Drinking Water Emergency/Incident Information
Natural disasters and other types of incidents can disrupt drinking water and wastewater systems. This page provides information to water consumers, water and wastewater utilities, and private well and septic owners to help in emergency / incident response efforts. It is important to be prepared because drinking water and wastewater disruptions can directly threaten your health, the health of your family, and the health of your community.
Water Customers
Alternate Water Supplies and Sanitation
- Visit Ready.gov's "Managing Water" website for information about the essentials of managing water in an emergency.
- FEMA and American Red Cross "Food and Water in an Emergency" Report (PDF) (16 pp, 589 K, About PDF)
- CDC's "Food, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Information for Use Before and After a Disaster or Emergency" Website.
Emergency Disinfection
Water and Wastewater Utilities
Emergency or Incident Planning, Response, and Recovery
- Preparedness and Response Planning, Tools, and Resources - A variety of guidance documents and training resources to support drinking water and wastewater utility preparedness, response and recovery.
- Fed FUNDS - Document damage to your utility during a disaster, and determine which federal funding mechanism is right for you.
- Weather & Hydrologic Forecasting - Hazardous weather and forecasting resources to support utility awareness and preparedness measures.
- Water Utility Response On-The-Go -a mobile website to consolidate, and make accessible from field, critical information and tools that water utility operators and their response partners may need during an emergency.
Private Well and Septic Owners
Other Emergency Response Resources
- EPA's Natural Disaster website
- CDC:“Natural Disasters & Severe Weather” Website.
- Ready.gov: Learn how to: