AWWA ACE56367

National and international attention has been focused on the water supply industry in recent years as a result of contamination incidents such as Walkerton and Battleford. These experiences have focused on the importance of proficient operator skills and utility management practices required to prevent illness outbreaks. In addition, a careful assessment of a utility's infrastructure can assist in mitigating risks. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), has initiated Risk Assessment studies of all water and wastewater services for First Nations communities including: water treatment plants; storage and distribution systems; wastewater collection systems; wastewater pumping stations; and, wastewater treatment plants which were inspected and analyzed against a prescribed questionnaire. Senior engineers conducted these assessments and interviewed operating staff to determine a risk profile for the community. British Columbia represents a unique challenge for this initiative as the size, number and complexity of the systems being analyzed varies as widely as the geography they are located within. Each assessment brought new challenges, which allowed the assessors to conduct comparisons between the systems. This paper discusses the background behind the Risk Assessment initiative. Experiences of the parties (government and consultant) involved in the assessments are provided. Results of the program are summarized and the next steps anticipated in risk mitigation are presented. Includes tables.