Rapid Hurricane Response Application
March 28, 2020
DOD Human Performance Program
March 27, 2020In 2019, iParametrics was awarded a contract to conduct a Risk and Resiliency Assessment and develop the Emergency Response Plan for a large community water system.
SITUATION
In October 2018, the United States Legislature passed America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA). This amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act requires every community water system serving a population of more than 3,300 people to conduct a Risk and Resiliency Assessment and develop a comprehensive Emergency Response Plan. Federally mandated deadlines for completion of the tasks were based on the size of the utilities.
TASK
The County community water system serves a population of over 100,000 and is among the first systems required to certify having completed the requirements. The assessments must take into consideration both malevolent and natural hazards and must be conducted using a reliable methodology.
ACTION
iParametrics employed a robust team of engineering, security, and emergency management specialists certified by the AWWA in the AWIA process. The team conducted a series of workshops using the AWWA J-100 Risk and Resilience Methodology. The team also evaluated over 50 threat-asset pairs and conducted site visits to determine criticality, vulnerability, and evaluate existing countermeasures.
RESULT
Our team completed all tasks required by the law ahead of the required deadlines, allowing the community water system to certify and preclude the possibility of penalties from the enforcement arm of the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, the utility now has a detailed multi-year plan and schedule for the implementation of additional protective measures to ensure safe community drinking water.
