June 24, 2002—American Water Works Association (AWWA), dedicated to safe drinking water, highlighted water security and emergency response at its Annual Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans this month.
Featured forums included AWWA’s H2Open Forum, “When the Extraordinary Overshadows the Everyday,” and seminars, including, “Counter-Terrorism and Security in the Water Industry,” and “The World Trade Center Attack: A Water Supplier Responds,” featuring Paul Bennett, director of Emergency Management, New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
The Public Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Act mandates that vulnerability assessments be conducted by public water systems serving more than 3,300 customers. Public water systems are the first industry to be mandated by the federal government to undergo vulnerability assessments. Emergency response plans that consider the results of these vulnerability assessments are also required.
For more information, contact AWWA at 800/ 926-7337.
