AWWA WSC63705

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 served as a wake-up call for many agencies, including local water systems. That event provided some new lessons in utility disaster preparedness, but primarily provided reminders of previously-known lessons. That event and others have dramatized the potential impact of both natural and man-made disasters on utility infrastructure. Although many improvements have been made in recent years, there are clearly many additional opportunities for improvement. This paper focuses on twelve relatively easy and inexpensive things that water system managers can do to prepare for these disaster events. These twelve include: promote awareness and address employee needs and concerns in security incidents and disasters; develop emergency response plans, ensuring that each plan addresses the worst possible scenario and includes the necessary details, including the critical contact information and system information where it can be accessed, and provide training in those plans; protect critical assets and resources, both fixed and moveable; install or ensure the availability of emergency electrical generators for critical processes and develop plans for fueling those generators and other critical equipment; prepare crisis communications plans for conveying messages to consumers; comply with the National Incident Management System to ensure ability to function within that system and eligibility for DHS / FEMA funds; foster inter-agency relationships, including coordinating and training in advance with other local agencies, particularly emergency responders and public health agencies; establish mutual aid relationships with other utilities, private partners, nongovernmental organizations (NGO) and faith-based organizations (FBO); ensure the availability of reliable communication systems through two-way radios, satellite phones or government protected programs and be wary of systems controlled by others, such as cellular phones; arrange in advance for emergency drinking water supplies; utilize initial damage assessment teams in the initial recovery from the disaster before attempting to formulate responses; and, practice, practice, practice emergency plans through tabletop exercises and other means.