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e� g FREESE AND NICHOLS: HELPING YOU PROTECT YOUR WATER SUPPLY Innovative approaches . . tl NW@ practical results RECENT EXPERIENCE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS AND EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLANS 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. //// ... Following the events of September 11, 2001, the EPA received supplemental appropriations to improve the 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 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 large water systems to complete the VA by December 31, 2002. When funding became available, FNI notified the Cities of 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. 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 the RAM -W methodology, FNI determined risk by evaluating the system's effectiveness against an adversary. Performing this risk analysis for the water system yielded a list that was rank - ordered by the relative level of risk. This allows the utility system to reduce the highest risks first and focus limited resources in those areas. FNI provided not only 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 utility Emergency Operations Plan included procedures to not only respond to various levels of terrorist threat in response to the National Homeland Security Advisory System Threat 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. CITY OF ABILENE Jtwr� L. :nl GAMD IRVING Gn, of PW' III U- ��' 0 Pogcssivc 11,j"' Vulnerability Assessment and Emergency Response Plan 50Q NRH Pua-14-k (40.o 11t,t�m°� page 10