Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT r Dear WLA Members and Users, Welcome to the Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) Tool Kit. This online tool is designed to provide you with an introduction to a selection of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) resources that may be beneficial to your laboratory or organization. The tool kit is comprised of a synopsis of each emergency preparedness and response resource and an accompanying link to its web address. The virtual tool kit contains a variety of fact sheets on the WLA and on the Environmental Response Laboratory Network (ERLN), guidance documents, tools & resources, learning opportunities, and EPA contact information. Thank you for your support of the WLA. WLA Tool Kit Contents Click on a bar below to go to a section 1. FACT SHEETS ^ 2. GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS ^ 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES ^ 4. LEARNING OPPORTUNITY ^ 5. EPA CONTACTS Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 1. FACT SHEETS Click on a fact sheet title to jump to that document's web location. Water Laboratory Alliance The WLA provides the Water Sector with an integrated nationwide network of laboratories. This network offers the capabilities and capacity to analyze water samples in the event of natural, intentional, or unintentional water contamination involving chemical, biological, or radiochemical contaminants. http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/upload/2009_l1 _1 9_ watersecurity_pubs_WLA_Fact_SheetJ 1192009-2.pdf Water Laboratory Alliance: A Drinking Water Utility Perspective Water utilities that become members of the WLA will be provided with critical analytical support before, during, and after a potential contamination incident. http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/upload/2009_11 _19_ watersecurity_pubs_WLA_Utility_Fact_Sheet_11192009.pdf Environmental Response Laboratory Network Overview EPA established the ERLN to assist in addressing chemical, biological, and radiological threats during nationally significant incidents. http://www.epa.gov/oemerln1/factsheets/erln_general_fs.pdf Environmental Response Laboratory Network: Public Health Laboratories Public laboratories play an invaluable role in the network given their existing relationships with federal, state, and local decision-makers and political leadership. www. epa.gov/oemerlnl/factsheets/erl n_public_fs.pdf Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 2. GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS Click on a guidance document title to jump to that document's web location. Water Laboratory Alliance Response Plan The WLA Response Plan (WLA-RP) provides processes and procedures for coordinated laboratory response to water contamination incidents that may require additional analytical support and a broader response than a typical laboratory can provide. The WLA-RP is designed to work within existing Incident Command System (ICS) structures and procedures. http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/upload/WLAResponsPlan_ November2010.pdf ^ Sampling Guidance for Unknown Contaminants in Drinking Water The Sampling Guidance for Unknown Contaminants in Drinking Water provides comprehensive direction that integrates recommendations for pathogen, toxin, chemical, and radiochemical sample collection, preservation, and transport procedures. The document supports multiple analytical approaches for the detection and identification of potential contaminants in drinking water. http://water.epa. gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/upload/2008_12_31_ watersecurity_pubs_guide_watersecurity_samplingforunknown.pdf Guidance for Water Utilities - Building Laboratory Capabilities for Responding to Contamination Warning System Incidents The objective of this document is to guide water utilities in identification of preferred analytical methods, contaminants of concern to water security, and laboratories for building early response capabilities to possible water contamination. The document is written for utilities building a sampling and analysis program as part of a contamination warning system (CWS). One of the primary design goals of the sampling and analysis component within a CWS is to develop capabilities for response to a broad range of chemicals, radiochemicals, pathogens, and biotoxins. By identifying contaminants of concern, preferred analytical methods, and laboratories in advance of a possible contamination incident, utilities will be able to 1) practice methods and exercise laboratory partnerships, 2) establish baseline contaminant occurrence and method performance for water samples from their distribution systems, and 3) improve the efficiency of utility-led sampling and analysis activities by developing and practicing procedures specifically for incident response to possible contamination. http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/lawsregs/initiative.cfm Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES Click on a tool or resource to jump to that document within the tool kit. I Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT) http://water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/databases/wcit/index.cfm Web-based Electronic Data Review (WebEDR) http://webedr.fedcsc.com/app/ Compendium of Environmental Testing Laboratories www.epa.gov/compendium Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems: Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Climate Resiliency (TTX Tool) http://yosemite.epa.gov/ow/SReg.nsf/description/TTX_Tool Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool (VSAT) http://yosemite.epa.gov/ow/SReg.nsf/description/VSAT Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool (WHEAT) http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/techtools/ wheat, cfm Community-Based Water Resiliency Electronic Tool (CBWR) http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/ communities/index, cfm Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES Click on the image or web link to jump to the WCIT web location. &EPA Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT) The WCIT database assists in planning for and responding to drinking water and wastewater contamination threats and incidents. As a planning tool, WCIT supports vulnerability assessments, emergency response plans, and site-specific response guidelines. As a response tool, WCIT provides contaminant data to help responders (including utilities) make appropriate response decisions. http://water.epa.gov/scitech/datait/databases/wcit/index.cfm J Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES Click on the image or web link to jump to the WebEDR web location. &EPA Web-based Electronic Data Review (WebEDR) The WebEDR application performs automated data evaluation on Environmental Response Laboratory Network electronic data deliverables. WebEDR performs a standardized evaluation of the overall quality of the data and provides reviewers with tools to measure the data against different measurement quality objectives. I http://webedr.fedcsc.com/app/ J Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- &EPA Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES Click on the image or web link to jump to the Laboratory Compendium web location. Compendium of Environmental Testing Laboratories EPA's Compendium of Environmental Testing Laboratories (Laboratory Compendium) is an online database of environmental laboratories nationwide that is available to EPA; federal, state, and local emergency responders; laboratory personnel; and (with limited access) water utilities. The database contains each laboratory's specific capabilities to analyze chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants. I www.epa.gov/compendium J Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES Click on the image or web link to jump to the TTX Tool web location. &EPA Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems: Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Climate Resiliency (TTX Tool) The PC-based Tabletop Exercise Tool for Water Systems contains materials that assist those interested in planning and facilitating tabletop exercises that focus on Water Sector-related preparedness and response issues. The TTX Tool includes scenarios for water and wastewater utilities that cover topics such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, pandemic flu, and contamination. 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. http://yosemite.epa.gov/ow/SReg.nsf/description/TTX_Tool Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES Click on the image or web link to jump to the VSAT web location. Vulnerability Self Assessment Tool (VSAT) VSAT is a risk assessment tool for drinking water, wastewater, and combined systems of all sizes. It assesses both man-made and natural disaster threats (hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes). VSAT is consistent with standard risk assessment methodologies and enables users to perform customized risk assessments. It also has the ability to generate risk assessment reports and emergency response plans. http://yosemite.epa.gov/ow/SReg.nsf/description/VSAT Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES Click on the image or web link to jump to the WHEAT web location. &EPA Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool (WHEAT) WHEAT is a free consequence and analysis tool for drinking water systems. It generates consequence results based on two scenarios: release of a hazardous gas and loss of operating assets. WHEAT was designed to assist utilities in quantifying consequences of public health impacts, utility financial costs, and regional economic impacts. WHE W ATE RHcalth & Economk Analysis Tool http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/techtools/wheat.cfm Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 3. TOOLS & RESOURCES Click on the image or web link to jump to the CBWR web location. &EPA Community-Based Water Resiliency Electronic Tool (CBWR) The CBWR electronic tool strengthens community preparedness in the event of water service interruptions by offering almost 350 resources to develop and implement water resiliency initiatives. The tool features a self- assessment that provides users with questions tailored to their stakeholder group and culminates in a self-assessment summary report detailing the strengths and weaknesses of current resiliency efforts. Users are then provided with recommendations on CBWR resources which can be utilized to enhance resiliency. I http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/communities/index.cfm Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 4. LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES Click on the image or web link to jump to the Training Center's web location. &EPA I I Water Laboratory Alliance Training Center The purpose of the WLA Training Center is to familiarize WLA member laboratories, WLA users, and Water Sector stakeholders with WLA response procedures, sample handling recommendations, and supporting tools. The training program ensures that WLA member laboratories and Water Sector stakeholders can take advantage of the benefits of the WLA, and operate effectively in the event of a water contamination incident involving a biological, chemical, or radiochemical contaminant. http://owpubauthor.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/training.cfm 1 J Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) TOOL KIT 5. EPA CONTACTS &EPA EPA Regional Laboratory Contact Information REGION 1: Ernest Waterman Waterman.Ernest@epa.gov Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont REGION 2: John Bourbon Bourbon.John@epa.gov New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands REGIONS: Cindy Caporale Caporale.Cynthia@epa.gov Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia REGION 4: Gary Bennett Bennett.Gary@epa.gov Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee REGIONS: Dennis Wesolowski Wesolowski.Dennis@epa.gov Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin REGION 6: David Neleigh Neleigh.David@epa.gov Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas REGION 7: Michael F. Davis Davis.Michael@epa.gov Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska REGION 8: Mark Burkhardt Burkhardt.Mark@epa.gov Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming REGION 9: Brenda Bettencourt Bettencourt.Brenda@epa.gov Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands REGION 10: Barry Pepich Pepich.Barry@epa.gov Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington .WLA Contact Information For comments and questions on the WLA, please contact: WLA@epa.gov ERLN/WLA Helpline: 703-818-4200 Visit http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/wla/index.cfm Return to TOOL KIT Office of Water (4608-T) | EPA817-B-12-001 | May 2012 | www.epa.gov/safewater ------- |