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Your Utility Can Survive an Earthquake With Disaster Preparedness
Author(s) -
Sherman David
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
opflow
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1551-8701
pISSN - 0149-8029
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8701.2001.tb02309.x
Subject(s) - preparedness , reliability (semiconductor) , emergency management , forensic engineering , disaster preparedness , environmental science , engineering , political science , power (physics) , physics , law , quantum mechanics
This article describes how Tacoma, Washington, had an opportunity to test the effectiveness of investments it made in preparing their water system for disasters, particularly earthquakes. Tacoma Water suffered only minimal damage from the February 28, 2001 earthquake and no damage on anything that had been retrofitted. The article describes basic improvements it made in two areas: upgrading facilities that could cause human injury or death if they failed; and, improving the utility's ability to continue to supply water immediately following an earthquake. Eight simple steps that Tacoma Water took to improve reliability of the system following an earthquake are listed.