On February 5, 2021, Oldsmar, Florida’s water treatment plant operators found themselves under attack. A hacker infiltrated the facility’s system and attempted to increase the water’s level of sodium hydroxide to over 100 times its normal amount. While sodium hydroxide is commonly used in water and wastewater treatment to remove heavy metal particles, large amounts of sodium hydroxide are poisonous to humans and can be deadly.  

Natural disasters are nothing new in the United States. In 2017 alone, the country experienced 16 extreme weather events including devastating hurricanes and raging wildfires. Extreme weather is on the rise. While local policymakers and health officialslead the charge to prepare for these disasters, municipal water and wastewaterdepartments should participate in these efforts to help keep their crews, communities and assets safe and protected, and to ensure that essential services are maintained wherever possible. We’ve compiled a list of best practices to augment your utility’s extreme weather response plans and procedures. 

The word ‘essential’ when describing an employee or business has become an iconic phrase associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some non-essential businesses have temporarily closed or found alternative ways to provide services to their customers by observing social distancing. But other businesses are deemed essential and must stay operable during the crisis, providing necessary services to communities including healthcare, law enforcement, transportation and the water and wastewater industry.  

Preparing wastewater systems for both natural and human-caused disasters can preserve resources, protect communities and save lives. A key part of this preparation is training your utility employees to respond to emergencies. Both during and after a crisis, wastewater utilities and their workers have a responsibility to take action.

With the start of summer comes hurricane season, but natural disasters—from blizzards to earthquakes—can disrupt daily life year round. The impact of natural disasters can be far-reaching and disrupt utilities and city operations. Floods, whether caused by snowmelt, hurricane, downpour or infrastructure damage, can quickly overwhelm collection systems and damage electric pump services. And earthquakes can destroy underground infrastructure in mere minutes.