All community water systems, regardless of size are required to develop and maintain an Emergency Operations Plan which details physical and technical aspects of water systems operation, such as maintaining proper water pressure, collapse of a major structure or loss of mechanical components like pumps or valves. The emergency operations plan should also address public notice and alternate water supplies. This is the starting point for developing an emergency response plan.

Community water systems that serve more than 3,300 people also need to complete an Emergency Response Plan. This would require completing a vulnerabilty assessment to identify areas and processes within a water system that could be vulnerable to attack, sabotage or disruption. This plan should contain all of the information required in an emergency operations plan but provide greater detail regarding the potential problems the water system may face. The emergency response plan includes information about other agencies that must be notified including, law enforcement, public health officials, and firefighters.

Vulnerability assessments are voluntary for systems serving 3,300 or less people. However, ADEQ encourages all water systems to review their vulnerabilities.

Operation and Maintenance Manual (O&M)

The Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Manual is a good baseline tool that gives facility operator(s) and manager(s) instructions, log sheet samples, and technical information for efficient and safe operation of a facility during normal operations or during an unplanned/emergency situation. An O&M Manual may also be used by emergency responders for reference regarding such items as chemical storage and fire flow capabilities. O&M manual/template and instructions | Download Zip folder >