Resiliency and the Need for
Re-Thinking our Water
Infrastructure
Andrew Bielanski
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
June 25, 2015
Presentation Goals & Focus
• Define What is Meant by “Resiliency”
• Explain EPA’s Role & History in Supporting Water Infrastructure Resiliency
• Describe How to Increase Water Infrastructure Resiliency
• Explain Funding of Water Infrastructure Resiliency Projects via the State
Revolving Funds (SRFs)
What is Meant by “Resiliency”?
• Merriam Webster Dictionary Definition – “An ability to recover from or adjust easily to
misfortune or change.”
• Improving resiliency occurs through (older, established efforts focusing on “misfortune”):
a)
Identifying Threats
b)
Considering Vulnerabilities and Their Consequences – Evaluating Risk of Failure
c)
Evaluating & Implementing Measures to Either Reduce Chance of Failure (Making More Resilient) or
Respond Properly Should a Failure Occur
• Expand scope of resiliency to include long-term threats and vulnerabilities (newer efforts
focusing on “change”). For example, improving resiliency by promoting water conservation and
water source sustainability.
EPA’s Role & History in Supporting
Water Infrastructure Resiliency
• Does anyone remember the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 and what it required?
• Does anyone remember the Homeland Security Presidential Directives, and EPA being
named the Sector-Specific Agency for the Water Sector (EPA created a Water Security
Division)?
• All the above came into being following the events of September 11, 2001.
• Scope of resiliency has evolved to include other potential threats such as natural
disasters, and also to include long-term threats.
• Are people aware of EPA’s new Water Infrastructure & Resiliency Finance Center?
Bioterrorism Act of 2002
• Required all drinking water systems serving populations of 3,300 or more to
complete and submit Vulnerability Assessments to EPA.
• Required the same systems to develop Emergency Response Plans based on
Vulnerability Assessments.
• No similar law impacting wastewater treatment plants.
• Inventory of all assets from vulnerability assessments could also be used to
develop asset management plans.
Homeland Security Presidential
Directives (HSPDs)
• HSPD-7 Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection
(names EPA the Sector-Specific Agency for the Water Sector)
• HSPD-8 National Preparedness
• HSPD-9 Defense of the United States Agriculture and Food (includes water!)
• HSPD-10 Biodefense for the 21st Century
• All of the above HSPDs can be found at http://fas.org/irp/offdocs/nspd/
Water Infrastructure & Resiliency
Finance Center
Focus Areas Include:
• Financing Resilient Water Infrastructure – Integration of water efficiency, energy
efficiency, green infrastructure and water reuse in water system.
• Financing Stormwater & Green Infrastructure Programs – Support communities in
development of sustainable funding for stormwater programs and green infrastructure
projects.
• Financial Capacity Building for Small & Medium Communities – Build upon existing
collaboration with other partners to build their financial capabilities and resiliency.
• Website: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/waterfinancecenter.cfm
How to Increase Water Infrastructure
Resiliency
• Engage in planning efforts that identify and analyze threats, vulnerabilities, and their consequences. These planning
efforts could include:
a)
Vulnerability Assessments
b)
Emergency Response/Recovery Plans
• Implement projects that aim to maintain the integrity of water infrastructure by reducing chances of failure. For example:
a)
Physical hardening of equipment and structures.
b)
Utilizing green infrastructure to reduce flooding and system failures as a result of flooding.
• Implement projects that aim to prevent disruption of operation. For example:
a)
Installation of back-up power generators.
b)
Mutual aid agreements with other systems/utilities for equipment, parts, and assistance.
• Engage in planning efforts and projects that target long-term threats and vulnerabilities. For example:
a)
Asset Management
b)
Energy Conservation
c)
Water Conservation
Example of a Need to Improve Resiliency –
Columbus, Indiana Wastewater Treatment
Plant (May 2008)
Pictures of Flooded Columbus, Indiana Old
Wastewater Treatment Plant (May 2008)
Solution to Columbus, Indiana
Resiliency Problem
• New $56 million wastewater treatment plant in a less flood-prone location.
• Included water efficiency, energy efficiency, and green infrastructure elements.
• Received SRF funding to help finance project.
• Received EPA SRF Award for design and incorporation of green elements.
• Old wastewater treatment plant abandoned and demolished.
Resiliency Planning Tools & Contacts
Resiliency Tools & Contacts (older, established efforts):
o EPA’s Water Security website has many useful tools & can be found at
http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/
 Climate Resilience Evaluation & Awareness Tool (CREAT)
 Community Based Water Resiliency Tool
 Factsheet on back-up power generators
 Ten new “rip & run” water sector incident action checklists for natural disasters
 And more!
o WisWARN – Wisconsin’s water infrastructure emergency response network can be found at
http://www.wiswarn.org/
o EPA’s Flood Recovery & Resilience Tool – Smart Growth perspective to flood resilience
involving a Vermont case study can be found at
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/sgia_communities.htm#rec1 (scroll all the way down)
Resiliency Planning Tools & Contacts
Resiliency Tools & Contacts (newer):
o Various Asset Management Tools can be found at EPA’s Asset Management
Resources website at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/am_resources.cfm
 EPA’s “Asset Management: A Best Practices Guide”
 EPA’s Check Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS) software
 New Mexico Environmental Finance Center’s “Asset Management Guide”
 Virginia Tech’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Asset Management Online Non-degree
Program
 And more!
o For long-term resiliency, focus on long-term sustainability – see EPA’s Water
Infrastructure Sustainability website at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/
o Water Infrastructure & Resiliency Finance Center
Funding of Water Infrastructure
Resiliency Projects via the SRFs
• Two Types: Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
• When created:
o CWSRF established in the 1987 Clean Water Act Amendments.
o DWSRF established in the 1996 Safe Drinking Act Amendments.
• All 50 States and Puerto Rico have both a CWSRF and DWSRF program.
• Both CWSRF and DWSRF are directed to have fund balances available to perpetuity,
and are held in “trust” (that is, cannot be used for non-specified projects and purposes).
Federal SRF Tools & Contacts
oFactsheets & Eligibility Guidance – Posted on SRF websites
& describe what can be funded under the SRF programs.
CWSRF at http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/cwsrf/cwsrf_index.cfm
DWSRF at http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/dwsrf/
oFinancing Alternative Comparison Tool (FACT)
http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/cwsrf/fact.cfm
oGreen Project Reserve website at
http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/cwsrf/Green-Project-Reserve.cfm
Examples of Issued SRF Resiliency Guidance
Use of the CWSRF to Implement Security
Measures at Publicly-Owned Wastewater
Treatment Works (2003)
Using the DWSRF to Implement Security
Measures at Public Water Systems (2001)
A Few Parting Words…
• The scope or spectrum of water infrastructure resiliency has expanded!
• Avoid preaching to the choir! Reach out to the general public since they
need to understand why water infrastructure resiliency is important and the
need to invest in it!
• Remember! Good planning & better design – More resilient projects –
SRF funded!
My Contact Information
• Andy Bielanski, Environmental Engineer, EPA Region 5
• Phone: (312) 886-0208
• Fax: (312) 582-5837
• E-mail: [email protected]