Hurricanes; Preparing Our Water Infrastructure for an Active Storm Season
July 15, 2020
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 2020 hurricane season is predicted to be unusually active, with 13 to 19 named storms on the horizon.
Extreme weather this year will present unprecedented challenges, as emergency management agencies, first responders, and community leaders continue to deal with the impacts of COVID-19. Many communities are rewriting nearly every aspect of their storm preparedness—balancing the safety of evacuating with the safety of social distancing.
But one thing remaining the same—more vital than ever—is the top priority to have an ample supply of clean, safe drinking water available during a storm and its aftermath.
For DuPont’s customers in or near the hurricane belt, we wish you an uneventful next five months.
That said, we know the value of preparedness. For our customers, and their customers, who are amid preparing for potential storms, please let us know how we can help.
In September of last year, following Hurricane Dorian landing in the Bahamas as a powerful Category 5 storm, at least one of DuPont’s customers had emergency RO membrane replacement needs after a hurricane caused seawater intrusion into both freshwater aquifers and the local water treatment plant. Thankfully, we were able to rush stocked membranes to quickly get them fully operational.
While we will do our best to quickly support emergency situations, here are a few ways we can support preparations before a storm:
- Invite your key account manager or technical representative to join planning discussions. Not only might they have ideas to contribute, they can let help you understand product availability, timeframes, and storage options if you think you might need new or replacement membranes or resins.
- Order early. Over the first half of the year, we’ve worked to maintain an improved supply position, with improved lead times for some of our key products, including industrial and nutrition styrenic anions, acrylic anions, fine mesh resins, cations, and others. We also have a good range of products from our FilmtecTM reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, and ultrafiltration portfolios. We encourage you to work with your Key Account Manager to manage both your short and longer-term needs—we can work with you on planning and availability of key components.
- Consider dry alternatives to your regular orders for longer storage. DuPont’s dry-tested seawater RO membranes are easier to store. Since the elements are not packaged in a storage solution, they are easier to install. In fact, they have a virtually endless (and maintenance-free) shelf-life, whereas wet membranes must be put into operation within months. We are currently offering FilmTecTM SW30HRLE-400 Dry, SW30HRLE-440 Dry, and SW30HRLE-440i Dry. We anticipate additional dry products to be qualified this summer, including SW30XLE-400, SW30XLE-440, SW30XLE-440i, and SEAMAXX™. That said, wet membranes continue to be a solid option for quick replacement needs.
- Direct Customized Support in Case of Required Plant Shut Down: If you are preparing to shut down your plant in a hurry, please let us know. We may be able to offer some operation and maintenance procedures that can help prevent membranes from being stored improperly or damaged from shut down. Or if you need to restart your plant after the storm, our team can provide you with direct customized support, including troubleshooting, advice, and receiving samples back to our labs. Here are a few additional ways you can access support from our team:
- The DuPont Answer Center is a great resource for finding answers to common technical questions.
- Send us a message on the DuPont Contact Center or call one of our regional Contact Centers.
This hurricane season, abundant clean water will be more vital than ever. As you prepare to mitigate worst-case scenarios presented by storms, please let us know how we can help keep the water flowing.
Stay safe and well.
HP Nanda
Global Vice President & General Manager
DuPont Water Solutions