EPA is disseminating a new guide to advise drinking water and wastewater utilities on improving their resilience from power outages. The 39-page Power Resilience Guide is accompanied by an instructional video, both available online. According to the guide, there are seven areas where water utilities can increase their power resilience:
-
Communication. Establish connections with electric providers, local agencies, and the public to help your utility respond more quickly and efficiently to a power loss.
-
Power Assessments. Learn how to conduct a power assessment to understand the energy needs of your essential infrastructure.
-
Generators. Learn how to select and maintain a generator for your utility.
-
Fuel. Develop plans to ensure you have enough fuel for your generator during a power outage emergency.
-
Energy Efficiency. Increase your energy efficiency to allow you to operate on back-up power longer during emergencies and reduce your electricity bills.
-
On-site Power. Consider options for generating your own power.
-
Funding. Learn about possible funding sources for resilience measures.
The guide elaborates on each of these areas provides, suggests steps to take and provides links to other resources.