EPA releases Baseline Information on Malevolent Acts for Community Water Systems
As part of our efforts to assist water systems comply with AWIA, EPA has posted more information on the web, including the “Baseline Information on Malevolent Acts for Community Water Systems”. By using this document, systems can identify and take steps to reduce the risk that a specific system will experience if one of these threats occurs or deter a threat from occuring. By assessing threats, systems across the country can identify, prepare for and manage any risks they may have by adopting an “all-hazards” approach that:
- Identifies, deters, detects, and prepares for these threats.
- Reduces vulnerabilities of critical assets.
- Mitigates the potential consequences of incidents that do occur.
The information included in this document is not a threat analysis for a specific system and it should not be used as such. The values are intended to serve as a starting point for systems to consider when they are estimating the threat likelihood of malevolent acts as part of a risk and resilience assessment. When conducting site-specific assessments, systems may determine that lower or higher threat likelihood values are appropriate. The process systems will go through to identify their specific threats will take into account their unique situations, which cannot be reflected in the baseline numbers. It is also important to note that threat likelihood is not an assessment of the risk that malevolent acts may have on public health. While the resources provided in this document are already publicly available, this is the first time EPA, or any other federal agency, has compiled this important information for systems across the country. To review the document, please visit: www.epa.gov/waterriskassessment/baseline-information-malevolent-acts-community-water-systems
For more information on the new requirements of AWIA regarding risk assessments or and emergency response plans, as well as the certification process, please visit: www.epa.gov/waterresilience/americas-water-infrastructure-act-2018-risk-assessments-and-emergency-response-plans.
Patti Kay Wisniewski
Drinking Water Preparedness and Resiliency Coordinator
US EPA Region 3
Drinking Water Section (3WD21)
Water Division
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1650 Arch Street
Phila, PA 19103
215-814-5668
Cell: 215-514-7893
Email: [email protected]
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