Hello HeadsUp Readers!

Here we are, deep into the holiday season for many of us as I sit writing the last letter of the year to all of you. Getting into the spirit of Christmas, we thought you might be interested in knowing how the tradition of putting up Christmas stockings is said to have begun, what they do in Austria instead, as well as answer for you that burning question: "Why does Santa come down the chimney?"

Quality and longevity of equipment should always be a primary consideration in the minds of procurement when selecting options for water and wastewater facilities, particularly when it is ultimately the taxpayer who is spending the money. Sadly, this is not always the case; however, in facilities that private companies build and operate for a number of years prior to transferring ownership to the municipality, quality becomes a major consideration to enhance the profitability of the project. These BOT projects focus on low cost maintenance, durability and longevity when a private company is operating the plant over a number of years, not merely handing it over to the municipality once it's built.

Our final case study of 2009 highlights two BOT operations in Mexico which required fine perforated screens and bar screens. Read Mr. Roberto Primelles', Technical Director at TICSA, explanation of the operations and his statements of how well the Headworks equipment they chose has functioned after the first 10 months. Included in the story is a link to a National Geographic video covering the challenges that sewer divers face in Mexico City and why a CPA left his desk job to take on this hazardous career.

Closing out this issue and in keeping with the country of our case study, we bring you an article on the interesting Christmas traditions celebrated in Mexico. It was fascinating to learn about the nine days of parties held by friends and neighbors of Mexican heritage.

This month the Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas sets sail on its maiden passenger voyage. This remarkable ship has been covered around the world for its novel engineering and green technology on the largest ship ever constructed. Headworks Bio is proud that its wastewater processing and reuse system was provided by our team! Watch for January’s HeadsUp edition to learn about this innovative technology!

All of us at the Headworks Family wish you and yours the very best for the end of this year.

Kindly,

Michele LaNoue
CEO