. Among the many events
comprising this year’s event will be the Future Cities Competition
for middle school students, the DiscoverE, and Engineer Your Life
engineering outreach programs, and Introduce a Girl to Engineering
Day.
To find out about these events, or to learn how to get involved,
visit the Engineers Week Web site, www.eweek.org.
Nominations Accepted for Edison Patent Award
ASME’s Center for Research
and Technology Development is seeking nominations for the 2009 Thomas
A. Edison Patent Award. The honor recognizes eminent creative achievement
in the form of a patented invention broadly recognized as significantly
enhancing some aspect of the practice of mechanical engineering.
The award, was established in 1997, was funded through the efforts
of the ASME Board on Research and Technology Development.
Nominations for this award should demonstrate the significant impact
of the nominee's invention to the practice of mechanical engineering
or the significant impact that the invention had on at least one
industrial or commercial sector. Such an impact might include creating
a new business or industry; substantially improving the efficiency,
method of operation, or productivity of an existing machine or process;
dramatically reducing the size, weight, or energy requirements of
an existing machine or device; improving the quality of life for
a definable segment, or all of humanity; or financially impacting
an existing business or industry.
For more information the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award, go to www.asme.org/Governance/Honors/SocietyAwards/Thomas_
Edison_Patent_Award.cfm.
Volunteer Opportunity Bulletin Board
If you need help getting involved
in an ASME activity or finding volunteers to beef up your ASME group,
visit the Volunteer Opportunity Bulletin Board (http://volunteer.asme.org/vobb)
— the Society's one-stop resource for finding open volunteer
positions and groups needing enthusiastic volunteers for their ASME
local, district, and national level committees.
The bulletin board offers a list of open ASME volunteer positions.
It also provides the opportunity to post notices to recruit volunteers.
Visit the Volunteer Opportunity Bulletin Board at http://volunteer.asme.org/vobb.
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