SEPA Drinking Water Security
New England and Emergency Preparedness
Security and emergency response planning have always been an
important part of managing a drinking water system. Recent events have made
homeland security a national priority.
EPA and State Drinking Water Programs urge water suppliers to make time NOWto
examine their own operations and identify needed improvements in security and
emergency preparedness.
Here are the "top 10" things that you can do to protect your water system from
contamination and other harm.
TOP TEN LIST
for Small Ground Water Suppliers I
no J Prepare (or update) an emergency response plan.
Make sure all employees help to create it and receive
training on the plan;
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POSt updated emergency 24-hour numbers at
your facilities in highly visible areas (pumphouse
door, vehicles, office) and give them to key
personnel and local response officials;
Get to know your local police and ask them to
add your facilities to their routine rounds. Practice
emergency response procedures with local
police, emergency response and public health
officials;
Fence and lock your drinking water
facilities and vulnerable areas (e.g. wellhead,
hydrants, manholes, pumphouse, and storage
tanks);
Lock all entry gates and doors and set alarms
to indicate illegal entry. Do not leave keys in
equipment or vehicles at any time;
Install good lighting around your pumphouse,
treatment facility and parking lot;
Identify existing and alternate water supplies
and maximize use of backflow prevention devices
and interconnections;
Use your Source Water Assessment information
to work with any businesses and homeowners
that are listed as potential sources of contami-
nation and lessen their threat to your source;
Lock monitoring wells to prevent vandals or
terrorists from pouring contaminants directly into
ground water near your source. Prevent pouring or
siphoning contaminants through vent pipes by
moving them inside the pumphouse or treatment
plant. If that isn't possible, fence or screen them;
and
In case of an emergency, first can gi 1
then follow your emergency response plan.
For Further Information
about Security and Emergency
Preparedness (non-emergency):
EPA New England Office
Kevin Reilly
reilly.kevin@epa.gov
(617) 918-1694
Connecticut Department of
Public Health
Dr. Gerald Iwan
gerald.iwan@po.state.ct. us
(860) 509-7333
Maine Department of
Human Services
Andy Tolman
Andrews.L.Tolman@state.me.us
(207) 287-6196
Massachusetts Department
of Environmental Protection
Paul Niman
paul.niman@state.ma.us
(617) 556-1166
New Hampshire Department
of Environmental Services
David Reid
dreid@des.state.nh.us
(603) 271-3431
Rhode Island Department
of Health
June Swallow
JuneS@doh.state.ri.us
(401) 222-6867
Vermont Department of
Environmental Conservation
Elizabeth Hunt
elizh@dec.anr.state.vt.us
(802) 241-3409
visit our web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/ne/
eco/drinkwater/
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