|
 |
|
Emergency / Incident Planning
About PDF Files
Emergency response plans
describe the actions that a drinking water or wastewater utility would
take in response to a major event, such as natural disasters or
man-made emergencies. They should address the issues raised by the
utility's vulnerability
assessment. The information given below is of vital importance to
water utilities, but it is also a valuable resource for other
government and private sector entities, such as public health and law
enforcement officials, emergency responders, laboratories, and
technical assistance providers. Guidance documents and planning tools
to improve the quality and efficiency of measures taken to respond to
accidental or purposeful contamination incidents are described
below.
Utilities are strongly encouraged to regularly review and update their
vulnerability assessments and emergency response plans.
Under the Bioterrorism Act, drinking
water systems must certify completion of emergency response plans
within 6 months of certifying that their vulnerability assessment is
complete. Detailed instructions for completing and certifying your emergency
response plan (PDF) (1 p, 23K)
are available. Please note that you are required by federal law to
maintain a copy of your emergency response plan for five years after
submitting your certification to EPA.
National Incident Management System (NIMS)
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 "Management of Domestic Incidents" requires that states, territories, local jurisdictions and tribal entities adopt the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
NIMS enables responders from a variety of jurisdictions and disciplines to work together effectively when responding to an emergency. The private sector, including water and wastewater treatment systems, also plays a vital role in NIMS. The implementation of the NIMS creates a baseline capability that, once established, will be the foundation for the nation’s prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery strategies.
NIMS compliance benefits include:
- Access to Federal preparedness grants (the recipient must be NIMS compliant)
- Strengthened response capabilities by following a nationally adopted, standard practice for
emergency response
- Improved mobilization, deployment, utilization, tracking, and demobilization of needed resources
- Established protocols for improved communication with other levels of response
- Reduced time delay to access mutual aid/assistance
Water Sector Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS) Training Materials - Feedback from utilities, states, EPA regions, and other stakeholders indicates that water sector-specific ICS and NIMS training remains a priority. These training materials developed by the EPA Water Security Division will help drinking water and wastewater utilities to better understand ICS, integrate with other first responders within an expanding ICS structure, and implement NIMS concepts and principles that will help utilities provide mutual aid and assistance to one another.
- NIMS Training for the Water Sector (73pp) PDF (1.8MB) | PPT (10.4MB)
- ICS Training for the Water Sector (143pp) PDF (3.7MB) | PPT (26MB)
Specific information about what is required for 2007 NIMS Compliance can be found on this website:
http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/compliance/2007.shtm 
FEMA recommendations for private sector NIMS compliance activities can be found on this website: http://www.fema.gov/emergency/nims/compliance/ps_implement.shtm
Training on the Incident Command System and National Incident Management System can be found on these websites:
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is100.asp
http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIweb/is/is100PW.asp
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is200.asp
http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp
Emergency Response Tools and Guidance
- Decontamination and Recovery Planning - Water and Wastewater Utility Case Study (PDF) (12pp, 875K), EPA 817-F-08-004, September 2008 - This report documents the planning and experiences of a large combined water and wastewater utility related to decontamination and recovery.
The study outlines specific planning steps that may be beneficial to other utilities in their planning and preparedness to respond to a contamination event.
- Emergency Response Tabletop CD-ROM
Exercises for Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems - This CD
contains exercises to help train water and wastewater utility workers
in preparing and carrying-out emergency response plans. The 12 unique
exercises can help strengthen relationships between a water supplier
and their emergency response team and users can adapt the materials
for their own needs. Trainers or users can select the threat warning
from the eight basic types described in the Response Protocol Toolbox
and choose from five basic event types: intentional contamination,
security breach, cyber security, physical attack, and
interdependency.
-
The Wastewater Emergency
Response Plan Guidance Document (PDF) (83 pp, 2,450K) has been published by the Water Environment Research Foundation
(WERF) . This
tool assists wastewater systems in preparing their emergency response
plans (ERPs). It is intended to help wastewater systems to organize
their planning efforts, and to provide a reference for the types of
information and data that should be included in an emergency response
plan. A limited number of hard copies will be available from WERF on
a first come first serve basis by calling 703-684-2470.
Response Protocol Toolbox
(RPTB)
- Interim Final Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and
Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water Systems - These
modules provide emergency response planning tools that are designed to
help the water sector to effectively and appropriately respond to
intentional contamination threats and incidents. EPA produced the
Toolbox, building on the experience and expertise of several drinking
water utilities, particularly the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California. Organized in modular format, the Toolbox assists
with emergency response preparedness and will be of value to drinking
water utilities, laboratories, emergency responders, state drinking
water programs, technical assistance providers and public health and
law enforcement officials. Users are encouraged to review the overview
before using other Modules. Please note that the Toolbox contains
guidance that may be adopted voluntarily. The modules are also
available in MS Word for those wishing to utilize the forms and
text.
| MODULE |
DOWNLOADS |
| Overview (EPA-817-D-03-007) |
(PDF) (17
pp, 3,482K) |
(Word) (17pp, 463K) |
| Water Utility Planning Guide - Module 1
(EPA-817-D-03-001) |
(PDF) (46
pp, 3,025K) |
(Word) (46 pp, 1,182K) |
| Contamination Threat Management Guide - Module 2
(EPA-817-D-03-002) |
(PDF) (96
pp, 3,737K) |
(Word) (96 pp, 2,559K) |
| Site Characterization and Sampling Guide - Module
3 (EPA-817-D-03-003) |
(PDF) (85 pp, 2,883K) |
(Word) (85 pp, 1,583K) |
| Analytical Guide - Module 4
(EPA-817-D-03-004) |
(PDF) (113
pp, 4,966K) |
(Word) (113 pp, 5,282K) |
| Public Health Response Guide - Module 5
(EPA-817-D-03-005) |
(PDF) (84
pp, 2,261K) |
(Word) (84 pp, 1,548K) |
| Remediation and Recovery Guide - Module 6
(EPA-817-D-03-006) |
(PDF) 112
pp, 2,258K) |
(Word) (112 pp, 1,279K) |
-
Response Protocol Toolbox: Response Guidelines (PDF) (75 pp, 1,470K) (also available in Word Format) - An action oriented document to assist
drinking water utilities, laboratories, emergency responders, state
drinking water programs, technical assistance providers, and public
health and law enforcement officials during the management of an
ongoing contamination threat or incident. The Response Guidelines are
not intended to replace to Response Protocol Toolbox and they do not
contain the detailed information contained within the six complete
modules. The Response Guidelines are to be viewed as the application
of the same principles contained in the Response Protocol Toolbox
during an actual incident. The Response Guidelines have been
developed to provide an easy to use document for field and crisis
conditions. Finally, users are encouraged to adapt the Response
Guidelines as necessary to meet their own needs and
objectives.
-
A Water Security Handbook: Planning for and Responding to Drinking Water Contamination Threats and Incidents (PDF) (72 pp, 8,827K) - EPA prepared this simplified handbook for water utilities as an overview of EPA's comprehensive Response Protocol Toolbox: Planning for and Responding to Contamination Threats to Drinking Water Systems from the perspective of a water system manager. The Handbook describes how to recognize intentional water contamination threats and incidents, what actions a utility should take in the event of a threat or incident, possible roles of the water utility within the larger Incident Command framework, and how the National Incident Management System is organized. It also describes the utility's actions and decisions during site characterization, laboratory analysis, public health response, remediation and recovery. The Handbook is intended to be a companion to the Response Protocol Toolbox: Response Guidelines. It will also be helpful to utilities that are preparing or updating their emergency response plans.
- Emergency Response Plan Guidance for Small and
Medium Community Water Systems (PDF) (45 pp, 415K) - Document published by EPA for use by community
water systems serving a population between 3,301 and 99,999 as they
develop or revise emergency response plans. The document should be of
considerable value to key authorities with critical roles during
emergency response or remediation actions resulting from a drinking
water contamination threat or incident. This document is also
available in MS Word for those wishing to utilize the
forms and text. Printed copies, in limited quantities, can be
obtained from the National Service Center for Environmental
Publications (NSCEP)
- EPA
Environmental Laboratory Compendium - Database of nationwide
environmental laboratories available to water utilities and to federal
and state agencies. The database contains each laboratory's specific
capabilities to analyze chemical and biological analytes as well as
chemical warfare, bioterrorism, and radiochemical agents. It was
developed as a tool to quickly identify laboratories with capabilities
to support incident-specific response and recovery. The compendium
is intended to assist water utilities and federal and state agencies
in responding to contamination threats, terrorist attacks, or natural
disasters. To access the database, those interested must first
register and receive a reply.
- PipelineNet - Software
that monitors and projects the fate and transport of contaminants
potentially introduced into water distribution systems, particularly
as related to use and application in an emergency response situation.
The Technical Support Working Group (TSWG), EPA, Science Applications
International Corporation (SAIC), and the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) developed the software, which can be used
to
- Determine optimal placement of extraction and
monitoring instruments.
- Help develop monitoring regimes for routine screening of
distribution system water quality.
- Predict or track the fate and transport of contaminants in a
system to effectively respond to a purposeful contamination incident,
as well as accidental events such as backflows or cross
connections.
- Feasibility of Using the PipelineNet (PDF) (50 pp, 463K) - Report that evaluates
the feasibility of using the PipelineNet water distribution system
model in different water utility settings. Prepared by the American Water Works Association
Research Foundation .
- Top Ten List for Small Ground Water
Suppliers (PDF) (1 p, 75K) - List
developed to assist small public water suppliers with security and
emergency planning. Includes tips to help suppliers to protect their
facilities from tampering or contamination incidents and to prepare
for potential emergencies. Developed by EPA Region 1.
- Large Water System Emergency Response Plan Outline: Guidance to
Assist Community Water Systems in Complying with the Bioterrorism
Act (PDF) (12 pp, 79K) - Guidance
developed to aid utilities in preparing emergency response plans as
required by the Bioterrorism Act. Provides guidance that is not a
requirement of the federal government, and some sections might not be
applicable to every system. In addition, states might have
requirements that supersede this outline.
- Instructions to Assist Community Water Systems in Complying with the
Bioterrorism Act (PDF) (23
pp, 244K) - Contains information on actions required of community
water systems to comply with the act, deadlines for submission of
emergency response plans based on system size, instructions for
submitting the required materials to EPA, and contact information.
The Addendum to the Instructions (PDF) (6 pp, 126K) provides clarifications, corrections, and
additions.
-
Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT) - The Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT) is a secure, online database developed by the U.S. EPA that provides information on contaminants of concern for water security. As a planning tool, WCIT can be used to help create and update emergency response plans and site-specific response guidelines. As a response tool, WCIT can be used to provide real-time data on water contaminants to help utilities make decisions if contamination occurs.
Mutual Aid and Assistance
|
|
