In order to maintain daily operations and patient-care services, health care facilities need to develop an emergency water-supply plan (EWSP) to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a total or partial interruption of the facilities’ normal water supply. Water-supply interruption can be caused by several types of events, such as natural disaster, a failure of the community water system, construction damage or even an act of terrorism.

The EPA Office of Wastewater Management has recently expanded its Handbook for Managing Onsite and Clustered (Decentralized) Wastewater Treatment Systems with the addition of an E-Handbook. The E-Handbook features resource guides containing detailed information on the 13 management program elements featured in the existing management handbook: