Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts Assesses Climate Vulnerability

epa.gov/arc-x/manchester-sea-massachusetts-assesses-climate-vulnerability

Manchester-by-the-Sea is a small community on Manchester Harbor north of Boston. As the community is only 10 feet above
sea-level, the town recognizes its wastewater treatment facility is at risk from sea level rise. To move beyond risk identification
the facility's operators needed to determine the magnitude of its vulnerability to the changing climate. A vulnerability
assessment can be an in-depth and daunting task for any size community. However, EPA's Climate Resilience Evaluation and
Awareness Tool (CREAT) enabled Manchester-by-the-Sea to assess its region's projected climate risks and its facility's
vulnerability to inundation from sea level rise. Using CREAT, the facility was able to evaluate potential climate-related impacts
such as projected impacts to source water, receiving waters, and other environmental concerns of its stakeholders. CREAT
also facilitated the utility's consideration of potential adaptation strategies for reinforcing the facility in anticipation of projected
sea level rise. Recognizing sea level rise and increased precipitation threatens more than just the facility itself, the town
applied for and was awarded a Coastal Zone Management Grant. This grant, awarded in December 2014, is helping the town
assess climate risk and vulnerability to stormwater management in the city. Together, these vulnerability assessments will help
the city select and implement adaptation actions to where they are most needed.

• EPA's Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT)

How did they do it?

Applicable EPA Tools

Manchester-by-the-Sea Identified a Need to Better Understand
Climate Vulnerability

• Officials recognized the climate threat to coastal infrastructure
and the need to assess vulnerability to sea-level rise, as well as
various other climate impacts.

The EPA Coastal Inundation Toolkit can assist
utilities in better understanding facility
vulnerability by illustrating a range of potential
sea level rise and storm surge scenarios.

EPA Coastal Inundation Toolkit

Manchester-by-the-Sea Conducted a Vulnerability Assessment to
Better Understand Risk from Sea-Level Rise

• Manchester-by-the-Sea worked with the USEPA to conduct a
vulnerability assessment by using the Climate Resilience
Evaluation & Awareness Tool (see below) to determine sea level
rise vulnerability and identify potential adaptation strategies.

The Climate Resilience Evaluation and
Awareness Tool (CREAT) helps utilities conduct
a vulnerability assessment to better understand
climate risk.

Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness
Tool (CREAT)

° Climate Resilience Evaluation & Awareness Tool

Utility officials selected the headworks building as a priority for
identifying vulnerability and potential adaptation options. The
headworks building was selected due to the critical nature of the
facility and its location within the 100 and 500 year floodplain.

1/2


-------
Identified Further Vulnerability Assessment Needs, Particularly for EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities Adaptation

whether the town's culvert and bridge crossings within the
Sawmill Brook Watershed will be able to accommodate future
precipitation and sea level rise conditions.

Similar Cases and More Information

Manchester-By-the-Sea is still developing an adaptation plan based on upon their vulnerability assessment. For an example of
a Northeastern community that completed a vulnerability assessment and then actively implemented adaptation strategies
view the Camden, NJ case. For examples of large scale utility adaptation strategies including facility redesign, retreat, or
reinforcement, view the Deer Island, Iowa City, and Blue Plains examples respectively. To see how a larger water utility has
adapted, and continues to re-assess vulnerability under the best available science, view the Deer Island case.

Stormwater Management

Strategies Guide can assist utilities identify in
identifying potential next steps to adapt to
expected climate vulnerabilities.

•	NOAA awarded the city a Coastal Zone Management (CZM)
Resilience Grant in December 2014 to evaluate stormwater
management capacity under future conditions.

•	This study will utilize climate projection scenarios to determine

Climate Ready Water Utilities Adaptation
Strategies Guide

2/2


-------