Emergency Operations and ERPs

Community water systems serving populations greater than 3,300 are required to have a plan in place for emergencies in accordance with America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA) section 2013(b), which amended Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1433(b). According to U.S. EPA, Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) describe "strategies, resources, plans, and procedures utilities can use to prepare for and respond to an incident, natural or man-made, that threatens life, property, or the environment. Incidents can range from small main breaks or localized flooding to large scale hurricanes, earthquakes or system contamination, among other examples." ERPs must outline the steps a system should take to ensure the continuation of service during an emergency. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has provided an O&M Manual Template that can be used as a starting point in developing a manual from scratch or making improvements to existing emergency O&M procedures. 

They also provided the following list of emergency situations and provisions that community water systems need to address in their ERPs: 

• Loss of source
• Loss of water supply due to major component failure
• Damage to power supply equipment or loss of power
• Contamination of water in the distribution system from backflow
• Collapse of a reservoir, reservoir roof or pumphouse structure
• A break in a transmission or distribution line
• Chemical or microbiological contamination of the water supply

Within these sections of your utility's manual, include provisions for providing alternate water, notice procedures for regulatory agencies and users, disinfection and testing techniques, critical component identification, spare parts inventory and staff training in emergency response procedures.