This week, southern California was once again rattled by Mother Nature, as a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit south of the border near Mexicali, Mexico. As is usually the case, the potential for disaster has provoked a lot of navel gazing about earthquake preparedness and the status of the state’s emergency infrastructure.
For those of us concerned with water resource management, the possibility of a catastrophic event narrows our focus to the state of our conveyance systems. How well do you think your pipes, pumps, damns, and overall delivery systems would weather an earthquake, hurricane, or other natural (or man-made) disaster?
According to the Department of Homeland Security (www.nationalterroralert.com/safewater) in the event of a wide-scale disaster, individual households should plan for the possibility that water will not be available, and so storage is a top priority (about a gallon per person per day), with a recommendation of at least a 10-day supply stored securely. A quick calculation reveals that an average two-person household would have to squirrel away about 20 gallons of water (or four cooler-size containers).
While we can debate the likelihood of the average household actually storing that amount of water, we can say for certain that water purveyors must be prepared for any eventuality. As with any widespread disruption of service, the first priority will be to get the system back online as soon as possible.
As such, the EPA has come up with a set of emergency guidelines for large water systems. The Large Water System Emergency Response Plan outlines emergency procedures for water purveyors before, during, and after a crisis.
Some of the most important aspects of the pan include:
* The Development of a documented Emergency Response Plan (ERP)
* The creation of a Vulnerability Assessment
* Identification of Alternative Water Sources
* Chain-of-Command Chart (coordinated with the local emergency planning committee)
* Communication Procedures (who, what, when, as well as access to “system-specific information” about personnel and external parties like emergency first responders and notification procedures)
* Property and equipment assessment and protection
* Training, exercises, and drills
* Emergency Action Procedures and Incident-Specific Action Procedures
So what do you think? Does emergency and disaster planning get enough attention? And even though our water resources are perpetually in a state of crisis due to drought, waste, and mismanagement, should part of any resource management plan account for unanticipated, catastrophic events?