S?a3«?»
PSSF

aminatron
in Your Distribution System?
A Distribution System Contamination Response Procedure (DSCRP) guides your utility through a contamination incident. As part of
your utility's Emergency Response Plan (ERP), a DSCRP covers the investigation, response, and recovery activities that are unique to a
contamination incident.
PLAN YOUR RESPONSE
CAPABILITIES
ASSESSMENT FORM
STEP1: ASSESS your utility's
current preparedness. Use the
provided assessment form to identify 					
and review existing contamination response capabilities: plans,
procedures, training, assets, personnel, and response partners.
STEP 2: INTEGRATE your existing capabilities into the outline
provided in the DSCRP template. Coordinate the elements of
the DSCRP with your utility ERP. Identify gaps and create a "to-
do" list of areas to improve.
RESPONSE PARTNER
INTERVIEW FORM
STEP 3: INTERVIEW your response
partners to determine their experience
with water emergencies and how
they can aid your utility during a contamination incident. Use
the provided interview form to approach partners and identify
shared resources, determine authorities (e.g., primacy agency),
provide contact information, and discuss their ability to provide
assistance.
STEP 4: CREATE an initial draft
using the outline and DSCRP
template. Envision how you will
investigate, respond to, and remediate
a contamination incident. Identify the
major steps, actions, decision points,
communication points, and expected
contributions from response partners.
Customize the provided decision trees
and forms to provide a visual set of
instructions for responders to follow,
and populate the reference tables and
lists to expedite decision making. Fill
in the gaps identified in Step 2 with
new or improved capabilities.

DSCRP TEMPLATE
DSCRP OUTLINE
1.	Introduction
2.	Roles & Responsibilities
3.	Response Procedure
Overview
4.	Investigations Response
Phase
5.	Site Characterization,
Sampling, & Analysis
6.	Operational Responses
7.	Risk Communication
8.	Remediation & Recovery
Phase
9.	Incident Close-Out &
After-Action Report /
improvement Plan
STEP 5: ENGAGE response partners and other stakeholders
to gather feedback on the draft DSCRP and their level of
involvement during a contamination incident. Confirm roles and
responsibilities, discuss responses, determine earliest points
of contact, and ensure that the draft DSCRP matches their
response plans. They should also validate any assumptions the
utility may have about their capacity to assist during an incident.
Partners can be engaged through one-on-one meetings, group
meetings, partner workshops, or discussion-based exercises,
depending on how involved the partner is anticipated to be in an
incident.
STEP 6: COMPLETE the final draft once all partners have
reviewed and provided feedback. If significant alterations are
made to the document, hold additional rounds of discussions
with response partners to review the updates. View Steps 5
and 6 as a series of meetings held to resolve specific issues
and inform revisions to the plan, producing several intermediate
drafts before arriving at a final draft. The completed document
should be submitted to all necessary response partners for final
approval and then approved by utility management and put into
practice.
STEP 7: IMPLEMENT AND MAINTAIN your DSCRP through
training and exercises, using those experiences to improve
the document. Integrate contamination-specific training and
exercises into your routine training program. Include response
partners, when appropriate, to improve coordination and ensure
they stay familiar with the response. Review/revise the DSCRP
based on lessons-learned from any exercises or real events that
occur; as personnel, capabilities, and practices change; and
alongside any update to your utility's ERP.
£EPA

-------
LEARN MORE
Visit the Water Quality Surveillance and Response System Consequence Management
Resources page for more information on responding to a contamination incident at
https://www.epa.aov/waterqualitysurveillance/water-contamination-response-resources.
Download the embedded files and view guidance on building capabilities for each section of the DSCRP.
WHY PREPARE FOR CONTAMINATION?
Contamination can result from many sources nearly anywhere in the
distribution system and can be natural, accidental, or intentional.
Contaminants can enter the distribution system by passing through
treatment, through cross-connections, inflow through leaking pipes,
contamination at water storage facilities, and repair or construction
activities. Regardless of cause, contamination incidents require a
measured, yet appropriate response to fully address the potential
contamination and protect public health while not over-responding,
wasting resources, and causing undue alarm to customers.
HOW IS CONTAMINATION DIFFERENT FROM OTHER
EMERGENCIES?
The response to drinking water contamination usually begins with
only an indication that contamination may have occurred and very
little other information. The incident requires a potentially lengthy
investigation to determine what has happened. Specific response
activities are implemented incrementally, alongside the investigation,
as more information is discovered (e.g., identity of the contaminant,
extent of contamination, impact on customers, etc.).
IS A RESPONSE PROCEDURE DIFFERENT THAN AN ERP?
A response procedure guides response actions and decisions for a
specific type of incident (e.g., flooding, earthquake) and is typically
included as an annex or appendix to a utility's ERP. A DSCRP covers the
specific details for responding to a contamination incident, but does
not repeat information common to all emergencies, such as system-
specific information, alternate water supplies, and safety procedures.
That common information is typically captured in the overarching ERP
DO I NEED AN ERP TO HAVE A DSCRP?
While the DSCRP template was created with the assumption that a
utility already has an ERP, it is not necessary to have an ERP to create
a DSCRP. The general response elements covered in an ERP, such as
alternate water supplies and safety procedures, can be added to a
DSCRP directly.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO CREATE?
The process will require significant discussion and planning both
within the utility and with external response partners, and may occur
over several weeks.
CAN I DEVIATE FROM THE DSCRP TEMPLATE?
Yes. The template is provided as a starting point. It should be
customized to fit the needs of your utility.
WHO SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN
DEVELOPING A DSCRP?
Development should be led by a single
individual or small team, but personnel from
all utility departments should provide input on
their involvement during an incident. Utility
management should be involved to make
high level decisions and provide support for
development and implementation of the
DSCRP. In addition, response partners and
other stakeholders should be included
in the development process to confirm
their involvement and ensure the DSCRP
is consistent with their response plans.
Details on involving response partners and
other stakeholders are discussed in the development process.
ARE RESPONSE PARTNERS REQUIRED?
In general, yes, some response partner involvement will be necessary
to respond to a drinking water contamination incident. However,
the level of response partner support needed will depend on the
capabilities of your utility. Most utilities probably do not have the
resources to develop all necessary response capabilities and, thus,
should work with response partners to fill any gaps. In addition, some
incidents may require actions mandated by regulation (e.g., public
notification) and the utility should work with their primacy and public
health agencies to ensure the DSCRP and the response comply with
any legal requirements.
DO I NEED FORMAL AGREEMENTS WITH RESPONSE
PARTNERS?
While not necessary, formalizing the relationships through an
agreement (e.g., memorandum of understanding, memorandum of
agreement, mutual aid and assistance agreement) explicitly defines
expectations and ensures no misunderstandings arise during or after
an incident occurs.
SHOULD WE PRACTICE A CONTAMINATION RESPONSE?
Training and exercises for a contamination scenario using your DSCRP
allow utility and response partner staff to stay familiar with the
response, allows you to "ground-truth" the processes and update them
to better reflect actual experiences, and bolsters relationships with
response partners established during development of the document.
EPA 817-B-18-006 October 2018

-------