On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast of the southeastern United States.
It was like no other storm in history. More than 1,400 people were killed, and 135 others remain missing.Going beyond its human toll, the storm was also the costliest hurricane in U.S. history, unleashing floods and a storm surge that caused a reported $25.3 billion in insured-property damage across the state of Louisiana alone.
The storm was equally cruel to Mississippi, where the storm made landfall. Winds in excess of 130 miles an hour drove a 35-foot wall of water across 100 miles of coastline. In all, roughly 65,000 homes were destroyed across the Magnolia State. The storm sparked more than 1.7 million insurance claims across the entire region.
Posing serious health concerns across the region, the storm damaged 1,236 public water systems and more than 200 sewage treatment plants.
Just a few short weeks later Hurricane Rita followed a similarly destructive path tearing through East Texas and knocking out an estimated 1,100 public water systems—if not for a few hours, then for days or weeks.
"It feels as if our life was a snow globe and someone shook it real hard," said Cindy Bradshaw-Lawson who weathered Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. "Only now (one year later) does it seem like all the pieces are starting to settle back down."
While recovery efforts by their very nature will never operate without a few snags, many of the lessons learned over the past year can be used to help water and wastewater systems prepare for the future. To the many systems that weathered the storms, few, if any, would fail to agree that of all the lessons that came out of the storms, two of the most vital are that advance preparation and having an established network of responders can make a world of difference once the storm has passed.
In this issue of the Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin we will take a look at steps systems across the nation can take so that the next time Mother Nature comes knocking with straight-line or gale-force winds they will be able to rest assured that every possible step has been taken to keep a safe supply of water flowing to their customers in their time of need.
Additional Resources:
EPA website "Katrina: One Year Anniversary"
www.epa.gov/katrina/ [1]
Planning Today for What Tomorrow May Bring
We've all heard it said time and again that "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail." In the world of water and wastewater system security and disaster planning this statement rings true.
Water and wastewater system security should be a top priority for systems serving a few thousand and for those serving just a few connections.
While water systems serving a population larger than 3,300 are required by the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 to complete Vulnerability Assessments (VAs) and Emergency Response Plans (ERPs), many small water systems have yet to heed the federal government's recommendation that they too enact a plan to protect their most vital asset...their customers.
It is also a good idea to remember that the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development (USDA/RD) requires that all systems that receive USDA/RD funding must complete a Vulnerability Assessment and Emergency Response Plan. The preparation of a VA and ERP will also help improve the management of your system and increases your ability to respond to emergencies.
Vulnerability assessments are a step-by-step evaluation of your water system and its operations to determine just how vulnerable it is to potential threats. These can range from terrorist attacks to other catastrophic events which could potentially disrupt your system's ability to provide a safe and reliable supply of water.
The process begins with identifying your system's assets (i.e., people, equipment, facilities, etc.), determining potential threats to those assets, and putting into writing precisely how you would respond in these cases.
A typical VA can be broken down into six distinct pieces, or actions:
1. Know your system: Define your system's goals, mission, and objectives.
2. Identify threats: Take a good look at your system's strengths and weaknesses.
3. Consider the consequences: Take time to determine what would happen if…?
4. Assess the likelihood: Determine what type of threat your system realistically faces.
5. Evaluate measures: Take a long hard look at what you are currently doing to protect your system and what additional measures need to be taken.
6. Plan of action: Consider your risk potential and develop a plan of action designed to protect your assets and public health.
The Bio-Terrorism Act requires that systems review nine specific elements of their system during the VA process: pipes and constructed conveyances; physical barriers; water collection; pretreatment; treatment; storage and distribution facilities; electronic, computer or other automated systems which are utilized by the public water system; the use, storage, or handling of various chemicals; and the operation and maintenance of these systems.
Knowing How to Respond in an Emergency
Another crucial piece that every system should prepare and have on hand prior to a catastrophic event is an Emergency Response Plan, or ERP. An ERP is essentially the plan your system will follow when a situation arises that is severe enough to be declared an emergency. A system's ability to respond to an unforeseen event is a critical part of being prepared in the case of an emergency.
Before you begin to develop or revise an ERP for your system there are two important steps you should complete. First, it is crucial that you have already completed a Vulnerability Assessment. The information included in your VA will serve as the foundation for the ERP process. Secondly, you need to identify and coordinate with first responders in your area who will be called upon to assist you in the event of an emergency. This list will include local law enforcement departments, fire departments, health departments, local government agencies, hospitals, other utilities, state and federal agencies, and even the dreaded media.
A comprehensive Emergency Response Plan should include:
1. System Specific Information: During a major event you need to have basic technical information readily available for your personnel, first responders, and others. This can include knowing the location of critical documents such as distribution maps, detailed plan drawings, source water locations, operation manuals, etc.
2. Water System Roles and Responsibilities: Each system should designate an emergency response lead. This person will serve as the main point of contact and decision maker during a major event. It is also critical that you have a plan of action ready and clearly understood by your staff before a major event occurs letting them know where to meet and what is expected of them.
3. Communications Procedures: Who, What, and When: Appropriate and timely communication is essential during any emergency. Your ERP should identify clear communications channels for your staff, the public/media, and others. It is a good idea to have both an internal and external notification list containing information on all appropriate entities that need to be contacted, including names, addresses, email, and phone numbers.
4. Personnel Safety: During an emergency, your staff may be at risk of harm, injury, or even worse. It is important that your ERP clearly spells out how each member of your team should respond in an emergency situation.
5. Identification of Alternative Water Sources: It is critical that you take note of the amount of water needed to address short-term and long-term outages. As part of your ERP, you should identify any alternative water supplies will be available for both fire fighting purposes and for your customers.
6. Replacement Equipment and Chemical Supplies: Your ERP should identify equipment that can significantly lessen the impact of a major event. You should maintain updated inventory of equipment, repair parts, chemical supplies and information regarding any mutual aid agreements that can be called upon during an emergency.
7. Property Protection: Protecting your facilities, equipment, and records is an essential function during and after a major event. Your ERP should identify measures and procedures aimed at protecting your system including lock-down procedures, access control procedures, evidence protection measures, etc.
8. And last, but not least, Water Sampling and Monitoring: It is important that water sampling and monitoring procedures are an integral part of your ERP. You need to be prepared to handle the additional monitoring and testing functions that may be required following a major event.
Remember, an ERP isn't a document that should simply be placed on a shelf to collect dust. It is a living document that needs to be reviewed and revised every year. It is also a document that will contain sensitive plans and information that should not be made public, so made certain that it is accessible and understood by your staff and not others.
It Takes a Little Trust
Gulf Coast emergency responders learned first-hand that the "utilities helping utilities" approach was by far one of the most effective ways to get water and wastewater systems up and running following last year's busy storm season. Across the nation water and wastewater utilities and a whole bunch of state and local government agencies are currently leading the charge to establish intrastate quick-response mutual aid networks. These networks are designed to allow organizations and utilities to help each other out during emergencies.
Once established, these formalized networks will provide water/wastewater utilities that have sustained damage form natural or man-made events assistance in the form of personnel, equipment, materials, and other associated services as necessary. The idea is to hammer out all the details and clear the red tape so that systems are prepared to offer and receive hands on assistance from those that know the situation best...other water and wastewater utilities.
This goal is generally being achieved through the creation of Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs) that are designed to address mutual aid during emergency or disaster situations. This is accomplished through the creation of a formalized network and the creation of a centralized Internet emergency equipment database. This database can then be used to match utility resources to a member's needs during an emergency.
By their very design, WARNs are intended to provide a method of providing rapid, short-term deployment of emergency services to restore critical operations and protect those that are providing the help.
Far from being a simple "band-aid and aspirin" approach, the WARN method is rapidly becoming an industry accepted and embraced approach across the nation. WARN programs are currently active in California, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, Washington, and are in the process of being formed in both Alabama and Mississippi.
Additional Resources:
Listing of statewide Mutual Aid and Assistance Programs
California Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (CalWARN) www.calwarn.org [2]
Florida Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (FlaWARN) www.flawarn.org [3]
Texas Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (TxWARN) www.txwarn.org [4]
Louisiana Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (LaWARN) www.lawarn.org [5]
Washington Association of Sewer & Water Districts Mutual Aid Program www.waswd.org [6]