Water and wastewater utilities must be prepared for any type of emergency. Public health must be protected and service must be maintained or quickly restored.

Manual M19 presents techniques for developing contingency plans for a variety of emergencies from natural disasters to human-caused crises. The manual explains how to develop an emergency preparedness plan, how to identify vulnerabilities in your water system, and how to determine how a disruption would likely impact service.

The manual includes a separate, 20-page booklet “Security Analysis & Response for Water Utilities,” which provides guidance in hazard assessment, vulnerability assessment, mitigation, development of a response plan, and crisis communications for a utility security breach.