On August 1, EPA released resources required by America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) to help utilities comply with risk assessment and emergency response plan mandates.
Under AWIA, drinking water systems must complete risk and resilience assessments (RRAs) and emergency response plans (ERPs) every five years. To demonstrate compliance with AWIA, utilities must certify to EPA that their RRAs and ERPs have been completed.
The resources released today by EPA are:
Baseline Information on Malevolent Acts for Community Water Systems. This document provides baseline information on threat categories and the likelihood of malevolent acts that are relevant to water systems.
Updated Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool (VSAT 2.0). The tool has been updated to reflect the requirements of AWIA. Use of this tool to produce an RRA is not required.
Emergency Response Plan Template and Instructions. This updated emergency response plan guidance provides a template and instructions for water systems to develop or revise an emergency response plan and includes information on threats and hazards that could be addressed in a utility's RRA. Use of this tool to produce an ERP is not required.
Certification Process. Submit your RRA and ERP certifications using EPA’s online portal. Learn about alternative means, too.
These resources and other important AWIA information can be found on EPA’s AWIA landing page.
Also, WaterISAC has created a page on its website with links to AWIA and additional resources from EPA and other organizations. Visit www.waterisac.org/awia for background information and links.