Preparing for a Drinking Water Emergency. Rebecca Geisen Project Manager Regional Water Providers Consortium

Transcription

1 Preparing for a Drinking Water Emergency Rebecca Geisen Project Manager Regional Water Providers Consortium

2 Regional Water Providers Consortium Made up of 22 water providers and Metro Provides approximately 95% of the drinking water in the Portland Metro region Working together since 1992 to ensure region has long-term, reliable, efficient and safe water supply Implements conservation programs, coordinates emergency preparedness and provides forum for regional water supply planning discussions and tools

3 Map of Regional Water Providers Joint Water Commission Tualatin/Trask Portland Water Bureau Bull Run Clackamas System Willamette River Source

4 Regional Water Sources Bull Run Clackamas River (4 Intakes) Trask/Tualatin system (Hagg Lake, Barney Reservoir, and Tualatin River) Willamette River Individual groundwater systems

5 Where does your water come from?

6 Water System Vulnerabilities Major Earthquake Power Outage Vandalism or Terrorism Volcanic Ash Fire Contamination Severe Weather (floods, ice, landslides, turbidity) Drought

7 How will water supplies be affected? Disruption to transmission and/or distribution system, reservoirs, pump stations Water quality Accessibility (power outages)

8 Water Providers Obligation Safe Drinking Water Act amended in 2002 (by Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act) to require water providers (serving over 3,300) to complete vulnerability assessments including recovery and remediation Oregon Health Authority must maintain Emergency Operations Plan must include plan for emergency water sources, supplies and alternative distribution

9 Water Provider Tools for Emergency Water Supplies Equipment Mutual Aid Agreements Interconnections Citizen Preparedness

10 Emergency Water Distribution What is it? System (EWDS) A compact and portable manifold system designed to dispense potable water into 6-quart food grade bags

11 This image cannot currently be displayed. Emergency Water Distribution Self-contained in a trailer with generators, safety equipment, tables, chairs, lights, etc. System (EWDS)

12 Emergency Water Distribution Systems Metro region has 8 systems: Eight systems operating simultaneously can provide 69,000 bags of water during a 12-hour shift (18 gallons or 12 bags/minute/ewds) We have 240,000 bags in the region Designed to hook up to fire hydrants, tanker trucks and portable blivets

13 How system works Utilizes manifold system with six quick releasing hoses that fill six-quart bags Bags have puncture seal to maintain sanitary delivery of water

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15 Water is fed into system through flexible pipe connected to hydrant, water truck, or water blivet

16 Water passes through a pump which regulates water pressure to the manifold system Generator needed if low pressure in distribution system or using blivet

17 Distribution to Public

18 Systems in Region Clackamas River Water (RWPC) City of Gresham Joint Water Commission/Hillsboro Portland Water Bureau (2 UASI) City of St. Helens (UASI) TVWD (2- One UASI) Beaverton (in process)

19 System Locations

20 Activation and Deployment Activation Requests made directly to EWDS holder Requests honored at holder s discretion (based on available resources) Mutual aid agreements should already be in place e.g. ORWARN If regional event, EWDS will become a regional resource and requests made via County or regional Emergency Operations Center

21 Activation and Deployment Deployment and Set-up Pre-identify large site Proximity to population served Paved Isolated from disaster Co-locate Safety Easy access

22 Small Portable Water Treatment System Multiple treatment types available Less than 80 lbs Silver infused ceramic filters or UV 1-3 gallons per minute Can run on solar power Less than $2500

23 DayOne Waterbag Personal water treatment system Holds/treats 2.5 gallons of water Uses PUR chemical packet coagulates and treats water Acts as portable storage unit Used for global disaster relief

24 Regional Interconnections Study Study of all the water provider interconnections Geodatabase of all water system data (geographic and key system information) GIS based Analysis of regional supply opportunities Helps identify and strengthen emergency supply opportunities

25 Portable Interconnections Region will have three portable hose reel systems Can be used as temporary interconnection between systems (e.g. hydrant to hydrant) Can be used to bypass broken water main

26 Funding Most of the equipment and studies mentioned were funded by Department of Homeland Security Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grants

27 Mutual Aid The Oregon Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (ORWARN) is made up of members providing voluntary assistance to each other during an emergency ORWARN facilitates rapid, short-term deployment of emergency services, in the form of personnel, equipment and materials, that are required to restore critical operations to utilities that have sustained damages from natural or man-made events

28 Conclusion Regional equipment drop in the bucket in regards to meeting need after an event Part of the tool box Preaching to the choir Everyone needs to be prepared!

29 Contact Information Rebecca Geisen Project Manager Regional Water Providers Consortium