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An Evolving Culture of Security and Preparedness in the Water Sector
Author(s) -
Morley Kevin M.,
Moyer Jack
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.2009.tb09819.x
Subject(s) - homeland security , preparedness , agency (philosophy) , water security , critical infrastructure , business , private sector , general partnership , environmental planning , national security , risk management , environmental resource management , computer security , water resources , computer science , environmental science , political science , finance , terrorism , ecology , philosophy , epistemology , law , biology
This article presents the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and other recent natural disasters as testimony that the United States needs to invest in response, recovery, and resiliency in order to reach a balance between traditional security and preparedness. The ultimate goal is to establish an all‐hazards approach to risk management that is integrated into the culture of an organization. The article provides examples of successful implementation of the goals and objectives of the Water Sector Specific Plan (Water SSP; DHS, 2006) which is based on the all‐hazards risk management framework established in the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP; DHS & USEPA, 2007). The article describes how the water sector has demonstrated leadership by being the first to establish metrics for assessing security and preparedness relative to the goals and objectives outlined in the Water SSP. The article discusses the following topics: the intrastate mutual aid and assistance initiative called WARN (Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network); the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) that provides a system for public‐private collaboration on critical homeland security issues; the partnership between AWWA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA's) National Homeland Security Research Center to investigate advances in hydraulic modeling; AWWA's Guide to Evaluating and Selecting Disinfection in a Security‐Conscious Environment that evaluates the attributes of each disinfection method (effectiveness, water quality, reliability, safety, security) and provides tools to help utilities select the method that best suits a system's operating conditions, site constraints, and other unique circumstances; and, AWWA business continuity planning seminars, along with the efforts of the AWWA Standards Council to prepare standards on security operations and management, and emergency preparedness.