AWIA: America Water Infrastructure Act of 2018

Section 2013 of America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA) requires community water systems that serve more than 3,300 people to complete a risk and resilience assessment and develop an emergency response plan.

Preparing for Round 2 of AWIA

U.S. EPA has launched the second round of America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) Section 2013 / Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) section 1433, which requires community drinking water systems (CWSs) serving more than 3,300 people to develop or update risk and resilience assessments (RRAs) and emergency response plans (ERPs) every five years.

See the upcoming certification deadlines in the table below:

Risk and Resilience Assessment Checklist for Small Systems

This guidance is intended for small community water systems (CWS’s) serving greater than 3,300 but less than 50,000 people.  Community water systems serving less than 3,300 people are not required to conduct risk and resilience assessments under AWIA, however, it is recommended that these systems use this, or other guidance, to learn how to conduct risk and resilience assessments and address threats from malevolent acts and natural hazards that threaten safe drinking water.

EPA Tools and Resources:

NEW: Tools for AWIA Compliance Article

EPA AWIA Main Page:  https://www.epa.gov/waterresilience/americas-water-infrastructure-act-risk-assessments-and-emergency-response-plans

AWIA Factsheet – This document provides an overview of the new requirements, deadlines, frequently asked questions and information concerning resources and tools. Access at https://www.epa.gov/waterresilience/overview-new-risk-assessment-and-emergency-response-plan-requirements-community

Baseline Information on Malevolent Acts for Community Water Systems (CWSs) – This document provides baseline information on malevolent act threat categories and corresponding threat likelihoods relevant to drinking water and wastewater systems. Access at https://www.epa.gov/waterriskassessment/baseline-information-malevolent-acts-community-water-systems

Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool Web 2.0 – This updated version of the Vulnerability Self-Assessment Tool assists drinking water and wastewater systems in conducting an AWIA-compliant Risk and Resilience Assessment. Access at https://www.epa.gov/waterriskassessment/conduct-drinking-water-or-wastewater-utility-risk-assessment
Emergency Response Plan Template and Instructions – This updated emergency response plan guidance provides a template and instructions for drinking water systems to develop or revise an AWIA-compliant Emergency Response Plan. Access at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-07/documents/190712-awia_erp_template_instructions_kab_508c_v6.pdf

Small System Risk and Resilience Asessment Checklist:  https://www.epa.gov/waterresilience/small-system-risk-and-resilience-assessment-checklist

Online Certification System – This online portal allows CWSs to certify completion of the Risk and Resilience Assessments and Emergency Response Plan online and receive reminders. Access at https://www.epa.gov/waterresilience/how-certify-your-risk-and-resilience-assessment-or-emergency-response-plan

EPA Video link for certification process:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sED8MCVTgo&feature=emb_logo

EPA’s resource for completing ERPs:
          Emergency Response Plan Template and Instructions
          How to Certify Your Risk and Resilience Assessment or Emergency Response Plan 
          AWIA Frequently Asked Questions Document
          AWIA Risk Assessment and Emergency Response Plan Requirements Fact Sheet

MORE Resources from EPA:

Updated Water Utility Response On-The-Go App
The Water Utility Response On-The-Go App consolidates and makes accessible from the field, information and tools that water utility operators and their response partners may need during an emergency. Downloading Response On-The-Go can help responders and stakeholders increase situational awareness, facilitate coordination, and enhance overall response efforts. Access at https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/water-utility-response-go-mobile-application

Water Quality Surveillance and Response System (SRS) Capabilities Assessment Tool
This tool helps drinking water utilities identify existing SRS capabilities, assess these capabilities relative to target capabilities, and develop potential enhancements to meet their unique SRS goals and objectives. The tool provides an easy starting point for utilities interested in implementing an SRS. Access at https://wq-srs.epa.gov/wq-srs/

Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU)
CRWU’s Resilient Strategies Guide is a user-friendly introduction to resilience planning for utilities; it provides background material on why and how to build resilience and descriptions of potential utility priorities and strategies, as well as a detailed, customized report built from user selections. The Resilient Strategies Guide produces an export file for use in our Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool to expand work into a more detailed, long-term risk assessment.  The Guide now includes a Funding Sources step, which lists customized funding options based on location and selected resilience strategies. The funding information is drawn from EPA’s Water Finance Clearinghouse.
Access at https://www.epa.gov/crwu/resilient-strategies-guide-water-utilities#/

CRWU Case Study and Information Exchange map has been updated and now contains more than 40 utility resilience-building stories. Access at https://epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=03d35ca84b5944f8b3ab59bf3a981462

CyberSecurity in MN:

Recommend reviewing of these resources, which can help you assess your cybersecurity:
Security of Minnesota Public Water Systems Fact Sheet – EH: Minnesota Department of Health (state.mn.us)
Security Assessment of Public Water Supplies – EH: Minnesota Department of Health (state.mn.us)
10 Basic Cybersecurity Measures (PDF)
Water Sector Cybersecurity Brief for States (epa.gov)
Cybersecurity Framework | NIST

If your Minnesota water system experiences a cyber-threat incident:
Call the MN State Duty Officer as soon as possible. The State Duty Officer will connect you with the MDH On-Call system and will notify the FBI of the incident.
Make sure you have a copy of MDH’s Emergency Response Guidance for Community Public Water Systems on hand or posted in a prominent location.