Natural Disasters/Intentional Acts
It is important for any Public Water System (PWS) or to take a proactive approach and begin preparing for natural disasters and malevolent/intentional acts. Preparing for these events ahead of time can reduce personal anxiety and panic and can reduce the impact of these events on utility operations. The headers to the right contain guidance material on how to prepare for typical natural disasters and steps to address malevolent/intentional acts.
- Flood Preparation Guidance for Drinking Water Systems: Guide intending to help drinking water utilities prepare for a flooding event and actions to take after a flooding event.
- Flood Resilience: A Basic Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities (PDF): Guide intending to help drinking water and wastewater utilities become more resilient to flooding by examining the threat of flooding, determining impacts to utility assets and identifying cost-effective mitigation options.
- NOAA- Alaska River Forecast Center : Web page providing locational river gauge information for current river monitoring efforts in Alaska.
- NOAA River Forecast: Web page providing locational river gauge information for current river monitoring efforts in the lower 48 states.
- Earthquake Preparedness for Public Water Systems (PDF): Guide intending to help drinking water utilities respond to and recover from an earthquake.
- Alaska Earthquake Center: Web page providing definitive earthquake information to the public, emergency managers, scientists and engineers.
- Wildfire Preparedness for Public Water Systems (PDF): Guide intending to help drinking water utilities prepare for (e.g., creating fire management plan) a wildfire.
- Active Fire-Public Water Systems in Alaska (Web Map): Web map displays real-time fire activity in Alaska.
- Wildfire Information for Private Well Owners: Guide providing information to private well owners after a wildfire event.
- Wildfires: How do they affect our water supplies? EPA article discussing wildfire impacts and links to additional information.
- Effects of Volcanic Ash on Water Supplies (PDF): Guide outlining effects of volcanic ash on water quality, water demand, and equipment damage for a utility. Guide also highlights a few mitigation measures.
- Monitor Volcanic activity through Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO): AVO's web page which monitors current volcanic activity in Alaska.
- USGS Volcanic Ash Effects & Mitigation Strategies: Web encyclopedia provides information on the impacts of volcanic ash and mitigation strategies for dealing with them.
- Alaska Volcanoes- Public Water Systems in Alaska (Web Map): Web map displaying the real-time activity status of volcanoes in Alaska and their approximate location relative to public water systems.
- Is Ash Falling?: Web page providing platform where members from the community can report ash fall in their area. Data is reported to the National Weather Service.
- Drought Response and Recovery Guide (PDF): Guide intending to help drinking water utilities become more resilient to drought. The Guide presents real-world examples, best practices and lessons learned in drought response and recovery.
Coronavirus Resources for Water/Wastewater Operators
- Coronavirus Guidance for Community Water Systems
- The Water Professional’s Guide to COVID-19
- Human Coronaviruses - Alaska Division of Public Health, Epidemiology
- Coronavirus and the Water Cycle
- EPA Coronavirus and Drinking Water and Wastewater
- Association of Safe Drinking Water Administrators, COVID-19 Resources and State Responses
- EPA Pandemic Incident Action Checklist (PDF)
- DEC Cybersecurity webpage: General cybersecurity information and resources.
- EPA Cybersecurity for the Water Sector: Webpage with resources regarding cybersecurity assessments, planning, training, response, and funding.
- EPA Incident Action Checklists for Water Utilities: Drinking water and wastewater utilities can use these twelve "rip & run" style checklists to help with emergency preparedness, response and recovery activities.
- Water Contamination Information Tool (WCIT): Database containing information on over 800 drinking water and wastewater contaminants, including pathogens, pesticides, and toxic industrial chemicals.
- Containment and Disposal of Contaminated Water: Guide for PWS (PDF): Document providing information that may be useful in addressing containment, treatment, and disposal of water contaminated with a CBR agent within any part of a drinking water, wastewater, and/or stormwater system resulting from an “all hazards” contamination event.
- The Baseline Threat Document: Helps CWS' identify malevolent acts to include in Risk Assessments and identify threat likelihood.
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