Standard Guide for Mitigation of Wildfire Impact to Source Water Protection Areas and Risk to Water Utilities

Importancia y uso:

4.1 This guide addresses issues related solely to strategies and the development of a plan to address wildfire-related physical and chemical changes to water resources in Source Water Protection Areas. This guide does not include specific advice on risk assessment. Mitigation strategies and planning may consist of a wide variety of actions by individuals, communities, or organizations to prepare for the impacts of wildfires on water quality and quantity in Source Water Protection Areas (see Guide E3136).

4.2 Source water protection activities not only help the utility identify risk, but they are also necessary to educate regulatory agencies, permitting authorities, and the community about the impacts that their actions can have on source water quality or quantity of the drinking water.

4.3 Example Users: 

4.3.1 Federal, tribal, state, or municipal facility staff and regulators, including departments of health, water, sewer, and fire;

4.3.2 Financial and insurance institutions;

4.3.3 Federal, tribal, state, or local land managers;

4.3.4 Public works staff, including water systems, groundwater supplies, surface water supplies, stormwater systems, wastewater systems, publicly owned treatment works, and agriculture water management agencies;

4.3.5 Consultants, auditors, state, municipal and private inspectors, and compliance assistance personnel;

4.3.6 Educational facilities such as experimental forests and nature preserves;

4.3.7 Non-regulatory government agencies, such as the military;

4.3.8 Wildlife management entities including government, tribal, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs);

4.3.9 Cities, towns, and counties, especially in developing climate vulnerability strategies and plans;

4.3.10 Commercial and residential real estate property developers, including redevelopers;

4.3.11 Non-profits, community groups, and land owners.

4.4 Coordination and cooperation must fit into the process for improving community preparedness.

4.4.1 Preparedness is based first on the community developing a broad awareness and understanding of the risks that are present locally. Next comes a community-wide evaluation of which community members or assets are most vulnerable to risks, the mechanisms or pathways of risks, and the existing capabilities to address those risks should a wildfire occur (see Guide E3241). The capabilities being evaluated include more than the ability of the first responders or wildland firefighters to take actions. It includes the capabilities of all community members to take appropriate actions.

4.4.2 All communities have capability gaps when evaluated against the risks present in the community. Strategic planning aims to fill those capability gaps with prioritization for efforts developed by the community members. Again, improved preparedness is the goal, not simply focusing on response capacity. A wildfire preparedness plan is a good first step.

4.4.3 Filling capability gaps requires the use of all the regulatory and social tools available to the community and its partners. All community members have a stake in accident prevention, consequence reduction, and improved collective ability to communicate and respond. Improvements are made through increased awareness, education, training, cooperative programs, and practice. Addressing the identified capability gaps can include a broad range of options such as accident prevention to creation of expectations for the actions of community members to be able to shelter, evacuate, and provide aid to others. Stakeholder engagement is critical to successfully closing capability gaps. This could include forest management, clearing fuel from around structures, and upgrading water filtration systems.

4.4.4 Accomplishing these tasks is a community-level activity. While it might be led by an emergency manager or local emergency planning committee, the key to successful preparedness planning is broad coordination and cooperation involving all community members (see Guide E3241).

Subcomité:

E50.05

Referida por:

E3032-22

Volúmen:

11.06

Número ICS:

13.060.01 (Water quality in general), 13.220.01 (Protection against fire in general)

Palabras clave:

forest management; post-wildfire mitigation; water; water treatment; wildfire; wildland fire;