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RECENT EXPERI ENCE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLANS FREESE AND NICHOLS: HELPING YOC! PROTECT YOUR WATER SUPPLY Innovative approaches . . nommis crNS* w Ntehou practical results Prepared for the Brown County Water Improvement District #1, the Cities of Abilene, Beaumont, Carrollton, Denton, Corpus Christi, Garland, Irving, Midlothian, North Richland Hills, Plano, San Angelo and Temple. ////wl~~ Following the events of September 11, 2001, the EPA CITY OF ~ received supplemental appropriations to improve the ABILENE safety and security of the nation's water supply. The supplemental appropriation was intended to reduce the ~ vulnerability of water systems to terrorist attacks and to enhance their security and ability to respond to ~ z. emergency situations. In support of that goal, the EPA provided grant funds to large water systems that serve 100,000 or more people. The grant program funds could be used for development of a VA, development of an ERP, and planning and design of security enhancements. The grant program required CARRCXLTOr, large water systems to complete the VA by December 31, 2002. When funding became available, FNI notified the Cities of d~ Abilene, Beaumont, Carrollton, Garland and Plano and prepared the grant applications. Each grant was submitted to the EPA and - approved for the full award amount of $115,000. ~ FNI prepared a VA and a new ERP for each client. The VAs were completed within three months and certification of completion submitted to the EPA by the EPA-mandated deadline of December 31, 2003. Gt"D One of the challenges of assessing vulnerabilities of a large utility system is the geographic extent, i.e. multiple facilities such as ~ ~ reservoirs, intakes, treatment plants, pump stations, storage facilities and miles of transmission and distribution lines. Using I Itv► N C, the RAM-W methodology, FNI determined risk by evaluating the system's effectiveness against an adversary. Performing this risk _,Cty w ltitI6 analysis for the water system yielded a list that was rank-ordered a~ '~dlo by the relative level of risk. 41 P,08mi,e twn' This allows the utility system to reduce the highest risks first and focus limited resources in those areas. FNI provided not only NRH recommendations for physical improvements but also operational and procedural changes. Construction cost estimates and a phased implementation plan was provided for planning purposes. /The water utiliry Emergency Operations Plan included procedures 1-10-11 to not only respond to various levels of terrorist threat in response to the National Homeland Security Advisory System Threat ow Conditions, but also specific incident response plans. The plan will be used as a stand-alone document for water utility department training and "meshes" with the water system's citywide emergency response plan. uu~ 6.11.6nige g.~ ~ Vulnerability Assessment and Emergency Response Plan SOQ page 10