Improving Your Emergency Response Plan - Using the New Wastewater Response Protocol Toolbox to Plan for and Respond to Wastewater Contamination Threats and Incidents

摘要

Wastewater systems are potential targets of malevolent acts including intentional contamination and are vulnerable to accidental contamination. Utilities should develop an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to increase their preparedness and response to a contamination event. Working with a panel of experts, EPA prepared the Wastewater Response Protocol Toolbox (WWRPTB) to assist wastewater utilities, government agencies, and emergency responders to respond to threats and contamination events in wastewater systems. The WWRPTB offers recommendations on emergency response issues such as who to notify, what actions to take, how to conduct a threat evaluation, how to safely collect samples, how to analyze samples, and steps to recover from a contamination event. This document is a preparedness tool and is not intended to be used during an emergency. Rather, the recommendations should be integrated into a utility’s ERP. Use of the Toolbox is voluntary and does not impose legally binding requirements on EPA, states, or utilities.