Risk and Resilience Assessments

On October 21, 2018, America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) was signed into law. Section 2013 requires community water systems serving more than 3,300 people to develop or update risk and resilience assessments and emergency response plans. 

A risk and resilience assessment evaluates the threats to your water utility that could inhibit your ability to provide safe and reliable drinking water or prompt significant public health or economic concerns to those served by your system. A well-developed, thorough risk and resilience assessment then serves as a guide to prioritize upgrades, operating procedures, and policy changes necessary to mitigate potential risks posed to your system. 

Based on the findings of your risk and resilience assessment, your emergency response plan details the strategies you’ll employ and resources you’ll leverage to improve the security of your water system and prepare for and respond to an incident. 

Upon completion of a risk and resilience assessment, utilities must certify to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that they were completed. Every five years, you are required to certify to the EPA that you have reviewed your assessment and made any needed changes or revisions. 

POPULATION SERVED: More than 3,300 but less than 50,000 

Risk Assessment: June 30, 2021

Emergency Response Plan: December 31, 2021

Step 1: Complete risk and resilience assessment (June 30, 2021)

Step 2: Submit certification of assessment and completion to the EPA

Step 3: Develop or update your emergency response plan

Step 4: Submit certification of ERP completion to the EPA

What does a risk and resilience assessment entail?

1. Asset Characterization: Determine which assets are critical to your water system
2. Threat Characterization: Consider hazards that threaten your critical assets
3. Consequence Analysis: Identify the worst possible outcomes that specific threats on your assets could cause
4. Vulnerability Analysis: Analyze the ability of each asset and its protective systems to withstand each threat posed
5. Threat Likelihood Analysis: eliminate the likelihood of threats to critical assets
6. Risk/Resilience Analysis: Estimate your water system’s risk and resilience relative to each threat/asset
7. Risk/Resilience Management: Determine if actions are needed to reduce risks identified to your critical assets.

If your community is in need of a Risk and Resilience Assessment and Certification, contact us today!