FEMA Tool Helps Water Association Repair Systems and Fight the Freeze 

Release Date: December 23, 2008
Release Number: 1763-223

» More Information on Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Looking for a needle in a haystack might seem like an easy task for members of the Southern Iowa Rural Water Association* (SIRWA) when compared to their job of finding damaged and exposed water pipes as a result of this summer's severe storms and flooding.

With approximately 12,000 underground stream crossings and 4,000 miles of pipeline running through 13 counties, SIRWA's task of finding trouble spots before they cause problems for water consumers can be a difficult one.

This task may be lessened, however, with a new tool developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aimed to help identify areas where damaged is most likely. 

Sections of pipe once safely buried at least four feet below the frost line are now broken or exposed due to severe erosion caused by this summer's intense storms and flooding.  As winter weather arrives, more exposed pipes could break and cause a problem with an area's drinking water.

However, a new tool developed by FEMA can help identify areas where damage is most likely to appear and allow experts enough time to fix it before additional problems occur.

FEMA's new model using Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies to combine existing water system and geographic data helps prioritize sites selected for inspection for pipe damage and exposure.

"SIRWA has always been aware of potential problems," said Dan McIntosh, SIRWA general manager. "We've just never had this level of damage before.  The new FEMA GIS model is an innovative way to do outside damage survey work. We've given copies of the model to all our employees and I think it is really going to help us."

FEMA, along with the state of Iowa, help water associations like SIRWA fix critical, disaster-damaged infrastructure before the damage gets worse, thereby preventing further economic loss, reducing repair costs and maintaining the forward momentum of recovery in Iowa.

FEMA and the state then reimburse SIRWA costs for eligible, disaster-related damages vital to water delivery service. Access to drinking water is one of the most critical needs for communities, including residents, farm animals and industry.

A new model for crisis mitigation and repair

The new, FEMA GIS model calculates areas of highest risk for pipe breaks or exposure following severe weather. The goal is to help workers fix critical infrastructure before it freezes and to reduce potential public health risks and economic losses due to unrecognized flood damage.

"The FEMA GIS model allows users to analyze the relationships among different factors that affect streams and water mains," said Iowa FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer, Bill Vogel. "Instead of having to guess at the most likely places to look over thousands of miles of water mains, model users can analyze all the information and make informed choices.  Ultimately, this will allow them to make the most efficient use of time and available resources."

The use of the FEMA model in water main surveys allows water associations to adopt a pro-active approach to system failures.  Rather than waiting for a pipe break and repair damage once found, this model will help associations locate sites of pipe exposure and retrench them before they break.

"There's never been a model on this scale for a water system in Iowa," Iowa's Public Assistance Officer, Dennis Harper. "We are excited about the potential risk reduction to public health and safety as well as economic benefits the use of this model could bring. This could affect thousands of rural residents for years to come."

Water associations working with FEMA will receive copies of the FEMA model, including a summary of the data used for the model and details of the methodology applied to evaluate the impact of flood waters and erosion on water main locations.

Using the new FEMA model to focus on search and repair efforts at probable high risk areas will likely result in better use of limited resources, increased efficiency of workers' time, better management of limited resources and financial savings that preventive steps rather than emergency repair response can bring.

*--Currently, SIRWA covers several counties including: Adair, Adams, Clarke, Decatur, Ringgold, Taylor and Union along with sections of Cass, Lucas, Madison, Montgomery, Page and Warren.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Last Modified: Tuesday, 23-Dec-2008 17:22:38