Owasa Water Emergency When You Suddenly Become Breaking News

This paper will share many important lessons learned by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority (OWASA) as a result of a drinking water emergency. In February 2017, OWASA experienced an unplanned shutdown of its Jones Ferry Road Water Treatment Plant, followed 19 hours later by a major water main break. A Do Not Use, Do Not Drink directive was in place for about 26 hours for OWASA customers in the Carrboro-Chapel Hill community, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Key elements of OWASA’s immediate and longer-term response to the many challenges faced as a result of the water emergency included: public communications and trust, working with local partners and other stakeholders in Orange County’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), dealing with the media, remediating the water treatment plant, use of emergency interconnections with neighboring utilities, independent review of events, conducting After Action Reviews (AAR), developing and implementing improvement plans, and keeping the public informed.While the OWASA Team regrets the inconvenience and hardship endured by its customers and stakeholders as a result of the water emergency, we believe our actions during and after the events were highly responsible. We further believe that the actions taken and planned as a result of many lessons learned will benefit our utility and community for many years to come.