Emergency Preparedness

Preparing for an emergency is essential to managing a drinking water system. An Emergency Response Plan assists public water systems when operational emergencies such as broken pipes, pump malfunctions, coliform contamination, and power outages occur. Unanticipated emergencies such as floods, earthquakes, drought, and wildfires can disrupt service for an extended period and the ability to deliver safe and reliable drinking water. Emergency response planning helps water systems assess vulnerabilities and improve and establish procedures to follow during an emergency.