As the Project Manager in the WASH R&D Centre, Susan Mercer is responsible for coordinating the research programme within the Centre, and is supported by a team of experts in the water and sanitation field, as well as a fully equipped laboratory skilled in the testing of all water and sanitation streams. This combined knowledge and expertise can be drawn on to provide research support to projects related to technical developments, capacity building, community development and service delivery.

Susan Mercer holds a Masters degree in Chemistry and has more than 30 years of experience in the research field. She first joined the WASH R&D Centre (then the Pollution Research Group) in 1993 as a Project Leader until 2003 where she managed a number of Water Research Commission funded projects, and was also the project manager for the Danida Cleaner Textile Production Project.

From 2004 to 2012, Susan operated her own consulting company to further promote Cleaner Production, but returned to the Centre to assist in managing the Centre’s research projects in 2013. Since this time she has managed a variety of projects related to water and wastewater management and non-sewered sanitation, funded by the Gates Foundation, the Water Research Commission and the eThekwini Municipality.

During the course of her career, Susan has developed training guides, guideline documents, brochures, and case study documents, has authored or co-authored a number of papers, presented at various conferences both locally and internationally, and co-supervised Masters students within the Centre.