Emergency Preparedness for Public Water Systems

1. Emergency Preparedness for Public Water Systems Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Sustained Compliance for Public Water Systems, Chapter 2 Workshop Anchorage, Alaska Sept. 30, 2011 Tyler Fanning DEC Drinking Water Program

2. Tyler Fanning Public Water Systems Security Specialist Division of Environmental Health Drinking Water Program (907) 269-8924 tyler.fanning@alaska.gov

3. Outcomes • How drinking water directly contributes to overall public health in an emergency • How drinking water systems can prevent, prepare for, and recover from natural disasters and human-caused incidents • Understand proposed emergency preparedness regulation changes that may affect your system

4. Agenda • History and Background • Public Water Systems • Disasters and Preparedness Milestones • Building blocks for a prepared water system • Personal Preparedness • Vulnerability Assessment (VA) • Emergency Response Plan (ERP) • Staff training/exercises • Tools and Resources • Federal • State • Mutual Aid Agreements

5. Public Water Systems • Direct Contributor to Public Health • Critical Infrastructure

6. "...water supply facilities offer a particularly vulnerable point of attack • to the foreign agent, due to the strategic position they occupy in keeping the wheels of industry turning and in preserving the health and morale of the American populace." • J. Edgar Hoover • First director of the FBI

7. Milestones in Emergency Preparedness • Hurricane Katrina August 29, 2005 • September 11, 2001

8. Milestone: September 11, 2001 • Heightened awareness of the vulnerability of drinking water systems • Led to new regulations that amended SDWA • Focus was on intentional acts

9. New Federal Regulation Emergency Preparedness and Security Requirements for PWS

10. Milestone: Hurricane Katrina • Water sector was a critical infrastructure that was not well prepared • Utilities not aware of protocols for requesting assistance and communicating needs • In an emergency the government response will not be immediate

11. Preparedness is changing 9/11 Natural Disasters • Detect • Delay • Deter • Respond • Response • Recovery • Resilience “All-Hazards” Planning

12. Anchorage 1964

13. Seward 1964

14. Mt. Redoubt 1990

15. Cleveland Volcano 2011

16. Ash on car Mt. Redoubt 2009

17. Eagle 2009

18. Seward 2009

19. Seward 2009

20. Crooked Creek 2011

21. Caribou Hills 2007

22. Kivalina 2011

23. Hurricane Irene 2011

26. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin

27. PWS Security Requirements • Bioterrorism Act of 2002

28. Current Alaska Administrative Code Effective Oct. 1999, ADEC 18 AAC 80 207(d)(4) states…. " a written contingency plan showing that the owner is able to provide water … within 24 hours after an event that has the potential to cause … contamination of the water system or … a lack of water pressure or supply.”

29. Alaska Regulations Future ** Proposed in 2011 **

30. Alaska Regulations Future ** Proposed in 2011 ** • Systems currently in operation must complete an ERP/PMP • within 18 months of effective date. • All new public water systems beginning operation after • effective date must have an ERP/PMP in place. • Updated biennially

32. Coordinating with Partners Building Blocks for a Prepared Water System

33. Personal Preparedness • You can’t help anyone else if you’re worried about yourself, your family, or your property. • Take care of you and yours first!

34. What is a Vulnerability Assessment? The process of identifying, quantifying, and prioritizing (or ranking) the vulnerabilities in a system. Vulnerability from the perspective of disaster management means evaluating the threats from potential hazards to the population and to infrastructure. To plan for emergency, PWS needs to know : • Which PWS component may fail • Severity of failure • Duration, financial and health effects • How to alleviate problem Gap Analysis - a process of identifying security deficiencies and tasks to be completed. This results in a prioritized action item list or punch list of items to be accomplished.

35. Vulnerability Assessment (Cont.) • A VA consists of four major elements

39. The Emergency Response Plan • A documented plan • Describes actions to take in response to major incident • Threats • Intentional Acts • Major disasters • Catastrophic incidents • Damage & severe disruptions

40. ERP: 8 Core Elements

41. Smaller Systems: The Priority Measures Plan

42. 1. System Specific Information ERP: 8 Core Elements PWSID, Owner, Contact information Population Served and Service Connections Distribution Map Site Plans and Facility “As-Built” Engineering Drawings Operating Procedures and System Descriptions including back-up systems and interconnections with other systems; SCADA System/Process Control Systems Operations Communications System Operation Site Staffing Rosters and Employees’ Duties and Responsibilities Chemical Handling and/or Storage Facilities and Release Impact Analyses

43. 2. PWS Roles & Responsibilities ERP: 8 Core Elements Establish a clear chain of command Designate ER Lead Evaluate incoming info Manage resources, staff Decide response actions Coordinate efforts with 1st responders Reachable 24/7 Identified roles are utility specific! • ** Included in Priority Measures Plan **

44. ERP: 8 Core Elements 3. Communication Procedures: Internal Notification List Internal Chain of Command External Non-PWS Notification List First Responders & previously contacted entities Affected customers or critical customers\ Vendors for replacement equip/chem supplies In a major incident, it may not be possible to use normal channel of communication. Names/Titles/Land line /Cell/Email/Address/Pager Public/Media Notification: Generate a set of general guidelines for the Media Liaison to follow to craft concise messages targeted for different audiences -- Media, residential, local health officials, business customers Draft Press Releases and Public Water Restriction Notices in Advance Have methods in place for delivering messages • ** Included in Priority Measures Plan **

45. ERP: 8 Core Elements 4. Personnel Safety Evacuation Plan Routes/Exits Assembly Areas and Accountability Emergency Response Equipment Personal Protective Equipment First Aid Kits Spill Prevention Control Risk Management Procedures MSDS Sheets UNDERSTAND WHEN AND HOW

46. 5. Alternate Water Source ERP: 8 Core Elements Bulk water provided by certified water haulers or neighboring utilities Bottled Water Interconnect with nearby utilities Water Pumped from surface water sources Water from unaffected wells owned by citizens/business Consider the amount of water needed to address short-term & and long-term ** Included in Priority Measures Plan**

47. ERP: 8 Core Elements 6. Replacement Equipment & Chemicals Maintain an Updated Inventory of: Current equipment (i.e. Pumps) Repair Parts Chemical supplies for normal maintenance and operations

48. ERP: 8 Core Elements 7. Property Protection • Protecting the facilities, equipment, and vital records is essential to restoring operations in the aftermath of an incident. • “Lock Down” procedures • Access control procedures • Establishing a security perimeter following a major incident • Evidence protection measures for law enforcement • Securing buildings against forced entry

49. ERP: 8 Core Elements Water Sampling & Monitoring Identify and address special water sampling & monitoring issues that may arise during and after a major incident Laboratory Contact List Emergency Water Sample Collection Kit Identify proper sampling and monitoring procedures for an unknown contaminant, as well as a variety of known contaminants Obtain sample containers Determine quantity of required samples

50. Identify/Coordinate with 1st Responders & Other Partners Who Will Assist During a Major Incident