Safeguarding Vital Wastewater Infrastructure: A Strategic Climate Risk and Triple Bottom Line Adaptation Framework

Hurricane Sandy threw into light the risks of storm surge on coastal infrastructure. Immediate damages to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) wastewater infrastructure are estimated at over $100 million.With projected increases in sea levels and the frequency of extreme flood events due to climate change, DEP developed a risk assessment framework to better understand flood risk at all NYC plants and pumping stations. This analysis evaluated vulnerabilities and the impacts of failure. Protective measures were recommended based on costs, risk avoided, and ease of implementation.The framework developed served as a successful risk management tool which can be used in other coastal cities for similar purposes. In NYC, the analysis identified facility-specific flood risks at all 14 wastewater treatment plants and 60 percent of pumping stations, identified at-risk equipment valued at more than $1 billion, and demonstrated the monetary value of proactive adaptation.