AARC Environmental

Apart from the lasting issues caused by direct effects of wildfire damage, power utilities have implemented a relatively new emergency response measure to mitigate the risk of worsening fires: power shut-offs. These power shut-offs, though necessary to “prevent high winds from sparking fires from downed utility lines and poles,” cause major issues for both private citizens and water utilities. As the frequency and intensity of wildfires increases in California, public utilities will have to converge their emergency response plans so as not to completely disable any one system. The utilities that suffered from the effects of Woosley Fire and Camp Fire of 2018 recommend to agencies across California that they prepare for the worst, perform tabletop exercises, practice filing a FEMA claim, and invest in backup power.

At the Georgia Rural Water Association’s fall 2019 conference in Helen, Georgia, Dr.  Scott  Thomas of AARC Consultants, LLC gave a brief but informative overview of the AWIA 2018 requirements for water utilities. The America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) was passed in October 2018 by Congress and is an EPA requirement for all drinking water systems that serve more than 3,300 people. The requirement involves completing a Risk and Resilience Assessment (RRA) first, followed by an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) six months later, and then certifying completion to the EPA. Our team of environmental, civil, and chemical engineers; hydrologists and hydrogeologists; cybersecurity specialists; physical security professionals; climate scientists; emergency response planners, and business continuity professionals comprise an experienced, capable team to perform the RRA and ERP for your water utility.

Rosalba Moralez estimated that her family spent about $150 a month on bottled water in addition to the family’s $67 monthly payment to the water district in Willowbrook, Calif. Rosalba Moralez estimated that her family spent about $150 a month on bottled water in addition to the family’s $67 monthly payment to the water district in Willowbrook, Calif. know how bad the problems were,” said Russ Bryden, an engineer with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, who took over day-to-day management of Sativa as an emergency administrator last fall. Sativa’s former general manager, Thomas Martin, told The Los Angeles Times in September that he did not support the state’s ultimate decision to take over the troubled water district:

The 2017 energy-related emissions fell 0.9 percent… compared with a year earlier, and were 14 percent below 2005 levels. State and federal regulations and an increased use of natural gas (which emits less carbon dioxide than coal burning) have contributed to this recent dip in overall energy-related emissions. Although the Clean  Air Act regulations are still in place, and the CAA has improved overall air quality in many regions since it was enacted in 1970, smog conditions in multiple cities in the United States have worsened between 2014 and 2016. Though Trump seemed to want to distinguish air quality and climate change issues in his statements, anthropogenic climate change and increased overall average temperatures can worsen air quality, especially in cities.