The Importance of Preparedness for Water and Wastewater Systems

National Preparedness Month (NPM) is observed each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could impact water and wastewater systems. In recognition of NPM, we have linked some valuable resilience resources below. These resources were created by U.S. EPA to help systems better navigate disasters and emergencies.

Develop a Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA)

It's important for utilities to prepare for both natural and human-made disasters by assessing for the greatest risks. Developing a Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA) helps you systematically assess your utility's risks. 

• EPA has two tools to choose from to help you develop an RRA: the Small System RRA Checklist (recommended for small systems) and Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (recommended for large systems.)

Prepare an Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

Once you assess for risks to your utility, the next step is to create an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to outline how you will prepare for, or respond to, the risks identified in your RRA. 

• EPA's ERP Template and Instructions will walk you step-by-step through how to develop your ERP. 
• Read our blog post on WaterOperator.org for more resources on emergency operations and preparing an ERP

Community drinking water systems serving more than 3,300 people are required to have both an RRA and ERP that are updated every five years. However, EPA encourages all water and wastewater systems to plan for disasters they may face by developing an RRA and ERP!

Minimize the Impact of Weather-Related Disasters

EPA’s Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) Storm Surge Inundation Map can help your utility prepare for the effects of a hurricane. The map has been updated to provide the most current information on past and present storms. The “real-time” map shows storm surge projections as advisories are released, complementing the “worst-case” surge projections and enhancing disaster preparedness.

EPA also has a mobile app, Water Utility Response On-The-Go App Plus, that provides information and tools that water utilities can use to prepare for an emergency. Users can track severe weather, contact response partners, and find up-to-date information on local emergencies. Once the disaster has passed, the tool can be used to assess damage and complete incident action checklists.

U.S. EPA's Water Network Tool for Resilience

Researchers from U.S. EPA and Sandia National Laboratories developed the Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR), a "comprehensive scientific software package to help assess a drinking water systems’ resilience to natural disasters. The software improves upon already available capabilities by fully integrating hydraulic and water quality simulation, damage estimates and response actions, and resilience metrics into a single platform. The software is available as an open-source software package and can be applied to a wide range of disruptive incidents and repair strategies." 

Utilities can incorporate WNTR into their existing systems by simulating various scenarios, like power outages or critical pipe breaks, to assess impacts and identify potential repair strategies. WNTR can be utilized in the development of Emergency Response Plans by helping to evaluate and prioritize preparedness strategies and response actions to enhance resilience of the utility. It can also be used to assist in meeting legal requirements, such as those set out in America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018, by identifying system vulnerabilities and determining mitigation measures.

The Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR) integrates several key features:

• Hydraulic and Water Quality Simulation: WNTR combines hydraulic simulations with water quality analysis to understand how water moves and changes within the distribution system.
• Damage Estimates and Response Actions: It estimates potential damages from disasters, helps utilities to understand how infrastructure damage might occur over time, and evaluates the effectiveness of response actions.
• Resilience Metrics: The tool includes metrics to assess the resilience of water systems under various scenarios.
• Compatibility with EPANET: WNTR is compatible with EPANET, a widely used software for modeling water distribution systems, enhancing its utility and accuracy.

Access the WNTR tool and relevant webinar recordings on U.S. EPA's website.

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.

Cybersecurity Threats: Lessons Learned from WaterISAC

In July of 2024, WaterISAC sent out an advisory to its members advising them to take caution when opening emails from seemingly "trusted" sources. This was sent after WaterISAC was made aware of a second phishing attempt against Maine water operators and well drillers that was disguised as an information verification form from Maine.gov. 

A screenshot of the attempted phishing email is shown below:

Now that phishing attempts are so common across the water sector, it is important to be vigilant when opening emails and clicking any links within. WaterISAC provided a list of lessons that can be learned from incidents like this, as well as resources to help water and wastewater systems get guidance on how to strengthen cybersecurity measures. These lessons and resources are shared below:

Lessons Learned

• Share Information on Threats. In these cases, state agencies quickly sent out a broadcast alert to targeted audiences warning of the phishing attempt.
• Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT).  There is a lot of information on the internet about our water systems. It is useful to know what public information is available. In some cases, detailed and sensitive information can be removed. In other cases, the information is intentionally part of the public record. Therefore, we need to be aware of this class of data so we are not fooled into trusting whoever has it because we believe only privileged sources have access to it.
• Practice Phishing Drills. Part of every utility’s cybersecurity awareness training should include regular phishing drills for staff. CISA has free resources to assist, such as, Teach Employees to Avoid Phishing.
• Not Sure, Call. If you are not sure that the source of an email is legitimate, call the supposed sender through previously established phone numbers to confirm the request’s validity.
• Fall for a Phish, Contact Your IT Department. If you realize after the fact that you fell for a phishing email, or you think you might have, call your information technology group to find out what to do. Everyone except the attacker, will be glad you did.

Additional Water and Wastewater Systems Sector Guidance Resources:

• Recognize and Report Phishing | CISA
• Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Water and Wastewater Utilities | WaterISAC
• Top Cyber Actions for Securing Water Systems | CISA
• Water and Wastewater Sector - Incident Response Guide | CISA
• CISA's Free Cyber Vulnerability Scanning for Water Utilities | CISA
• Water and Wastewater Cybersecurity | CISA

Water Security/ Emergency Response Guides

Water and wastewater utilities are responsible for taking action to protect their infrastructure, security practices should be incorporated into a utility's everyday business functions. Activities such as fence-cutting and lock-picking (often dismissed as harmless) may be indications of more serious threats to a water or wastewater system. Utilities must be prepared to respond to this type of threat, as well as a wide range of other emergencies, including natural disasters and cyberattacks. Improved security preparations provide for a more effective and efficient response from your utility.

We have 1,220 resources (and counting) on Water Security/ Emergency Response in our Documents Database that provide valuable information on this topic. You can search for documents like a Community Water System Emergency Response Plan template, U.S. EPA's Water Cybersecurity Assessment Tool (WCAT), and guides on hazard mitigation for natural disasters, and many other useful guides that will help you to deliver safe and clean water to utility customers. 

To access the wealth of knowledge on Water Security/ Emergency Response within our database just select "CATEGORY" in the dropdown then choose "Water Security/ Emergency Response." Once you make that selection, a second dropdown will appear where you can choose "HOST," “TYPE,” or “STATE” to narrow the search even further. If you have a specific search term in mind, use the “Keyword Filter” search bar on the right side of the screen.

This is part of our A-Z for Operators series.

RCAP's Drop of Knowledge: Article Roundup #3

Drop of Knowledge is a monthly digital article from Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP.) The articles focus on topics like wastewater, drinking water, policy, and infrastructure in rural America. It contains how-to’s, tips, and guidance from more than 300 technical assistance providers (TAPs) across the country. Some featured articles are linked below:

• Assessing Your Collection System with a Pipeline Camera System
• Water System Achieves Compliance In One Year With Communities Unlimited’s Assistance
• Administrative Professionals and Their Continuous Contributions to Water and Wastewater Systems
• Staff in Nebraska is Helping to Build a Sustainable, Resilient Utility Workforce
• System Vulnerability Assessments and Emergency Response Plans
• Effective Communication with the Community

Looking for something else? Find more articles and subscribe to A Drop of Knowledge.

Public Notification & Emergency Communication

Public Notification Rule is intended to ensure that consumers will always know if there is a problem with their drinking water. These notices immediately alert consumers if there is a serious problem with their drinking water that may pose a risk to public health. They also notify customers if their water does not meet drinking water standards, the water system fails to test its water, or if the system has been granted a variance (use of less costly technology) or an exemption (more time to comply with a new regulation.) Consumer Confidence reports (CCRs) are an annual report of the status of the drinking water at a facility that are also required. However, CCRs do not necessarily report problems, but a status.

We have 731 resources (and counting) on Public Notification in our Documents Database that provide valuable information on this topic. You can search for documents about how states are responding to health advisories for water systems, ways to prepare for a drought related water shortage, advice for working with news media, boil water advisories during natural disasters, and many other useful guides that will help you to deliver safe and clean water to utility customers. 

To access the wealth of knowledge on Public Notification within our database just select "CATEGORY" in the dropdown then choose "Public Notification." Once you make that selection, a second dropdown will appear where you can choose "HOST," “TYPE,” or “STATE” to narrow the search even further. If you have a specific search term in mind, use the “Keyword Filter” search bar on the right side of the screen.

This is part of our A-Z for Operators series.

Learning Lessons from Supply Chain Disruption

One of the most prominent economic impacts to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic was the breakdown of supply chains for many consumer, medical, and industrial products. Though the shortages of goods such as toilet paper, semiconductor chips, personal protective equipment and more made widespread headlines, the range of items affected spread much wider — including to the supply of critical water treatment chemicals. The American Water Works Association found in November 2021 that 45% of surveyed water utilities were experiencing shortages of water treatment chemicals, among other staffing and supply issues. 

Shortages of chlorine did make news in the summers of 2021 and 2022 due to the difficulty pool-owners had obtaining it to clean their pool water, but the threat it posed to water utilities — where chlorine is a critical component of the treatment and disinfection process — was much less widely known. In 2021, the pandemic spurred the shortage by causing a decrease in production capacity, an increase in demand (largely from a boom of newly-installed pools), and other logistical failures. However, non-COVID factors also played a role in the shortages.

Hurricane Laura, which struck Louisiana in August 2020, severely damaged the BioLab Inc. chemical plant, a major US producer of chlorine. In 2022, the labor dispute between rail workers and rail companies briefly led to an embargo on the rail transport of hazardous materials including chlorine and other water treatment chemicals. While further major disruptions did not occur in 2023, the EPA considers the chlorine supply chain to be “vulnerable to periods of reduced product allocation and/or price increases” and maintains a page tracking the status of chlorine availability and pricing. 

The most severe supply chain disruption in 2023 for water treatment chemicals came right at the start of the year — when a four-alarm fire devastated the Carus Chemical factory in LaSalle, Illinois, on January 11. Carus is the only producer of potassium permanganate in North America, which is used to oxidize contaminants in drinking water. While the company initially warned of  a 3-month outage in its production capacity, potassium permanganate production did not resume at Carus until August. Luckily, overseas imports were able to fill demand after some initial shortages, and the EPA found that supply had stabilized by May.

Other water treatment chemical supply chains that the EPA considered to be disrupted since 2020 include carbon dioxide, sodium hydroxide and hypochlorite, hydrochloric acid, ferric and ferrous chloride, oxygen, and fluorosilicic acid. However, none of these disruptions are considered to be ongoing.

While supply chains of water treatment chemicals have always been susceptible to periods of economic strain, such as the Great Recession of 2007-09, COVID-19 revealed many more risks in the system. According to the EPA’s “Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains” report:  

“The supply disruptions that have occurred during the pandemic era revealed a range and intensity of supply chains stressors that had not previously been observed in such a short timeframe. While high-impact events such as a pandemic or repeated extreme weather events concentrated on industrial hubs may have been considered low-probability in previous assessments, supply chain risk planning may have to consider greater frequency and co-occurrence of such high-impact events.”

The most prevalent long-standing threats to the stability of supply chains include natural disasters, equipment failures, logistical problems such as transportation delays, and malicious acts like cyberattacks and sabotage — none of which will stop being a concern even as the pandemic is increasingly behind us. International markets can also be severely affected by trade barriers, armed conflicts, and natural disasters. 

Perhaps the most prominent chemical shortage preceding 2020 was a national shortage of chlorine in 1974. While a single cause of the shortage could not be identified, New York Times reporting at the time cited the new requirement to chlorinate wastewater, the closure of production facilities, and the energy crisis of the 1970s (which was peaking with the 1973-74 oil shock) as likely factors.

For more information on the supply chain history of various water treatment chemicals, the EPA’s supply chain profiles of 46 commonly used chemicals contains shortage histories for 2000-2022, as well as risk profiles for shortages of each chemical. Risk ratings for these chemicals can also be found in the “Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains” report.

As for future concerns, chlorine availability could continue to be made vulnerable by natural disasters in the Gulf Coast region. 33% of American chlor-alkali facilities, in which most chlorine is produced, are located along the Gulf Coast, which is both historically prone to hurricanes and under greater threat as climate change intensifies storms. Disruptions in chlorine supply also lead to disruptions in ferric chloride supply, which requires hydrochloric acid. 

The EPA has many resources to assist in preparing for and responding to supply chain challenges. The critical steps to prepare are:

1. Using federal and state support programs for operational efficiency and cost reduction
2. Management of supplier relationships
3. Coordinating with other utilities, state and local agencies, and water sector associations
4. Instituting operational flexibilities 

To respond to disruptions, the EPA recommends:

1. Seeking federal support
2. Communicating with suppliers
3. Coordinating with partners

Follow the Supply Chain Resilience Guide for more information, instructions, and tips to prepare and respond.  

More information, tools, and links from the EPA: 

• Current Supply Chain Disruptions
• Platform for Coordinating Supply Chain Efforts
• Chemical Suppliers and Manufacturers Locator Tool
• Supply Chain Case Studies
• Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chain Profiles
• Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains and the Risk of Disruptions
• Supply Chain Resilience Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities
   

Hurricane Season Resources

Peak hurricane season starts mid-August and typically lasts through October. Here are some resources to help your water utility to weather the storms as best as you can. 

According to the National Hurricane Center, there are five major hazards associated with hurricanes. These hazards include storm surge & storm tide, heavy rainfall & inland flooding, high winds, as well as rip currents and tornadoes. Storm surge can travel several miles inland and can cause dangerous saltwater intrusion in areas with estuaries and bayous. 

Use this Storm Surge Inundation Map from U.S. EPA to view your utility’s hurricane risk, mitigate flood damage, and get real-time coastal storm advisories. Rainfall amounts are not directly related to the strength of tropical cyclones but rather to the speed and size of the storm, as well as the geography of the area. This means that it is important to track the rise of water levels even after the storm has passed and to be prepared for flooding. 

U.S. EPA's Flood Resilience Guide is a helpful resource to know your flooding threat and identify practical mitigation options to protect your assets. Hurricane force winds (74 mph or more) can destroy buildings and cause power outages as debris flies around so emergency managers should plan on having their evacuations complete and their personnel sheltered before the onset of tropical storm-force winds, not hurricane-force winds. Access U.S. EPA's newly updated Power Resilience Guide to learn about strategies water and wastewater utilities can use to increase resilience to power outages.

Further Hurricane Season Resources:

• Hurricane Tracker | National Hurricane Center
  • Use this tool to view storm activity in your area to better prepare for potential landfall of a hurricane.
• Hurricane Incident Action Checklist | U.S. EPA
  • This checklist outlines key actions that can be taken immediately before, during, and after the event to mitigate impacts. 
• Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) | U.S. EPA
  • CREAT is a tool that assists water sector utilities in assessing climate-related risks to utility assets and operations. Throughout CREAT’s five modules, users consider climate impacts and identify adaptation options to increase resilience.
• NHC Outreach Resources | National Hurricane Center
  • Find resources and information about the practical program of education and outreach on hazardous tropical weather offered by the National Hurricane Center.
• Federal Funding for Utilities in National Disasters (Fed FUNDS) | U.S. EPA
  • Fed FUNDS presents information tailored to water and wastewater utilities on federal disaster and mitigation funding programs from EPA, FEMA, HUD and SBA. 
• Emergency Response Tools | U.S. EPA
  • EPA has a variety of tools and guidance to support drinking water and wastewater utility preparedness and response.
     

Hurricane Preparedness for Wastewater Facilities

As Hurricane Ian left swaths of Florida without water and wastewater services at the end of September, the New York Times was already reporting on potential environmental impacts of the storm hitting South Carolina. Beyond the acute hazards of exposure to untreated wastewater, the biggest concern in hurricane-impacted areas is nutrient pollution and the potential for harmful algal blooms.

As extreme weather events impact larger stretches of the country, the water sector (including regional watershed protection entities) will need to anticipate greater consequences in the emergency response planning process. Florida DEP's Hurricane Preparedness for Domestic Wastewater Facilities and FEMA's Hurricane and Flood Mitigation Handbook for Public Facilities offer some helpful recommendations.

FEMA divides its recommended (primarily anticipatory) mitigation strategies into four categories: elevate or relocate, protect or divert, floodproof, provide redundant systems. The fact sheet identifies which of these strategies are appropriate for each major component of a wastewater facility. For example, installing "backflow prevention devices such as valves on lines that flow into the lift station and emergency overflow lines" is an option for floodproofing a lift station.

FEMA also provides a similar framework for drinking water systems.

Florida DEP's suggestions for before and after a hurricane can provide an update to an existing baseline checklist, particularly for minimizing these concerning downstream impacts. For example, it is recommended to "drain wastewater holding ponds as completely as practical after receiving a hurricane warning" as well as ensure that biosolids for land application have been "spread or stored in a secure manner."

With the frequency and severity of hurricanes and other extreme weather events increasing, facilities may need to adopt new strategies to prevent costly cleanup efforts and even legal battles.