United States
              Environmental Protection
              Agency
  TABLETOP  EXERCISE TOOL FOR WATER SYSTEMS:
    Emergency Preparedness,  Response, and Climate Resiliency
BACKGROUND
In January 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Ground Water and
Drinking Water released a CD-ROM-based tool to assist drinking water and wastewater utilities and
their partners  and  stakeholders  (e.g., the water sector) in planning  and conducting tabletop
exercises.  The EPA has since developed an enhanced tool that incorporates an all-hazards approach
to emergency management consistent with the current state of knowledge within the water sector.
The enhanced  tool, titled  Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems: Emergency Preparedness,
Response,  and Climate Resiliency (TTX Tool), includes fully-customizable  materials  users can
modify, allowing them to conduct a tabletop exercise to meet their specific needs.



The new TTX Tool is  designed to provide the water sector  with the necessary resources to plan,
conduct, and evaluate tabletop exercises.  Tabletop exercises allow water systems to practice, test,
and improve emergency response plans (ERPs) and procedures. The TTX  Tool  simplifies the
process of planning and conducting tabletop  exercises, and provides resources that aid  in the
development of customized scenario-driven, discussion-based tabletop exercises.
ENHANCEMENTS
The fifteen scenarios in the TTX Tool  address an all-hazards
approach to emergency preparedness and  response as well  as
introduce users to the potential impacts of climate change on the
water sector. Each  scenario  contains  potential impacts and
discussion  questions  specific  to both  drinking  water and
wastewater utilities and also encourages coordination with other
organizations that  may  be involved in the response to a water
sector incident. All materials are designed to be consistent with
the guidance  and terminology  of  the  U.S.  Department  of
Homeland Security's Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation
Program (HSEEP).

New training resources assist even the most novice exercise planners and facilitators in designing
and executing a successful tabletop exercise.  Training resources found on the TTX Tool include
presentations that demonstrate how to use the TTX tool as well as presentations on how to plan,
customize,  conduct,  and  evaluate an exercise. Additionally,  the tool contains informational
presentations covering current water sector-related initiatives, such as  Water/Wastewater Agency
Response Networks (WARNs) and the Incident Command System (ICS).   Reference documents
and links to relevant Web sites are also included.  The resources on the tool equip exercise planners
with the information they need to customize an exercise to meet their specific objectives.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
              Email: ttxtool@epa.gov or visit: http://www.epa.gov/watersecurity.

          Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA 817-F-10-006 | June 2010 | www.epa.qov/watersecuritv

-------