&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Water Security Division Products and Services List
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Water Security Division (WSD) has developed a robust suite of
products and services to improve the resilience of the water sector to all types of hazards. WSD resources can be found at
epa.gov/waterresilience. Direct links to specific tools and resources are provided below.
Products are organized by topic: Assess Risks, Emergency Preparedness, Risk Communication, Laboratory Support, Mutual
Aid and Assistance, Climate Change, Training and Exercises, Emergency Response, and Recovery.
Assess Risks
Risk assessment tools can
assist water and wastewater
utilities in identifying potential
threats and vulnerabilities.
• Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (VSAD - VSAT assists utilities in assessing the
potential impacts from both man-made and natural disasters and provides actions to
enhance security and resilience.
• Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool (WHEAT) - WHEAT helps utility owners
and operators to better understand the human health and economic consequences
of potential disasters.
• Water Quality Surveillance and Response System (SRS) - SRS helps drinking
water utilities identify, prepare for, and respond to water quality problems -
including contamination - in their distribution system.
Emergency
Preparedness
Water and wastewater utilities
can build resilience by planning
for emergencies before they
occur. WSD has developed
both hazard-specific and
generalized products to help
utilities prepare for disasters.
• Emergency Response Plan Guidance for Small and Medium Community Water
Systems - Small and medium utilities can use this guidance to assist in developing
or revising their Emergency Response Plans (ERPs).
• Flood Resilience Guide - This easy-to-navigate guide helps drinking water and
wastewater utilities understand local flooding threats and identify practical solutions
to protect critical assets.
• Drought Resilience Guide - This user-friendly guide and accompanying case
studies help drinking water and wastewater utilities identify key drought
preparedness and response actions to address both short-term drought impacts and
long-term drought resilience.
• Power Resilience Guide - This interactive guide assists water and wastewater
utilities in identifying and implementing key actions to improve resilience to power
outages.
• Community-Based Water Resiliency (CBWR) Tool - This downloadable tool allows
utilities and community members to assess the community's resilience to water
service disruptions and describes tools and resources that can be used to enhance
resilience.
Office of Water (MC 4608T) | EPA 817-F-16-002 July 2016
USEPA Water Security Division | Products and Services List
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&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Risk Communication
Communicating with the public
prior to and during an
emergency can help to mitigate
public health and economic
impacts.
Laboratory Support
Laboratories provide vital
emergency response services
during a contamination
incident.
• Water Utility Public Awareness Kit - This kit includes customizable print, web, and
video materials that drinking water and wastewater utilities can use to inform
customers about the value of water services, threats to water systems, and actions
that households can take to prepare for service disruptions.
• Developing Risk Communication Plans for Drinking Water Contamination Incidents
This document helps utilities develop and implement an effective Risk
Communication Plan (RCP) to respond to drinking water contamination incidents.
• Water Laboratory Alliance (WLA) - WLA is a nationwide network of laboratories that
serves the water sector. WSD has developed resources that help laboratories and
utilities respond to water contamination events involving chemical, biological, and
radiochemical contaminants. Specific WSD products for laboratory support include:
• WLA Toolkit - This document serves as an introduction to EPA resources -
such as fact sheets, guidance documents, and other tools - that may be
beneficial to your laboratory or organization.
• WLA Response Plan - This document outlines processes and procedures that
can help individuals lead a coordinated laboratory response during water
contamination incidents.
• Water Laboratory Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) - Laboratories can
prepare for continued service during an emergency by developing a Continuity
of Operations Plan, using available templates and instructions.
• Guidance for Building Laboratory Capabilities to Respond to Drinking Water
Contamination - This document provides guidance for water utilities wishing to build
laboratory capabilities for response to water contamination events. It identifies
contaminant classes of concern, lists analytical methods, and provides information
on the role of laboratory networks in responding to drinking water contamination
incidents.
Mutual Aid and
Assistance
During an emergency, "utilities
helping utilities" can be an
efficient way to access needed
resources.
• Water and Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN) Resources - WARNs
provide water and wastewater utilities with the means to quickly obtain help - such
as personnel, equipment, materials, and associated services - from other utilities
during an emergency. WSD has developed videos, guidance documents, and model
agreements to help water and wastewater utilities build or strengthen their mutual
aid and assistance networks.
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USEPA Water Security Division | Products and Services List
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&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Climate Change
Severe weather events due to
climate change may have
significant impacts on water
utilities.
• Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) - The CRWU initiative provides water sector
utilities with tools, training, and technical assistance needed to adapt to climate
change. CRWU products include:
• Climate Resilience Evaluation & Awareness Tool (GREAT) - GREAT is a
software package that helps utilities understand their potential climate change
threats and identify adaptation strategies.
• Adaptation Strategies Guide for Water Utilities - This document helps utilities
understand climate change impacts on utility operations, and provides actions
utilities can take to prepare for these impacts.
• Adaptation Case Study and Information Exchange - This online resource allows
drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities to learn about climate
change adaptation planning efforts from their peers across the United States.
Training and
Exercises
Training and exercises provide
utilities with opportunities to
learn more about resilience and
practice response actions.
• Water/Wastewater All Hazards Boot Camp Training: Emergency Planning,
Response, and Recovery-This interactive, computer-based training course
provides users with the fundamentals of water sector resilience and resources for a
comprehensive all-hazards program. The training is approved for operator
continuing education credit in some states.
• Tabletop Exercise (TTX) Tool for Water Systems - This downloadable tool helps
utilities plan and facilitate tabletop exercises using an all-hazards approach to
emergency preparedness and response.
• SRS Exercise Development Toolbox (EDD - This downloadable tool guides users
through the steps of developing exercises with realistic contamination scenarios.
Users enter information into the program, and the tool will generate documents for
use in a discussion- or operation-based exercise.
• WARN Tabletop Exercise Facilitator Guide - This document provides instructions
for planning, organizing, and conducting a tabletop exercise to create or update a
WARN operational plan or agreement.
• Incident Command System (ICS) Refresher Trainings - Designed specifically for
water and wastewater utility personnel, these recorded training webinars provide
viewers with an overview of the ICS.
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USEPA Water Security Division | Products and Services List
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&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Emergency
Response
Water and wastewater utilities
can use these tools to improve
response to an emergency.
• Water Utility Response On-The-Go (PIG) Mobile Website - Utility personnel can
access this mobile site from their smart phones. Response OTG enhances disaster
response by providing easy access to severe weather information, key emergency
contacts, emergency checklists, damage assessment forms, and ICS resources.
• Water Sector Incident Action Checklists - These simple, concise checklists provide
key actions to take before, during, and after a natural disaster, including drought,
extreme heat and cold, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, flooding, tsunami,
hurricanes and volcanic activity.
• Water Contaminant Information Tool (WCIT) - WCIT is a secure (registration
required) database with information on over 800 drinking water and wastewater
contaminants including pathogens, pesticides, and toxic industrial chemicals. During
a contamination incident, WCIT can aid in decision-making by providing vital
contaminant information.
Recovery
Following an emergency,
drinking water and wastewater
utilities can use these
resources to assist in recovery.
• Federal Funding for Utilities in National Disasters (Fed FUNDS) - Fed FUNDS is a
collection of resources and information for federal disaster funding programs
intended for water and wastewater utilities.
• Public Assistance for Water and Wastewater Utilities in Emergencies and Disasters
This short document provides information about water and wastewater utilities'
eligibility for disaster funds under the Federal Emergency Management Agency's
(FEMA's) Public Assistance Grant Program.
• Reimbursement Tips for Water Sector Emergency Response and Recovery - This
short document provides simple tips that drinking water and wastewater utilities can
use to maximize reimbursement through local, state, or federal level mechanisms.
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