Preparedness: Before An Event
A single Preparedness Links page featuring the links found on all three pages within the Preparedness Toolkit (links for Before An Event, After An Event, and Preparedness Training) is also available.
Drinking Water
Drinking Water During an Emergency
- Personal Water Use - Safe Drinking Water in Emergencies (CDC). Information on creating a water, sanitation, and hygiene-related disaster kit and planning for finding, treating, and storing safe water
- Disaster Supplies Kit (CDC). Full CDC guidance on creating a disaster supply kit
- Drinking Water: Immunocompromised Persons and Other Vulnerable Groups (CDC). Information on drinking water, illness, and safe water for immunocompromised persons and other vulnerable groups
- Water (Preparing for a Disaster) (FEMA). Document on bottled water storage and preparing/storing home containers of water
Inspecting and Disinfecting Wells
Hygiene and Sanitation
Sewage and Septic Systems
Preparedness Planning and Water
- Water Security (CDC). Links to information on planning for the protection of water supplies and responding to contamination threats and incidents.
- Water Security (EPA). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Emergency/Incident Planning enables responders from a variety of jurisdictions to work together effectively when responding to an emergency.
- Vulnerability Assessments. Tools and training to aid water utilities in assessing their vulnerabilities to adversarial actions.
- Emergency/Incident Planning. Tools and training to help water utilities develop a plan to respond to emergencies.
- Security Enhancements, Research and Technology. Latest scientific advances to protect drinking water and wastewater systems.
- Emergency Response Plan Guidance for Small and Medium Community Water Systems (PDF, 416 kb, 45 pages)
- Tools and Technical Assistance
- Water Contaminant Information Tool. 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.
- Emergency Response Tabletop CD-ROM Exercises for Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems. Exercises to train water and wastewater utility workers and health officials in preparing and carrying out emergency response plans.
- National Response Framework (PDF, 1.06 mb, 90 pages) (FEMA). An extensive consultation guidebook for practitioners and policymakers at all levels. The guidebook includes operational planning for specific types of incidents.
Water-related Diseases and Illnesses
- Water-Related Diseases, Contaminants, and Injuries (CDC)
- Infectious Disease after a Disaster (CDC)
- A to Z Index (CDC). Topical index that includes specific diseases or pathogens, listed alphabetically.
Additional Websites
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- Emergency Preparedness and Response
- U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
This icon indicates a link leading outside of this CDC Web site. While this external link provides additional information that is consistent with the intended purpose of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), not all external links will lead to federal websites. CDC cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal site, and linking to a non-federal site does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the site. You will be subject to the destination site’s privacy policy when you follow any link so indicated.
Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.
- Page last reviewed: March 16, 2009
- Page last updated: March 16, 2009
- Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
24 Hours/Every Day - healthywater@cdc.gov