AFTER THE DISASTER: THE FIRST THINGS THAT WASTEWATER SYSTEM MANAGERS SHOULD DO AFTER DISASTERS (AND WHAT THEY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY DONE TO PREPARE)

Hurricane Katrina in 2005 served as a wake-up call for many agencies, including local wastewater systems. That event provided some new lessons in utility disaster preparedness, but primarily provided reminders of previously-known lessons. That event and others have dramatized the potential impact of natural and man-made disasters on utility infrastructure. Wastewater systems have proven to be very vulnerable, with significant service and environmental consequences when they fail. Although many improvements have been made since 2001, most wastewater systems can still further improve their preparedness for disaster response.